What a great good if the church had a habit of reading books to young children. Writing in the Catholic Times a pastor introduces the readers to the Bookstart movement—starting off children in the habit of reading. (Bookstart movement provides free picture books to infants who are less than one year old. The movement began in England and Korea has begun doing the same.)
In Seoul baptism is held twice a month on Saturday afternoon. The parents who bring their children are given instructions on the meaning of infant baptism and the education of the child in the faith and then an explanation of the picture books that are distributed and showing parents how to read the books to the child.
Education for parents and children is not only a baptismal event but also a monthly follow-up program after the children's Saturday Mass. Where there is no faith education for infants and young children, this educational program fills the gap from childhood baptism until the start of Sunday school.
Fortunately, the church has recently opened its eyes to faith education for infants and young children. In many parishes in the Seoul Diocese, the pre-baptism education has been practiced for several years. It teaches the meaning and importance of infant baptism and how to teach children in the faith. Although these attempts are common, the need for faith programs for infants and young children, always can be improved.
Until now, the church has done little in educating parents before baptism. Little has ever been attempted until the child enters school and the beginning of Sunday school. There is a real need for a variety of pastoral programs so that parents can take responsibility for their children's faith. Pope John Paul II's exhoratation On Catechesis In Our Time (1975) emphasized that "parental education should begin at a very young age" # 68. Infant and child education cannot be achieved without parent education.
The number of young children baptized each year aged 0 to 4 is decreasing year by year. 4-year-olds and under account for 4% of the total population, while only 1% of children under 4 years old are registered in the parish. The low infant baptism rate is due to the overall low fertility rate in society, and to the indifference to religion of young parents. The parents' beliefs are such that they will not even take responsibility for their children's faith and opt for a free lifestyle influenced by the individualization of their faith life.
In a survey of marriage teachings, only half (55.1%) of the students answered that they would give infants baptism, and 38.6% answered that they plan to let their children decide. Given this recent situation, the church should be aware of the need for faith education for young parents and provide a realistic educational program proper to the times.
The 'Bookstart Movement" described above is a means of communicating with a child and a caregiver by reading and talking to their infant children with the help of books.
Apostle Paul reminded the readers of his letter that Timothy, one of his spiritual sons, inherited his faith through his mother and grandmother and became a good church worker (2 Timothy 1,1-8).
The church needs to provide a program for the infants and young children before they enter Sunday school. It can begin with infant baptism. The church's interest in teaching infants would make the continuance of the program into Sunday school and remedy the fear of the demise of the Sunday school program in the future.
Who is responsible for the burning Yongsan tower? So asks a lawyer writing in the Eye's of the Believer column in the Catholic Weekly. He recounts the prices of houses in some of the better areas of Seoul where they go over a million dollars. The prices in just a few years have gone up over double of what they were.
Just 10 years ago, on January 20, 2009, a tower burned on the rooftop of a Yongsan building. It was a hellish incident that has yet to heal. About 30 residents held a sit-in protest on the top of the building asking for a proper compensation after a decision to develop the area.
Five men from 50 to 70 years of age and one of the riot police officers died in the fire and many others were injured. The lawyer mentions the two legal issues at the trial. The first, when the riot police entered the building and came face to face with the squatters all admitted they did not see any of the squatters using Molotov cocktails. But at the trial, the prosecutors closed their eyes to this evidence, all the blame was given to the squatters.
Were the actions of the riot police justified? This was the second issue. It was later acknowledged that after they mobilized over two hundred riot police they fabricated the incident as city terror on the internet. In the beginning, all was quiet and questions where asked about the activity of the police. The evidence from an investigation mentioned that excessive force was used by the police. This was suppressed and hidden all the way to the final judgment.
The money that the companies made for the redevelopment of Yongsan was big money. Those who were displaced were the ones who developed the commercial area for decades and increased the value of the real estate and when the compensation came it was about 23 thousand dollars on the average for each householder or business. It was half of the price of the initial investment and a joke when it came to finding a place to begin again in an adjacent area.
The lawyer asks the prosecutor, the lawyers and all those in a similar circumstance: would they not have gone to the tower to demand their rights? Six people died in the tower. Those who survived were given prison terms of four or five years. Those who enforced the suppression were promoted. Last year, president Moon Jae-in's administration did pardon all those who were imprisoned.
Here is another case where the vested interests control what is done in society and with no surprises. We also do see small gains as in this case—after Yongsan, a revised decree on the demolition of a building—the residents cannot be forcefully evicted in wintertime, at night or during bad weather.
The writer ends with an allusion to how many make money with their real estate holdings very easily without effort and those with little often lose overnight what they have worked for a lifetime to earn. And concludes by asking who are responsible for the hell that 'little people' have to experience in life as in the Yongsan incident?
The Constitutional Court's ruling on the abortion-related provisions of Articles 269 and 270 of the Criminal Act is expected to be finalized at least as early as the first half of the year after the New Year holidays. You have those who want the abolition of abortion as a crime and the right for abortion on demand and the Catholic Church and the pro-life activists who want to keep the law as is. Great interest in what the Constitutional Court will decide when the pros and cons are so close in numbers. So begins the article in the Peace Column of the Catholic Peace Weekly.
Two of the reasons for demanding the abolition of abortion are: the self-determination of the woman's body. The fetus belongs to a woman's body, and a woman has a right to decide for her own body. The other is the pain and suffering of women due to unwanted pregnancy. Also the pain of unmarried mothers, the problem is not only the embarrassment from unfavorable glances around them but also the economic burden and mental and psychological suffering of child rearing.
But these claims are problematic. This is because the right to self-determination of the body is basically the right to cultivate and maintain its own body, not the right to damage its own body at will. The fetus is human life. It is also the weakest human life that can not live without relying on the mother. One should not accept the self-determination of one's body while undermining the right to life of the fetus. The problem would be different if the fetus was not human life but an unwanted lump.
The same is true of the pain that a mother or a parent must suffer from unwanted pregnancy. Removing the fetus to relieve the economic, psychological, and mental burden of unwanted pregnancy is no different from killing another human being to alleviate one's own suffering.
On the other hand, criticism of the Catholic church and pro-life activists who do not want to change the law on abortion is not insignificant. Pro-choice emphasize that pro-life people push for the dignity of life and repeat that abortion is a sin while ignoring the suffering and pain of those who are suffering from unwanted pregnancies. They point out that these arguments are merely theoretical positions without persuasiveness. It also accuses the church who should be a merciful mother as not willing to embrace women who are suffering. Of course, the church does have activities for the unwed mothers, but as the activities are relatively small, many sympathize with those who are looking for the repeal of the law against abortion and the numbers are large.
But it is not proper only to condemn those who are pro-choice but need to forgive and embrace them. We must distinguish between 'sin' and 'sinner'. If abortion is murder to kill the life of a fetus, it is definitely a sin. The Catholic Church sees the fetus as human life, and therefore regards abortion as a sin to be legally sanctioned. If we do not hate these sins, we will have more culture of death in our society.
We need to take to heart the last words of Jesus in the story of a woman caught in adultery (John 8: 11-11). "I do not condemn you. Go. And from now on, do not sin again." The emphasis does not stop at "do not condemn" but added is "Do not sin again."
Sin should be called sin. Along with this, it is also necessary to create conditions that will decrease the numbers of abortions by increasing the conditions that will make it easier to carry the fetus to birth. To this end, both the church and society should cooperate and work together to achieve this goal.
In world history who was the kindest person? We have no theory or discussion on this but when it comes to the meanest, most evil, the greatest miser and the like, they are plentiful. Books about kindness are found rarely except books for children or in marketing, or towards oneself. So begins an article for the lunar New Year by an university professor of psychiatry in the Kyeongyang magazine.
Kindness is a warm and gentle attitude. Well behaved and tenderhearted with those we interact. Of course, this is without any ulterior motive. Persons getting paid in relating with others are merely offering a service.
We demand kindness from others and have no demands on ourselves to show kindness. We are warm when trading one item for another, we lack the desire for kindness without reason. Often when treated kindly we suspect the kindness—what is it they want?
The 'Nice Guy Syndrome' has both a positive and negative meaning but here we understand it positively. When one is kind to others they may take advange of the situation and then kindness becomes the way one is at the beck and call of another. People hear this and will nod in approval. If you have doubts about yourself he recommends you ask your best friends if you can be considered this type of nice guy. We never forget the person to whom we have lent money but can forget those who have lent us money. To consider your self a nice guy may be a bad diagnosis.
The professor doesn't care for the giving of awards for kindness in the workplace or in organizations for it makes for jealousy and does little to make for a better working atmosphere. However, the fact is that those who are altruistic do have many benefits which is only natural. Those who are kind and gentle will have many friends and compensations. A person who is truly kind will not envision any compensation for what is done is not to be seen. Otherwise what is done is some form of investment for returns, even if only in the afterlife.
Kindness is the opposite of envy and jealousy. They both can't exist together. However, we can learn something about kindness from the psychology of envy. With envy the person doesn't envision any loss from the envy. With true kindness, no loss is felt from the act of kindness. It is done for it's own merit.
In the recent issue of the Catholic Times was an interview with a one-time editorial staff reporter and now a professor who expressed his opinions on looking at the world with the right lens—efforts to identify 'fake news'.
We have entered an era of untruth choosing only information one wants. The Oxford Dictionary now includes the word 'Post Truth': where objective facts are less influential in shaping public opinion than appeals to emotion and personal belief. Fake news deliberately manipulates facts and deceives and is widespread. What is to be done was the topic for the interview.
The professor defines fake news in this way: False information that is intentionally made and spread in the form of media reports for political or economic gain. He distinguishes this from rumors and false news. Fake news is 'intentionally' written incorrectly. We have had this long in our history.
The difference in the 21st century is fake news grows greatly on the internet. A lot of fake news is being produced and spread daily. It continues to be created for economic reasons and confirmation bias— believing only what wants to see and believe—. The professor gives as an example the young people from Macedonia who made fake news that the pope supports Trump at the time of the US presidential election in 2016. They received money for each click on the fake news. It made money.
The professor mentions the ways an American research organization identifies fake news. But this is difficult for individuals to practice; it's not easy to identify a manipulated fact and difficult to ask experts every time in doubt. That is why fact-checking organizations are needed.
The traditional press has some responsibility for the situation in which we are in.
Most importantly, traditional media, especially reporters, need to identify facts and verify them. Reporters of traditional media do make mistakes.
First, "unconfirmed speculative reporting" repeated as true. Secondly, we have the abuse of anonymity. We need to clarify the source; with anonymity, we are in doubt on where the news is coming, actual persons or made up news. Finally, the 'Fishing Title' is also a problem. The title should come from the contents of the text but in many cases, the title is purposefully seductive and fishing for readers. All three are the fallacies that make fake news grow.
Media is the backbone of democracy and developed from democracy. If journalism is damaged with a lack of trust, democracy itself is at risk. I am sure that everyone knows what the problem is: survival problems of the media are present.
The media system is changing rapidly. Most of the media is supported by advertising revenue. Consequently, we have advertising and promotional articles in order to attract the advertiser and to please them which does not conform to the principles of journalism. Whose basic principle is to represent the people in the face of power and this trust should not be shaken.
Media literacy refers to the ability of an audience to decipher media information independently and this he feels is necessary to counteract the fake news. Today, whether it is fake news or real news is a matter of 'civilization' after all. You need education to get out of fake news as if you were breaking out of illiteracy.
Still, media education has a long way to go in Korea. It is different from what is happening actively in Germany and France. There is a big difference between knowing nothing and knowing a little. We have to work with the government, related organizations, the family and so on. Media workers, including reporters, need intermediate education.
Pope Francis continues to talk about fake news. In our church, we do follow the words of the Pope, but no one talks about what to do specifically. Now, we are in a two-way communication age. Because of the strong "clergy-centeredness" of the church, communication tends to be unilateral. It is not desirable from a media communication point of view. Careful thought is necessary for the church to recognize and respond to fake news, and the concrete steps required.
Each New Year we make several resolutions to change our life for the better. One of the most important decisions is health:quit smoking, promise to exercise and keep a regular life. However, this is not possible with one's own efforts. We can't avoid all the foods with contaminants and fine dust in the atmosphere. We need to make efforts to enjoy the benefits of nature and restore health to body and mind.
So begins an article in the Catholic Peace Weekly by a member of the Bishops' Committee on ecology. Fine dust problems in Korea are a constant news item. Most of the reports blame others for the problems without any conclusive proof. China has begun winter heating and both the spring and winter are the bad seasons for the dust because of the westerly winds blowing in from China.
The concentration of fine dust in spring and winter are the worst seasons not only in Korea but also in almost all other countries. In the summer, high temperature, the rising air current, the amount of rainfall makes the degree of pollution low. In the autumn air circulation is good and the occurrence of typhoons and the like lowers the rate of pollution.
In summer and autumn, however, the concentration of fine dust in Korea is quite high. Fine dust pollution in Korea is not a problem only for a certain season but is seen continuously throughout the year. Therefore, it's not all China's fault. Fundamental measures and changes need to be applied in everyday situations.
The reason we are afraid of fine dust is that when we breathe the fine dust enters our lungs. But the fine dust coming into my lungs is mainly from the air around me. So the distance to my house, my office, the air quality of my car, where I walk, the neighborhood in which I live are all important, after that we can worry about the Shandong Peninsula and Beijing.
Ultimately, it is necessary to fundamentally reduce the amount of fine dust generated in all fields: in the generation of electricity, industry, transportation, in the home, and we begin solving the fine dust problem. Both public and industrial cooperation need to be actively pursued, but there must be a recognition that it begins with me. A long-term misunderstanding needs to be overcome with education and campaigns.
If I buy and throw away a lot, use a variety of household appliances and enjoy conveniences, more energy is needed to produce what I use—more fine dust. When you wait for someone using a car, fine dust will be generated even while idling.
Not only the health of future generations but also fine dust threatens my health right now. Now, let's start to reduce the underlying incidences where we are rather than looking for the causes distant from us. It's a manifestation of our genuine free will when we begin to live with some inconvenience in order to begin solving the fine dust problems in Korea.
The Olympic motto: Faster, Higher, Stronger influences much of our world culture. However, we also want these results with as little energy, money and time expended as possible. A parish priest brings our attention to the problems that arises with this view of life in an article in the Bible & Life magazine.
He recalls stopping at a red light, turning green, it was not two seconds before the car behind blew the horn. Granted,with that time the car could have traveled some tens of meters, was that the reason for the feeling of mistreatment? Is this not the society in which we live? Two seconds can become a problem for many.
We live in a neo-liberal society, dealing with unlimited competition. Speed is of the essence of life.This does not mean the action is speeded up but the time to arrive at the action—the process is shortened. Since speed is important, ways to shorten the process is considered good—small expense for the greatest results.
This way of thinking has become embedded in our culture. Some feel it's ideal to skip high school and get into college. Pride is expressed that we have done in 10 years what took other countries 100 years. The results are important, process can be overlooked, the shortest methods are held up for praise.
However in life no matter how difficult there are certain processes that have to be followed. The birth of a child is one such process. It takes nine months if we try to speed up the process not all turns out well. The love of the mother and child is nurtured and after the child is born we have the breast feeding period, infancy, childhood, teenage period, if one of them is ignored the growth into adulthood is harmed.
This holds true with a building that should take three years to build and with so much money and workers. When we diminish the time, expenses, number of workers, problems arise. When we look at our history we have many examples of the results of this thinking: 'modernization of the fatherland', 'energizing the citizenry' are all popular phrases used often to take shortcuts. Many of the tragedies in our society were not concerned with processes.
We still are looking for the least time on processes, cheapest methods and greatest results. With this attitude what happens is those who need to be given help and protected are further pushed into poverty and death. Those with whom we should be living together in harmony are sent to the fringes of society.
He mentions the temptations in the desert where Jesus was tempted to take short cuts. We also are tempted to take the easy way but Jesus shows us that's not the way of the Christian(Math.4:1-11).
Jesus did not take the easy way but the difficult one. We are invited to take the same journey together with others.
Go quickly alone, achieve alone, eat to the full alone, be comfortable alone is this happiness? Is it not rather to have less to eat but with others, be somewhat uncomfortable but with others, but even, if slower to walk with others and even if more difficult, to do it with others, is this not the way to achieve what we want with joy in our heart? "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."
