Not trying to make fun of you but why is that? I wouldn't be surprised if the shooter is a Christian or came from a Christian family. In my experience, Korean Christians are very very annoying.

It depends. There are almost an equal number of Christians to Buddhists in South Korea, whereas Christianity, mainly Protestant but some Catholics here and there, is much more prevalent within the Korean community in countries abroad, especially in America.

I think it's due to the fact that Christian missionaries were quite successful in South Korea, particularly after the Korean War when the Koreans became more exposed to the West. If my assumption is correct, then Korea is one of the few countries that the missionaries were successful in.

Another factor is the usual Korean parent-to-child relations. Korean children usually don't enjoy the freedom of being liberated, and the choice is often made by their parents, who are quite stern when it comes to certain matters. So, if you see a Christian Korean parent, then you know that the odds of their children being Christians is relatively high.

Also, Christians often reach out to others in promoting and recruiting, more so than any other religions. It's not rare to see Christian youth groups handing out flyers on the streets promoting their churches. You don't see this kind of thing with Islam, Judaism and other religions.

I hope that answered your question.

Americans came to Korea around 1950's?? and spread the word of God.
Many converted.
I believe SK is technologically advanced in many areas is partly due to religion

There were Westerners in Korea prior to the Korean War, but just not in the amount that would have affected the country that much.

Also, you have to look at the fact that the Missionary's goal is to convert. You can't just have an outbreak of people converting from one religion to another. It takes time and, to a lesser degree, pain to slowly progress.

And I doubt that the religion has much to do with South Korea's advancements in technology. Take a look at Japan, where most of the population don't even believe in anything. Take a look at the U.S., where Christianity is widespread, but the consumer-level technology lags behind that of both Korea and Japan's.

I thought that the American missionaries came in something like the 1800s... No; I checked, (on wikipedia :P ) it's not the 1800s, but earlier.

"1791 - One hundred and twenty Korean Christians are tortured and killed for their faith. It began when Paul Yun Ji-Chung, a noble who had become a Christian, decided not to bury his mother according to traditional Confucian custom."
source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_Christian_missions

QUOTE(enomosiki @ Apr 18 2007, 05:25 PM)

[/u]

I've got to disagree on what you have to say.

Just before I go on, I'm not some hard-core Christian guy, believe it or not. I'm just basing my ideas on what I've heard.

The States' history since the arrival of the Europeans is what... just over/less than 500 years? They started from nothing, and now, in just that time, they are the of the world... "God bless America".

There's a recent discovery in war-stricken Nigeria of oil deposits, which will bring them prosparity. There are many visits there by many leaders around the world, including the Chinese prime minister (or president, i don't know) and the South Korean president... to what? 'Build friendship' with Nigeria, through their president, in this time where oil is expensive. The funny thing is that it was discovered when Nigeria got a new president who is hard out Christian, who preaches his people.


According to the CIA World Factbook, 84% of Japan's population observe both Shintoism and Buddhism.

it's because the christian missionaries came at the most opportune time; when people had freedom to worship reinstated and when people were struggling and working hard to build their nation.

Actually, the Americas were virgin territory when the Europeans landed, and contained much more untouched resources and space compared to Europe. It's not through religion that the Americans were able to rise. It's due to the people who were willing to take the risk and hardship, plentiful of land, resources and opportunity, (as "opportunity" in Europe were mainly given to the riches and the royalties whereas in the America everyone had a chance to start from the scratch) as well as FREEDOM of religion that did not, most of the time, oppress the individual's affiliation with any church or group.

And Nigeria's leader being a Christian has nothing to do with how they struck a deal with China and Korea. Keep in mind that there are more Muslims than Christians in Nigeria. Both China and Korea desperately need oil, and they will not go around trying to look for who's acting like a saint when it comes to dealing business. Look what China did with Sudan. Despite all the troubles in that country, the Chinese still went ahead and made an oil deal with the Sudanese.

"According to the CIA World Factbook". Give me a break. The CIA World Factbook is known to stand by their mistakes and typos and never fixes them whenever someone points out the obvious mistake, and sometimes make the matters worse by putting in more incorrect data. I wouldn't trust CIA World Factbook if I were you. I'd rather take Wikipedia over it.

Also, notice how it says the Japanese "observe" those religions, which is in no way of meaning the same with "practice". You can "observe" the rules of Christianity, but it's not going to be the same as "practicing" Christianity.

The killer mentioned that he had been 'crucified' like jesus and that he was a 'defender' of the weak like jesus. this is looking like a case of Christianity induced madness.

doesn't the nutjob also mentions that he hate christianity?

I was right. His family is christian and his writing of "ishmael ax" is an allussion to the Ishmael of the bible. This only shows that christianity and koreans don't mix.

http://www.cnn.com/video/player/player.htm...cho.profile.cnn

How would you explain then over 50% of S Koreans being Christians.

because they want to go to heaven

cause some white people went there a long time ago and converted them.

i was reading this random book about the "Nagas" they are an indigenous tribe in SE asia. it went from like the 40's to the 70's, they were headhunters and at the end they were converted to Christianity. so no more hanging skulls around.

those missionaries are some brave people.

not necessarily. cho also had a twisted literary bent. The opening line of Moby d!ck by Herman Melville is "Call me Ishmael".

Since, he was a homicidal meglomaniac with an autistic condition, his literary delusions, feeling that he has some bond with greatness, might have influenced him also.

actually, cho reminds me of another melville book, "Bartleby the Scrivener". Bartleby was a weird, reclusive character, like cho.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/...,910245,00.html

"Bartleby is a kind of saintly madman, an almost ghostly figure employed (as the movie has it) as an accountant in Scofield's office.His only previous experience, Bartleby tells Scofield, was working in the dead-letter division of the post office. Soon after Scofield hires him, Bartleby begins to retreat inside himself. Asked to perform some routine task, he replies, "I'd prefer not to," and never provides further amplification. He lives entirely in the office and becomes for Scofield a burden, an obsession and, finally, an inescapable moral responsibility. Bartleby will not leave when he is dismissed, so Scofield moves the whole office to new quarters. Bartleby remains behind, but he is like an embodiment of some old guilt that Scofield can never escape."

cho was,
1. an "evil" madman
2. a ghostly figure in the dorm where he lived
3. He retreated inside himself
4. When asked a routine question like "what's your name" he didn't say "I prefer not to" but he said something equally weird, "my name is question mark"
5. He never exlains this
6. He stayed in his dorm mostly and was unknown to the greater korean community, and only known to his roommates.

so there may be a religious angle but there is also a strange connection to literature and herman melville.

I'm a Christian. And proud of it.

Catholicism introduced to korea by china and japan

History of Christianity in Korea: From Its Troubled Beginning to
Its Contemporary Success
http://www.kimsoft.com/1997/xhist.htm

I'm Korean and I completely agree. Christian Koreans are the retards of Korea. When you talk to them its like something's missing.

I always wondered what religion really means.

Seems like the world believes in religion as a political clout. For instance Islam vs Christianity and the Iraq war.

I used to goto church for years just to meet other Koreans but some of these people act really crazy. Churches in America seems to lure people into white man's political agenda. It also makes people familiarize the Caucasoid race to trust.

Just watch 700 or 900 club in the sunday tv programs. It's really disturbing.

the bell-curve for abrahamic, monotheist, hierarchical religions are edged to the left. there are much more dumb people among them.

islam and christianity, in their extreme forms, are essentially feudalist sects.

umm too much generalization perhaps?

Justify this statement.

wasnt the origins of christianity in korea the 19th century? during the choson dynasty?

I think many Korean adults use the church as Tax-write off and as a social convention. I don't know where you went to church but from the churches around where I live--are completely Korean and cry out for social interaction with other races. Never works though.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Religiosity_and_intelligence

The hierarchy of Abrahamic religions, of course, places God first, some prophets or whoever else second, and then the most "devoted" (or ethnocentric, jingoist) adherents next, and then finally the "unbelievers", making it fairly easy to manipulate politics to incite abuse.

This is similar to the primitive structure of having alpha males, sycophant beta males, and their ways of slaughtering "other" tribes. i.e like when young beta chimps attack other camps and kill baby chimps.