Korean Christians Stir Controversy By Holding Service At Sacred Buddhist Site
Posted on July 11th, 2014
HuffPost Korea,
Seoul, South Korea — The local Buddhist newspaper Beopbo Shinmun reported this week that Korean Christians were observed singing hymns and missionary prayers, allegedly doing Ddangbarpgi in a Buddhist temple and UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Mahabodhi Temple.” Ddangbarpgi refers to the act of Christians worshiping at sacred locations of other religions, primarily Buddhism.
The incident came to light through a video sent to Beopbo Shinmun by a Buddhist nun, Venerable Beopsu, who has been at the Mahabodhi Temple for several months practicing silence, the newspaper reports. The temple is in Bodh Gaya, an area in the northeast of India that is reputed to be where Buddha obtained enlightenment.
In the video, a Korean man plays the guitar while two others appear to be singing and praying. Beopsu broke her silent meditation to ask them to stop immediately and leave the temple, wondering how they could “do such a disrespectful thing in a shrine where Buddha found enlightenment,” the paper reports. However, they reportedly told her that the Christian God is the only savior and that they were preaching the word of God because [they] pity those who have not been saved.”
When Beopsu told the Christians that she would “inform Korea what they did,” they left in a hurry, according to the paper. Beopbo Shinmun reports that “this state of affairs is significant because, when it becomes public that Korean Christians performed such an outrageous missionary act in the Mahabodhi Temple, serious religious conflicts and diplomatic problems may come into play.”
Even among Korean Christians, Ddangbarpgi is seen as controversial and is often criticized. In 2010, a video was circulated in which young people held Christian services in Bongeunsa, one of the biggest Buddhist temples in Seoul. Following the video’s controversial reception, the group officially apologized to Bongeunsa. Also in 2010, the Christian Council of Daegu was seen in a video holding Christian services at the Donghwasa temple, a Buddhist temple in the city of Daegu. In December of that year, the Korean Church Press Association stated via the daily newspaper Kukmin Ilbo that “Ddangbarpgi is not considered to reflect legitimate Christian doctrine or practice.”
———
This post was translated from Korean and was originally published on HuffPost Korea.
VIDEO
Jul 10, 2014
http://buddhistchannel.tv/index.php?id=89,11931,0,0,1,0#.U8AdiEBh7TM
July 12th, 2014 at 10:55 am
Quoting the article : “The local Buddhist newspaper Beopbo Shinmun reported this week that Korean Christians were observed singing hymns and missionary prayers, allegedly doing Ddangbarpgi in a Buddhist temple and UNESCO World Heritage Site, the Mahabodhi Temple.” Ddangbarpgi refers to the act of Christians worshiping at sacred locations of other religions, primarily Buddhism.”
Let us assume they are “testing the water”. That is testing the limits of tolerance of Buddhism by doing this Christian practice in one of the holiest Buddhist sites. One suggestion is to stay calm, accept that on a face value that it is an act of inter faith harmony and “test the Christian waters”
First make sure to publicize this event so all the world will know. then go to that Christian church in South Korea and hold Buddhist sermons aloud. If the Christians resist then make that known to the world. Show the world and the UN of the double standards of the Christians and use that to stop any such actions by the Christians.
If they welcome the Buddhists then persist in Christian churches in South Korea. Use their churches to promote Buddhism but only in South Korea. Do not let other Christian nations do the same thing or all Buddhist nations will have to give in. Limit to this weird sect of Christians till the hypocrisy of their act finally breaks them and then end the charade. The world then cannot blame the Buddhists of intolerance of any kind, but be forced to admit the hypocrisy of these South Korean Christians and their intrusion into the holy sites of Buddhism.
the simple route would be to stop them from preaching Christianity in a Buddhist Temple as any other faith would do.