‘Are you Christian?’
“Are you a Christian?” This is a question frequently asked in Korea. The question is loaded. There’s a stereotype of what a Christian is that doesn’t fit me, nor does it fit millions of other Christians. Please do not presume all Christians are the same.
There’s a tongue-in-cheek preacher’s story about St. Peter greeting new arrivals at the “pearly gates” in heaven. He assigns each their place but tells them to be quiet as they pass by room 107, because “that’s where the (fill in the blank with your favorite religious brand) are, and they think they’re the only ones here.”
About 130 years ago, there began a fundamentalist-modernist split in American Christianity. It affected both Protestants and Catholics. The modernists argued the Bible needed to be interpreted in the context of the changing society to find relevance.
The fundamentalists rejected that idea and adopted a restrictive statement of faith to which many churches subscribed. This was happening concurrently with the advent of Protestantism in Korea. For several reasons, Korea was a fertile place for fundamentalist Christianity to take root.
An example of the literalist approach is found in the arguments about LGBTQ rights. Most fundamentalists declare that “God Himself” has said homosexuals are an abomination. They pull a few selected sentences from the Bible that seem to support their contention.
There are several problems with this approach. They ignore the historical context. They are not using scripture in the original language, but in translated versions. Did you know the word “homosexual” was coined in 1892 — thousands of years after the original manuscripts of the Bible were written?
I find it interesting that Jesus condemned divorce in plain language, but many conservative Protestant campaigners conveniently ignore that counsel. By doing so, they have reinterpreted the Bible according to modern social changes.
Each generation has justified its position by co-opting ancient writings as if they were applicable to the current generation. So much evil has been done by people claiming the Bible supports their “literal” reading: slavery, racism, rejection of modern medicine, sexual abuse, oppression of women.
I think it is crystal clear there is no such thing as a “literal” reading of the Bible. “God” is too often used to justify human agendas, human greed.
I believe, along with millions of fellow Christians who seem to be few and far between in Korea, the Bible can only be interpreted through the lenses of history and culture. Even the various translations of the Bible have slightly different meanings and nuances.
Some preserve an archaic language that is difficult to understand today. Other translations use modern language, which sometimes is clearer. Indeed, what is a translation but an interpretation? There is no word-on-word alternate for words in one language when translating to another. Context is critical.
Many of my fellow Christians subscribe to the idea of social justice, which I think was clearly demonstrated by Jesus, as told by the writers of the four gospels. God created the heavens and the earth and all that is in them; God is love; love your neighbor; love your enemy. Walk the extra mile. My understanding is Jesus rejected legalistic interpretations and rules-oriented lifestyles and instead taught a gospel of grace — a gospel where people came first.
I don’t hear much of that “good news” preached at Seoul Station or in the subway tunnels by the Bible-thumpers; I don’t hear that from the aunties who pass out tracts in front of the neighborhood elementary school near where I stay.
The message they share is this: If you don’t believe in Jesus, you’re going to burn in hell. They are concerned about the afterlife, rather than the present human condition. This is much different from the stories I read about Jesus.
“Love your neighbor” has no qualifications. If you don’t love your neighbor now, and feed your neighbor, and clothe and house your neighbor, the afterlife does not hold any great future for you.
Better to meet in the local park and feed the hungry rather than build a giant multi-billion-won building. Better to practice love of others, rather than protest the mayor of the city against a permit for Pride Week. Better to find the good in others, rather than push a particular interpretation onto them.
Wherever or whatever you believe “heaven” to be, there’s plenty of room for everyone. I believe in the universal grace and mercy of the Divine (Christians call that “God;” but other faith traditions have different words). I won’t be quiet when passing room 107; I won’t be quiet on the streets of Seoul or wherever I am.