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The statement made in a police investigation by a Protestant who was recently accused of being an arsonist at the Sujinsa Temple in Namyangju, Gyeonggi Province, is far too absurd.
On 14 last month, a woman in her 40s set fire to Sansingak, located in the Sujinsa Temple in Namyangju.
According to Chosun Ilbo, this woman is said to have claimed that “there was a divine revelation” about the reason for the fire in the police investigation. The Korean economy reported that the woman said she was “hallelujah” in a police investigation.
This woman previously tried to shoot Sujinsa in January. Fortunately, at that time, only one arson was attempted. However, even afterwards, the woman threw stones at the banners in the temple and made a scandal, like sitting on the temple bell. Finally, in October, the Sujinsa temple was set on fire and burned.
The Religious Peace Committee of the Jogye Buddhist Order of Korea issued a statement on the 2nd, condemning the Protestants in connection with the fire incident.
The Religious Peace Committee urged that “Protestantism must be reborn as a religion of harmony, not a religion that produces violence and arson,” and urged “to eradicate the arson in temples committed by Protestants.”
This is not the first time that Protestants have suffered damage from temple fires. According to the Religious Peace Committee, similar incidents occurred at many temples, including the Beomeosa Temple in Busan and Hyangilam in Yeosu.
Below is the full text of the statement from the Committee for Religious Peace.
Statement from the Religious Peace Committee on the arson at the Sujinsa temple in Namyangju
Eliminate the fire in the temples committed by Protestants.
The fire that broke out in the entire Sujinsa temple building in Namyangju on October 14 was revealed to be a fire started by Christians, causing a social shock. In the police investigation, the Christian believer who shot in the fire claimed it was a “revelation from God”, and in the past, he is said to have repeatedly lit a fire and threw stones at temple banners in the past.
Protestantism is a religion of harmony, not a religion that produces violence and fires.
The damage caused by the Protestants who did not recognize the difference occurred not only in thousands of temples like the Beomeosa Temple in Busan and Hyangilam in Yeosu, which have cultural properties, but also in many temples, and the damage to the Buddha statue is repeated non-stop.
Protestant leaders and pastors have a responsibility to properly guide believers by clearly proclaiming that these antisocial acts of violence are contrary to Protestant doctrine.
A Republic of Korea that aspires to freedom and democracy in the 21st century with incalculable religious discrimination and prejudice, such as the sanctification movement in public institutions, Protestants trampling on temple grounds, violation of the separation of religion in the military, the police and the courts, and religious prejudice caused by the media. It is practiced in public.
The police and the prosecution must lead social harmony.
How long will the public authority neglect and wait and see these illegal and antisocial activities of a specific religion?
Police and prosecutors should not consider the arson in the temple an act of an individual with dementia, but rather thoroughly investigate whether the denomination to which the member belongs or encourage such violent acts, and the root cause of such acts of violence that hinder social harmony. And prevent recurrence.
The government and the National Assembly enact anti-discrimination laws to lead social harmony.
The Buddhist world, which has endured with infinite compassion and compassion for the stability of the social community and peace among religions, believes that for a mature civil society and democracy, it is not a good idea to endure pain and rather it is difficult to solve problems.
Our society discriminates against people of different ages, genders, regions and religions and encourages hatred. According to a recent survey by the Korea National Human Rights Commission, statistics show that religious discrimination online and in public institutions is very serious.
Consequently, the National Assembly and the government urge that the National Assembly and the government not stand by, but rather severely punish anti-social violence, arson and threats, and enact an anti-discrimination law as soon as possible. possible to prevent hate crimes from occurring.
November 2, 2020
Chairman of the Religious Peace Committee of the Jogye Buddhist Order of Korea
Editor of Do Hye-min: [email protected]
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