아시아 10/12/29 Christians condemn raid on Buddhist temple - By John Choi, Seoul

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Christians condemn raid on Buddhist temple

Published Date: December 29, 2010

By John Choi, Seoul

Christian leaders after the release of their statement (Photo courtesy of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Korea)

Christian leaders have condemned the recent intrusion into a Korean Buddhist temple by members of a self-styled radical anti-communist outfit.

The conflict is seen as one between Buddhists and Protestants, but in fact it is a “social” conflict, they said in their joint statement today.

The statement was issued by Archbishop Hyginus Kim Hee-jung of Kwangju, chairperson of the Committee for Promoting Christian Unity and Interreligious Dialogue of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea and nine Christian leaders from the Orthodox Church, the Anglican Church, the Presbyterian, Methodist and Full Gospel Church.

The leaders said they are concerned over the religious conflict and its social impact.

Some people recklessly express their political beliefs, the leaders said and added that politics and must not infringe on religious activities.

They condemned the act as “barbarian violence” because the intrusion into the Jogye temple was not an accident, but “terrorism against all religious people,” they said.

Eight members of the group dressed in military uniform intruded into a Buddhist temple on Dec. 23 and insulted Buddhists, said the Buddhist Jogye Order.

The incident occurred while 3,000 Buddhists were worshipping to protest the government’s Four Rivers project and the government’s cutting of their temple-stay program budget.