Honor killing and the 63-building option


by koot van wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD)

Kyungpook National University

Sangju Campus

South Korea

Conjoint lecturer Avondale College

Australia


There are those who say that suicide is not the same as killing since it is something you do to yourself and not to others. Wrong. Killing is killing, whether to yourself or others. The Old and New Testament concepts of killing is far more than just ending someone's life, whether yourself or another. It is like an onion with many levels. Killing can also be on a communicative level or emotional level. There is something like spiritual killing. To "touch someone's soul" is the Old Testament concept of "killing" at some places. It shows resemblance to Jesus' standards for murder and killing in line with hating someone.

Among school students in Seoul, South Korea, there is the popular joke that if they don't like their friends, they say to the teacher that he is absent because he went to the highest building in Seoul, the 63-building to jump, or commit suicide. It is always said with a grin, obviously to entertain their own friends and speaking about a very dear friend of theirs.

In Asia it is a habit for CEO's who are caught up in some scandal to jump the 63-building.

President Noh of South Korea jumped from a cliff this weekend, killing himself because he was involved in an investigation regarding bribery or corruption money.

Many of his fans are shocked and rightly so. Noh was not a Christian and thus lacked the perspective Christians in Christ have: that Christ died for our sins so that we do not have to die for them ourselves.  Christ provides the way out.

Judas did the same as president Noh. Leader of the disciples they entrusted him with the purse, but he took from time to time bribes. He got away with it but something that disturbed his fame among the disciples was the 30 shekels he paid to sell Jesus to His enemies. The shame overcame him and he hunged himself.

The suicide person thinks only about himself. He is selfishly engaged only in himself, living or not living. Judas had a chance to change. Jesus accepts people who cast themselves at His feet unconditionally and He forgives anything they did wrong. But, Judas refused to listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

President Noh did his deed without thinking about his link to his son, wife, friends, and especially his fan club. When a person is in his position, you do not belong to yourself any longer. Symbols belong to fans. They need a mandate from their fans to do what they want, even if it is bad that they did.

Because all have sinned and come short of the glory of God, therefore humans, and his fans will overlook his problems, his scandal and still stick to their idol. It is proven to be that way. But, president Noh, although in office at the highest position in the country, although in contact with many religions, failed to learn these lessons.

A keen internet surfer, he must have come across numerous appeals for him to  become a follower of Christ. He did not. He chose to remain a buddhist.  Buddhism has nothing to offer and in comparison to Christianity can offer only 10% of what Christianity can offer. I think especial of the Bible that is a endless search engine full of data. Buddhists have nothing similar to offer. Fetish objects or superstitious objects handed to worshippers by them has normally no more than 1% information, period. Christian data in the Bible has many challenges: beginner level, pre-intermediate level, intermediate level, advanced level. It never ends.

A Draimon lucky object Japanese students connect to their telephone as their rescue "angel" or cat, is part of 1% data and period. President Noh was part of such a trap in his life.

Compare president Noh's  "63-building jump" resulting in killing himself with a jump by a Korean student in Japan in 2000. A drunk Japanese fell of the station platform in front of an oncoming train and the Korean student jumped to rescue him, killing himself also in the process.

No comparison.  Definitely. The Korean student is a super-hero, president Noh is a super-coward. The Korean student think of others and not himself while he is jumping. President Noh thinks only of himself.

Jesus died a death He knew He had to die and voluntarily He gave Himself nevertheless. His is an honor killing since He did it for others.

The Korean student jumping in Japan had a pro-life focus but president Noh had a pro-death focus.

When someone is full of shame due to criminal or other behavior, one do not rescue or save yourself from shame and change your status to honor by killing themselves. It is to create a greater problem since what about the loved ones remaining after?


End item