Comments on: Seung Dong Presbyterian Church

By: The Marmot’s Hole » Young Nak Presbyterian Church & Myeongdong Cathedral

Sun, 29 Jul 2007 18:38:20 +0000

[...] The North Koreans liked Rev. Han’s new church so much they decided to commandeer it during their visit to Seoul, forcing the congregation to gather at Seung Dong Presbyterian Church. [...]

By: Warren

Warren — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 13:36:44 +0000

Nice post, Robert. I enjoy history and your photography was excellent as usual.

You’ve got a keen eye, yourbutt. I read right through and missed the “mistakes.” I’m not too crazy about your screen name but I appreciate your detail to grammar.

By: judge judy

judge judy — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 03:27:54 +0000

good job. i’ve often been by the building and wondered about its history.

By: dlatn

dlatn — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 02:06:32 +0000

In this day and age its generally political correct to accept as equals those who are a a bit too anal.
My cousin likes milk in his tea, and while it was an issue in his younger days, now we all enjoy watching him open his presents on a x-man morn.
Wasn’t there a post a while back about the unfortunate missionaries who were killed proselytizing. i like the story about the stupid american missionaries who came here in the 19th century and were skinned alive. Unfortunately , they had not been warned by their government not to visit Joseon korea.
I dont really want to be skinned alive, it would probably hurt like all get out.

By: seoulmilk

seoulmilk — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 01:44:16 +0000

is it me or have people been a bit too anal about little things? anyway, great post.

By: Robert Koehler

Robert Koehler — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 01:09:53 +0000

yourbutt — thanks for pointing out the typos.

As for the attibutions:

If you read Korean, be sure to check out this thesis on Moore and his detractors.

Here’s the link:

http://blog.naver.com/y2suh?Re.....0002769015

There’s all the stuff about the various controversies about Moore (written by a friendly source critical of the allegations made against him)

PS: I think dlatn was referring to earlier photo essays, not this one.

By: yourbutt

yourbutt — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:56:19 +0000

Nice post, Bob. Aside from the few mistakes and typos, I liked it. I am not a native speaker, but don’t “intouchables” belong to a caste of people not a “class” of people, e.g. the working class and the Brahmin caste, but that is really no big deal. I am okay with that.

Yeah, I also think the history of Christians in Korea is mixed: Some good, some bad. I am Christian. My mom is more religious than me, but I still go to church with her every sunday. But I never related to the zealous way a lot of Korean Christians push it, and I get angry when I see them behave that way. Sometimes I criticize them more loudly than what I actually feel in my heart about them. But I am Korean. Understand me, I go off sometimes; it’s not personal^^

I am not a ntaive speaker and don’t know much about proper writing style, i.e. Strunk and White, but maybe these tidbits will help you out:

1. “Interestingly, after the Seung Dong Church was founded, it(it’s) first two elders were baekjeong Park and Yi Jae-seon, a member of the royal family.”
2. “In 1900, Moore, a premillennialist, send (sent) a rather rude letter…”
3. “I would have take (taken) a picture, but there were people praying in there at the time.”
4. The attribution controversy. I think the first blogger is referring to claims like (a) protestors met at the church before they went to Pagoda Park, (b) Moore sent a nasty letter to the King, (c) Allen though Moore was a “troublesome bastard” (ooo..harsh…did he say ‘bastard’???) and other factoid-claims like that. They aren’t attributed. But when I read the post, I just assumed a Church guide or official told you this or you read it from some Church literatire or something. Right???

Don’t get me wrong, folks. I hope I am not being overly critical. I like this kind of post more than Bob’s rants against the Korean “liberal” establishment.

PS. Please don’t block me from posting int he future.

See ya

By: Robert Koehler

Robert Koehler — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 00:21:29 +0000

dlatn — I’ll assume you were joking with the first post. I usually link everything, if for no other reason than for my own reference. What do you want, footnotes?

By: sumo294

sumo294 — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 18:23:55 +0000

Incredible post. Let me donate a couple of bucks to your paypal account. Finish that book I know you are writing it.

By: R. Elgin

R. Elgin — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 17:08:08 +0000

Romanesque archs aside, I think I will send you pictures of this one church close to where I live. It is a modern design but is remarkably good and boasts having the best genuine pipe organ in Korea.

I only wish they had not put the dancing light sign on the front but then I have found it difficult for people here when to realize when something is perfect just the way it is and quit trying to add *more*.