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Picture this: In an advanced world, freedom of choice is its driving force. People having the opportunity to choose what directions and motivations influence their lives is a basic human right. In many places when long-oppressive laws are torn down, the people rejoice – the right to vote for women, the right to drive for women, the freedom to select your preferred gender* – Why? because it’s the right thing to do! Why then does the world watch in silence, as North Korea deems it fit to choose the religion of their citizens.
Not-so-fun fact: Presently, there are over 700,000 North Koreans in prison for being Christians according to a new International Religious Freedom (IRF) Report by the US State Department.
A Self-imposed Atheist Nation
North Korea is an Atheist nation in East Asia.
It occupies the northern portion of the Korean peninsula, which juts out from the Asian mainland between the East Sea (Sea of Japan) and the Yellow Sea; North Korea covers about 55 percent of the peninsula’s land area. It’s a large expanse of land.
North Korea considering themselves as an atheist nation means that they do not believe in the existence of any God, in form, function nor in word. But this is not the reflection of the people’s beliefs. It’s a state-imposed position.
Why must people be stopped from choosing their religion? All around the world, there are laws that give citizens the right to a lot of things, and choosing a religion of their choice is one of such rights. You don’t need to be a genius to know that people fundamentally should have the opportunity to determine what and whom they worship. Why then does the government of North Korea want to be different?
Mind you, the law against religion in North Korea runs deep. It’s so fiercely enforced that one can be arrested for merely being seen with the Bible. The Dictatorship claims its up against all religions but its apparent that its focus is on Christians, making it more difficult for them to worship even in secret. Christians can worship in secret but if they are caught, they are sent immediately to Labour camps. And never heard from. Life in these Labour camps is insufferable. Must citizens of a nation face such persecutions in their own state?
Christianity and the Linkage to Development
I daresay that North Korea has a delay in development as compared to their sister country South Korea and this can be linked to their refusal to accept Christianity.
South Korea embraced Christianity at their early stage of development and this has made them one of the most powerful, most developed and most advanced nations in the world. Beyond Japan, Singapore and even China, if I should say so myself.
North Korea needs to understand that there are somethings you need as a nation and accepting Christianity (or religion as a whole) is one of those things. Take the United States of America for example, the nation’s patriotic slogan is “God Bless America” and no President ends a speech without uttering those three words. I have always believed that these three words are what have made America the most powerful country in the world – that unashamed acknowledgement of a higher being, a God.
Take Brazil as a contradiction to America, the city was destroyed by flood, few days after their Devil Parade Festival. I’m not presenting myself as superstitious ‘para-normalist’, but it is what it is. There’s a spiritual world, and a country’s attitude towards Christianity can make or break it.
Am I overreacting? Am I unreasonably upset that evil is going unreported? And that the mass media has turned it’s eyes away from these happenings in North Korea, to focus on politicising the “War in Russia” for selfish interests? Absolutely! I am livid!
Recently, a two-year old toddler was arrested together with his parents and sentenced to life in prison, and guess what their only crime was? Being in possession of a Bible. It’s no wonder North Korea is infamously nicknamed “Religious Persecutor”.
Albeit, there are five legally registered religious institutions in North Korea functioning under stringent state control and are merely used as exhibition for foreign tourists. A showcase of tolerance, as it were.
Can this nation leave its people to worship Who they deem fit to worship? If they want to remain an atheist nation, does that mean the citizens have to be atheist as well. The people are the offerings of the nation, yes, but a good parent allows their matured children make decisions on their own. Are the citizens not old enough to make decisions? Is there not a legal age where children leave their parents’ nest? Why then are the citizens subject to being under the nation’s atheist law by force?! A good parent doesn’t punish or abuse their child for making decisions that are profitable to them especially when that child is of legal age. This crazy laws must be destroyed. The world needs to give attention to the plight of North Koreans.
The Only Way Out is from the Top
I believe this tyranny can only change if their mode of politics changes from Dictatorship to Democracy. That is the root of all this evil.
Many North Koreans would be happy if they can live freely. They are being held bondage in their own country. They are not criminals, and yet it seems their President (Supreme Commander) is the prison warden and they are the prisoners. Their laws are so restrictive that, one doesn’t have the free will to leave the country to settle in another country. Any “defection” is measured as treason; tantamount to the death penalty.
The President of the country is dragging the nation backwards with all these unnecessary laws and at what cost exactly. At the cost of being under developed, not having any national alliances with other countries, mistreating the citizens for breaking these nonsensical laws, and generally infringing on their human rights; because I believe that the Korean citizens have the right to choose their religion, choose if they want to migrate to another country, and choose how to train their children.
For a young President like Kim Jong Un, you would think he will be more enlightened and civilized – enough to make decisions that will take the nation to the next level, but No, he inherited penury, and remains adamant to changing these restrictively stringent laws that perpetually make the country lag behind.
It will be in the country’s own interest if these laws are changed to ones that will give the citizens freedom to choose whom to worship, and the world needs to speak up on this!
"For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ." (Philippians 3:20)
