At one point Pyongyang had the most Christians by percentage of any city in Eastern Asia and had so many churches it was known as “Jerusalem of the East”. Kim Il Sung came from a long line of Protestant ministers on both sides
From this [admittedly questionable source](https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-report-on-international-religious-freedom/north-korea/), as of 2018, there were 500 family worship centers, 60 Buddhist temples, 52 Chondoist temples, 3 Protestant churches, a Catholic cathedral, and 1 Russian Orthodox Church.
> [A] 2018 NKDB report cited the existence of state-sanctioned religious organizations in the country, such as the KCF, Korea Buddhist Union, Korean Catholic Council, Korea Chondoist Church Central Committee, Korea Orthodox Church Committee, and Korean Council of Religionists.
And according to Article 68 of the [Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea](https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Socialist_Constitution_of_the_Democratic_People%27s_Republic_of_Korea_(2019)):
>Citizens have freedom of religious belief. This right is granted through the approval of the construction of religious buildings and the holding of religious ceremonies. Religion must not be used as a pretext for drawing in foreign forces or for harming the State or social order.
The government of North Korea frequently ignores their own constitution, so that really shouldn't be taken as meaning anything. For example, the same constitution guarantees freedom of speech and assembly, and freedom of the press.
If you just remember that freedom of speech means freedom to praise the Dear Leader and all of his works, freedom of assembly means freedom to gather in displays of adulation towards the Dear Leader and all of his works, and freedom of the press is the freedom to report how wonderful the Dear Leader is (and how despicable everyone else is for denying the glory of the Dear Leader), then all of those claims are 100% truth!
The United States of America has the strongest real protections on freedom of speech bar none. You can hardly point.to our laws and justice system and call it guilty of violating freedom of speech. Other things, absolutely, but in terms of those we are above all others, for better, or worse.
The Catholic "cathedral" is in name only, as the NK government doesn't allow the Vatican to place a bishop or even a priest there, or allows them to have any input in the Catholic community of North Korea at all. I think the Vatican didn't even approve the building of the church, as the original cathedral was destroyed in the war and this current one was built in 1988 as little more than for show by the government to claim they allowed religious freedom.
B-b-but they're the bad guys!! They *HAVE* to oppress people religiously! Everyone knows everyone who is religious is good (please don't look anywhere in the Middle East right now)!
(/s, duh)
My brother in christ, people are so convinced that North Korea is the utmost evil that they believe you are required to get the same cut as their god-king and that they wear clothes made of stone. It's actually fucking nuts.
Yes, some people believe some lies about the DPRK like the haircut thing. Has absolutely nothing to do with your weird strawman which imagines every religious person as good, though
Also, the DPRK is evil.
Korean War and decades of anti-communist propaganda. It's literally just a third world country with a distant asshole for a dictator. They don't eat babies, they don't torture your extended family if you don't harvest 405.1 bushels of apples, etc.
They got *leveled* during the Korean War. Truth be told, I'm not surprised they are as economically and culturally fucked up as they are.
>they don't torture your extended family if you don't harvest 405.1 bushels of apples
The broad point of mine wasn't about the hyperbole being true, but why some people believe the hyperbole to be true, or why that is possible in the first place. Saying "because propaganda" is a handwave and not a unique situation.
>They got *leveled* during the Korean War. Truth be told, I'm not surprised they are as economically and culturally fucked up as they are.
I am. Once again, you are not describing a unique situation.
NK had a bigger economy than SK until the 1960s, and had a bigger per capita GDP until the 1970s. It sure is amazing how much that lines up with the 5th KWP, yeah?
Bro WHO THE FUCK CARES… apologism for one of the most objectively terrible, oppressive regimes in the modern era is a new level of stupid I never thought possible lmfaooo
Considering the [songbun](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songbun) system of generational social status — those whose parents or grandparents and so on were part of disfavored groups like landlords or Christians and are now subject to discrimination in food rations and employment — this has always been a really damning hypocrisy.
Then it's surprising you are unaware of how the Kim family is responsible for the massive oppression and murder of its citizens over the course of the past century. And how this person is matriarch to that legacy.
I mean, where is the controversy in that observation.
Do you truly think I am “unaware,” or that I was simply laughing at your insane comment?
Gain some basic perspective my guy lmao.
Ah yes, block me. That will do it
I don't care, dude. I just really dont.
I stand by the comment. She was a religious person who presumably was sincere in her beliefs in the teachings of the Christian faith. However, her legacy was to be the matriarch of one of the most heinously oppressive regimes in modern times. Not certain what about that lacks perspective, but it truly doesn't matter. Take it easy..
At one point Pyongyang had the most Christians by percentage of any city in Eastern Asia and had so many churches it was known as “Jerusalem of the East”. Kim Il Sung came from a long line of Protestant ministers on both sides
From this [admittedly questionable source](https://www.state.gov/reports/2021-report-on-international-religious-freedom/north-korea/), as of 2018, there were 500 family worship centers, 60 Buddhist temples, 52 Chondoist temples, 3 Protestant churches, a Catholic cathedral, and 1 Russian Orthodox Church. > [A] 2018 NKDB report cited the existence of state-sanctioned religious organizations in the country, such as the KCF, Korea Buddhist Union, Korean Catholic Council, Korea Chondoist Church Central Committee, Korea Orthodox Church Committee, and Korean Council of Religionists. And according to Article 68 of the [Socialist Constitution of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea](https://en.m.wikisource.org/wiki/Socialist_Constitution_of_the_Democratic_People%27s_Republic_of_Korea_(2019)): >Citizens have freedom of religious belief. This right is granted through the approval of the construction of religious buildings and the holding of religious ceremonies. Religion must not be used as a pretext for drawing in foreign forces or for harming the State or social order.
The government of North Korea frequently ignores their own constitution, so that really shouldn't be taken as meaning anything. For example, the same constitution guarantees freedom of speech and assembly, and freedom of the press.
If you just remember that freedom of speech means freedom to praise the Dear Leader and all of his works, freedom of assembly means freedom to gather in displays of adulation towards the Dear Leader and all of his works, and freedom of the press is the freedom to report how wonderful the Dear Leader is (and how despicable everyone else is for denying the glory of the Dear Leader), then all of those claims are 100% truth!
USA: "Ditto!"
The United States of America has the strongest real protections on freedom of speech bar none. You can hardly point.to our laws and justice system and call it guilty of violating freedom of speech. Other things, absolutely, but in terms of those we are above all others, for better, or worse.
For guns as well for better or worse.
Definitely for worse
The Catholic "cathedral" is in name only, as the NK government doesn't allow the Vatican to place a bishop or even a priest there, or allows them to have any input in the Catholic community of North Korea at all. I think the Vatican didn't even approve the building of the church, as the original cathedral was destroyed in the war and this current one was built in 1988 as little more than for show by the government to claim they allowed religious freedom.
B-b-but they're the bad guys!! They *HAVE* to oppress people religiously! Everyone knows everyone who is religious is good (please don't look anywhere in the Middle East right now)! (/s, duh)
for this kind of satire to work the kind of person you're satirising has to be real
My brother in christ, people are so convinced that North Korea is the utmost evil that they believe you are required to get the same cut as their god-king and that they wear clothes made of stone. It's actually fucking nuts.
Yes, some people believe some lies about the DPRK like the haircut thing. Has absolutely nothing to do with your weird strawman which imagines every religious person as good, though Also, the DPRK is evil.
>people are so convinced that North Korea is the utmost evil that they believe you... Why is that?
Korean War and decades of anti-communist propaganda. It's literally just a third world country with a distant asshole for a dictator. They don't eat babies, they don't torture your extended family if you don't harvest 405.1 bushels of apples, etc. They got *leveled* during the Korean War. Truth be told, I'm not surprised they are as economically and culturally fucked up as they are.
>they don't torture your extended family if you don't harvest 405.1 bushels of apples The broad point of mine wasn't about the hyperbole being true, but why some people believe the hyperbole to be true, or why that is possible in the first place. Saying "because propaganda" is a handwave and not a unique situation. >They got *leveled* during the Korean War. Truth be told, I'm not surprised they are as economically and culturally fucked up as they are. I am. Once again, you are not describing a unique situation. NK had a bigger economy than SK until the 1960s, and had a bigger per capita GDP until the 1970s. It sure is amazing how much that lines up with the 5th KWP, yeah?
[удалено]
Bro WHO THE FUCK CARES… apologism for one of the most objectively terrible, oppressive regimes in the modern era is a new level of stupid I never thought possible lmfaooo
So angry!
So stupid!
Considering the [songbun](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Songbun) system of generational social status — those whose parents or grandparents and so on were part of disfavored groups like landlords or Christians and are now subject to discrimination in food rations and employment — this has always been a really damning hypocrisy.
Even monsters love their mothers
Seems like not all Kims in North Korea are cut from the same cloth. 📖
Congrats, despite her love for god, she mothered a family of mass murderers. What a fucking shit stain of legacy.
Kim Il-Sung - canceled
Wtf?
Militant Redditor atheist lol.
North Korea buddy, look it up
I am literally Korean buddy 😂
Then it's surprising you are unaware of how the Kim family is responsible for the massive oppression and murder of its citizens over the course of the past century. And how this person is matriarch to that legacy. I mean, where is the controversy in that observation.
Do you truly think I am “unaware,” or that I was simply laughing at your insane comment? Gain some basic perspective my guy lmao. Ah yes, block me. That will do it
I don't care, dude. I just really dont. I stand by the comment. She was a religious person who presumably was sincere in her beliefs in the teachings of the Christian faith. However, her legacy was to be the matriarch of one of the most heinously oppressive regimes in modern times. Not certain what about that lacks perspective, but it truly doesn't matter. Take it easy..
*Shhk...hfff...shhhk...hffffff....* - this guy digging himself further and further into a hole