The thread is now open.
I’m crossing my fingers that this kdrama writer and other writers like him will stop putting Christianity and the Catholic Church in a bad light but I’m not holding my breath.
Here’s a bit of FYI for those who aren’t Christians:
For two millennia, the Catholic Church has been the repository of the Christian Faith. By repository, I mean she’s the keeper, treasury, and guardian of the teachings of Christ. The Church however isn’t a museum nor an archive.
Personally, I like the comparison to a hospital.
A hospital is a place where babies are born, the sick are treated, the injured are healed, the mental patients are counseled, and dying are comforted and “sent off.” Like a hospital tends to these people who need help, the Church attends to people who need because they’re imperfect human beings.
Perfect people have no need for the Church.
Now, just like there are good and bad doctors and nurses in a hospital, there are good and bad people in the Church. I find it heartbreaking, and at the same time, infuriating, when the misdeeds are committed by the religious leaders, like the popes, bishops, priests and nuns. It’s heartbreaking because they victimized the very people they were supposed to help. And it infuriates me that their un-Christianly actions taint the Church and diminish the deeds and sacrifices of other Christians.
But what can we do when the Church is a hospital for sinners? I guess, pray harder for each other, apologize, make amends, learn from our mistakes, and do better next time. But I’ve resolved never to leave the Church because of the bad-faith actions of some members. Or because some people choose to paint us with the same brush.
Mean girls don’t frighten me, and I push back the naysayers.
Moreover, I find it sad that many people don’t realize that modern hospitals were actually established by Christians.
Before Christianity, it was common practice to separate an injured or sick individual from the community. He/she was isolated from the others to stop the spread of the disease. Note: In the kdrama “Mr. Queen,” for instance, the concubine’s maid was told to leave the palace when she could hardly even walk after being beaten up. The concubine protested the cruel practice but she was told that no injured or sick person, other than the royal family, was allowed to remain inside.
However, for Christians, it’s important to empathize with the sufferings of the most vulnerable groups in the society, namely, the sick, poor, elderly, widows, and orphans. Caring for these people, and providing service for their needs became a responsibility for the whole community of believers.
Now, the Bible didn’t categorically order that hospitals be built. But hospitals were built by Christians BECAUSE they heeded Christ’s teachings to live a life of compassion and mercy.
‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
“Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
“The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
And that’s the rationale behind the hospitals. And orphanages as well. To serve those in need because they are our brothers and sisters in Christ. Meaning, each person has Christ in him, in her.
If I remember my history correctly, the first hospital was built in the 3rd century around the time of Roman emperor Constantine the Great. (He was the emperor who finally ended the persecution of Christians.) The hospital was built in Cappadocia, which is now in Turkey.
Anyway, that’s my “lecture” on this Sunday. When you watch these kdramas with evil nuns and priests, please don’t be persuaded that their actions are condoned in any way by the Catholic Church. These are the kdrama writers’ mischaracterization of the good intention and good will of the Church and her faithful ones.
Let’s enjoy the show!
Thank you for this @pkml3. After watching Ep 3, I decided to take a break. Those so-called church scenes in it felt so contrived and so false. I felt it was more manipulative than a show normally is. Let’s hope those were the only scenes to be like that.
Maybe giving up this drama and other dramas with anti-church tropes in them will be my Lenten challenge.
It’ll be easy though. lol.
I’m thinking of doing the Catholic Relief Rice Bowl this year. Because of this Covid, there are more families in need of financial assistance, and perhaps we should consider the “alms-giving” tradition again instead of the usual giving up of cookies, sodas, wine, etc. The countries this year are Madagascar, El Salvador and Timor Leste.
But I’m also looking for something sacrificial and more spiritually “involved” in addition to just check-writing. I’m not only one who feel this way. There’s so many suffering and full of resentment and spite right now. Volunteering would have been good but again bec of Covid, there’s limited person-to-person contact. Oh well. I still have a couple more days to mull over this.
I haven’t continued with Ep. 3 yet. So these are the people behind the lab, right. The lady in white is the one making the call. The one controlling the whole thing, sourcing the babies as lab tests? Dropping this one and moving on to our sageuk. 🙂
@pkml3
Giving up dramas like these is easy. Giving up all dramas once a week is tougher. Putting aside time for more spiritual improvement comes to mind.
In terms of charitable works, there’s not much we can do except give them funds too. We have a couple of Catholic bodies that will distribute to several charities.
Since the Church has designated this year to be the Year of St Joseph, joining in a 33 day consecration to him might also be a good option. One of those starts today (15 Feb for me) actually. Or re-do the Marian one.
As for shows, I might prefer to compare Sisyphus to this one and see if either or neither sticks.
🙂 Giving dramas for a week is not so bad. I do that whenever I travel on business and I can’t bring any of my personal doodads. But I would have to turn over my blog to somebody because posters and lurkers here might think I was detained or something. lol.
Year of St Joseph? I think I’ll do the Marian consecration that St John Paul II did. Thanks. I’ll look into those.
@pkml3 Giving up dramas (meaning even reading about them, writing a post, etc) for a week or on the same day or days every week is hard when there’s nothing much else one wants to do LOL. And one wants to post a comment.
Yes, you need to give fair warning to the usual gang if you need to up and disappear without your drama equipment for days on end, because we’ll start to worry if you’re silent.
There’s quite a bit of information out on the Marian Consecration retreat that I have done before. Here’s one with links to the videos introducing the 33 Days to Morning Glory retreat.
https://www.allheartsafire.org/leaders/33-days-to-morning-glory-resources.html
I’ve got the book and just do it using the book by myself, or at least with 1 friend as we message each other to remember the prayer for the day.
However there are also last year’s Zoom recordings on YT for each day of the preparation/retreat, if we prefer to watch and pray along with a leader. I haven’t tried those, but I might this year.
Dry Bones Ministries : https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC21RrMDBwZhaMihHh3GnHaA
Scroll down for the Marian Consecration. Have a great Lent!!
I didnt notice that, but I’m not so sensitive about that. Except when it’s too much.
It’s a good thing you don’t live in France. Here, cultural content is driven by anti catholic people. It sound crazy because France was considered as christianism daughter for long. Even I’m not christian, it’s so much that it’s disgusting and so evident lie. It’s still my cultural inheritance, and all christian friends I meet in my life was also kind people. Sometimes I think, too kind.
Last time I said I dislike actual french contents, here you get another reason why.
Because human values from that are not, it’s rather anti-human values.
That’s another reason why I like Kdrama. In a way, it’s look what was french values… in the past, when it was for greater good.
GB,
I swear I didn’t plan it, but I was stunned to hear the readings at church today. The first reading from the Old Testament was about lepers being told to exile themselves and to give others a warning when they were in their midst (kinda like how we fear people coughing and sniffling beside us in case they have COVID), and the Gospel was about Jesus healing the leper.
🙂
Yes. Our priest announced retreat for men since it’s the year of St Joseph. No word yet about retreat for women. Thanks. I’ll check out the Marian Consecration you mentioned.
@WEnchanteur I’m sorry to hear that about French content not promoting good human values but anti-human ones. It seems the battle is out in the open that anything good/natural/right can be attacked by antis, just because they want to be counter to it, or worse promote an evil agenda.
We come to forget for a while the much misguided reality, in our dramas. I’ll read your points on the good in LUCA later. I need a stretch of time to read with any concentration.
@pkml3 A couple of reflections on that Gospel reading … the importance of Jesus’ touch, … it was probably not necessary for him to touch, but he did it anyway out of love and compassion. We consider how although we are discouraged from coming into contact with each other, some form of compassionate touch/reaching out is the loving thing to do, and may be much needed.
Another reflection is on these 4 words of Jesus: “I do will it.” Concentrating on the “I do” as words of commitment as when we swear, take our promises, make covenants. Those are words that (I quote) “are also an act, a choice, a commitment, a decision. They are words that have an effect on who we are and what we choose to become.”
“will it.” are words of an action “that makes a difference for another” and is not just an act for oneself.
As in the Creation, when God speaks, creation is effected. “Something changed. An act of God was accomplished.”
We can think about if we can choose to act for the good of another, or let God’s Word act in us. About what we say “I do” to and what we “will” and how those words applied to us by God might mean.
❤︎⁄⁄꒰* ॢꈍ◡ꈍ ॢ꒱.*˚‧
@GB I’m sure there is still good french content today, but I’m unable to find it, or it’s too long to search for. I can’t say things as a generality, it’s just what I see often is the mainstream, and don’t watch.
Hopefully, what I writed about LUCA isn’t complicated, or deep analys of the drama. So you can read it even with a stone in your brain. ^ ^
LOL @WEnchanteur. I think I have mushy melons for a brain. So I should be just fine!!
Hello Everyone!
@Packmule3 I would like to add that besides the Catholic Church, the Greek Orthodox Church also does that same.
As you said Constantine the Great was the first Roman Emperor, who understood that Christianity could be one part of the “glue” so to speak for the Byzantine Empire, the other part was the Greek Language.
That’s why he summoned in 325 A.D. the First Ecumenical Synod / Counsil Of Nicaea (Α΄ Οικουμενική Σύνοδο) to discuss matters about the Christian Dogma. The Ecumenical Synods / Counsils continued until the 8th century A.D.
So, in the beginning the Church was one, but after the (final) Church Schism in 1054, the Church was divided to the East – West.
The Theologic or other power issues about why the Schism happened are not to be discussed here.
What is important is the message you wanted to share with us.
I wanted to write tomorrow about Episode 5&6.
But while I am watching episode 6, I am very stressed with the “humans” who torture Ji Oh in this episode.
Who are the HUMANS now? Those are not humans at all…
So, what to write right now? I had something else in mind, but I will proceed with my raw emotions right now.
In Episode 5,
we got to see the Professor being killed that was presented in the public as a suicide. Yes, the Professor was an Orthodox scientist.
He didn’t want that evolution that Ji Oh was, so his logic was it had to be eliminated. The moment he sent to the Academia Ji Oh’s DNA findings, he signed his death warrant.
After watching the Episodes 5 & 6, we get to see in every ray of light, that the Opponents are merciless, ruthless and evil in their rotten cores.
The corruption runs so deep, since the Evil Cult Leader promised to her second in command Kim Cheol-Soo that he will be the next boss in the Intelligence Service.
I mean, The Professor was injected twice with two chemical solutions in his neck, still in the autopsy NO ONE saw it. Instead his death was closed as a drunk incident. The Professor was known that he was not drinking because he couldn’t stand it.
Only Goo Reum understood that something was wrong.
At the same time, our hitmen abducted Goo Reum and used her as a bait for Ji Oh.
For another time Ji Oh came to her rescue and saved her. As much I wanted to highlight how close those two came in Episode 5, I cannot focus on that right now.
Episode 6
I have to admit it was to hardcore for my liking. But I shouldn’t since I saw on theather the play “1984”.
I think that I was more shocked with how they continue to torture repeatedly for three weeks Ji Oh in order to take from him what they wanted.
The master mind behind all that was the crazy professor with the God Complex, call me abeoji – not really, I am THE monster (sic).
He was following of course the Cult Lady’s plan of her new era. The eomeoni wanted to create clones from Ji Oh’s strong cells in order to be implanted via in vitro fertilization to her cult subordinates, so as to created God’s favorite children. (sic)
And here lies the ethical question. Who is the monster and who is the human?
Who are these people who believe that they are following God’s plan?
Every lunatic is calling God’s or Christ’s Name and by their Names they create havoc in the world.
And… I am simply appalled.
@Packmule3,
I wanted to make bold only the Episode 5 & 6, but I messed the code! Can you fix it?
Done. 🙂
Thank you!☺️
Kalimera from my part of the world.
I wanted to write down that L.U.C.A. The Beginning has only 12 episodes, hence we passed the middle of the Series.
At the same time from what I have read at the Press Conference Q&A this past January, it is also wrapped and the Director is hoping for a Season 2!
Read more below:
https://www.soompi.com/article/1451018wpp/lee-da-hee-kim-rae-won-and-more-describe-why-they-joined-l-u-c-a-the-beginning-and-talk-about-their-characters
http://www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20210127001017
@Cleopatra Thank you for your usual excellent analysis.
I do agree that the content, particularly in Episode 6, is very strong, but it convinces me that the L.U.C.A./Human Tech people are the amoral monsters, and increasingly Ji-Oh is coming to represent true humanity. His reaction to Go-Reum’s instructions to stay near the pay-phone (“Don’t yell at me.”) is a simple human response to harassment, and it sets Ji-Oh even more firmly as a thoroughly humanised person.
The protracted torture is indeed horrific, and when that lot of so-called “scientists” get their comeuppance, I hope it will be equally horrible. Individually and as a collective, those people have given up their right to receive consideration of any kind.
As a character, Ryu Joong-Kwon deserves a special place on the lowest circle of hell, but I do admire the strength which actor Ahn Nae-Sang brings to the presentation. He takes the role to much deeper level than that of a mad scientist, whereas the other original provider of Ji-Oh’s gametes, Hwang Jung-Ah, is much more superficial and has simply become insane through the use of power.
Out of all that darkness, there is one moment which amuses me, and that is when Yi-Son tells Ji-Oh that he wants an arm. I think, if I had been the director, I might have allowed Ji-Oh to break out of his dead-pan expression at that point and make some response of the “In your dreams, mate” variety.
Another moment I enjoyed was when Captain Choi finally pulls Goo-Reum into line in episode 5. It’s been quite a long time coming, but it does make the police position better than it has been and it seems to finally make her think about at least some consequences of her obsession.
Such a lot still to talk about in these two episodes. The plot line has become simpler (at least, I think so) but at the same time it has taken on even deeper potential for development.
I can understand why a second series may be under consideration. Thank you @Cleopatra for that information. I hope it eventuates.
With such a title L.U.C.A : The Beginning, the second season was thought from the start.
My issue with this drama is the lack of subtility with the villain, the action, the story…
Dear @Juriel,
Thank you for your kind words. I was waiting for your thoughts on the new episodes!
I believe that the screenwriter wanted to underline the ethical questions that the story arises mostly because, it is a scenario that is likely to happen in the near future.
You are right about the crazy scientist and how great an actor Ahn Nae-Sang is to portray that darkness plus madness so realistically. He has indeed depth in his playing. He is not a caricature, although Hwang Jung-A as a character is a caricature indeed.
What appalled me, while I was watching Episode 6, was the way Yi-Son and Yoo-Na & all the personnel in the Human Tech stayed totally unaffected, while Ji Oh’s was being tortured for such an extended period of time.
I mean even the animals, as testing materials, weren’t okay with this. We didn’t see a glimpse, but we got their response in the scene where Goo Reum was fighting with the Minions and the Gorilla locked in his embrace one of them pretty hard.
As for the Captain, he knew something was wrong from the very beginning. He knew because he was obsessed as well. Goo Reum is reckless, because she is obsessed and desperate to find what happened to her folks.
She doesn’t stop in her combat scenes, because she cannot stop by herself.
I think that deep inside she wanted to die. Certainly she didn’t want to live.
The only person who made her appreciate her life is Ji Oh.
Why?
Because he was the only one who saved her and was there for her repeatedly in a short period of time. When you grow up alone, you don’t trust anyone.
Ji Oh gained her trust with his vulnerability and silent determination.
While, this was happening, at the same time, Ji Oh became someone, a person.
Until then, he was a pariah and so was Goo Reum.
Goo Reum was the first one who was there for him in a way that he hasn’t experienced at all. She was brave and hold a tough upfront but inside she was hurting.
Their pain brought them together. That’s why in her plea to stay with her and not run away from her, Ji Oh answered “I won’t leave you till the end.”
So, when the crazy scientist asked him before the fatal injection, that was a strenght booster in reality, if he has any reason to live, Ji Oh thought of Goo Reum.
At the same time, Goo Reum was in Human Tech trying to find answers. She might realized that they had captured Ji Oh in there. Hence her determination and desperation to go on her own in there.
Goo Reum was desperate to find Ji Oh.
They didn’t show that, but if you combine the previous question the Crazy Scientist asked to Ji Oh, you have a complete and honest answer.
Both of them are holding each other as the sole reason to continue living.
I am glad I wrote my thoughts about Ji Oh’s and Goo Reum’s connection, because it is something I wanted to do in the first place.