August 14, 2007 2:22PM
Freeing Christian hostages the Jack Bauer way
Report: South Korean government stopped plan to kidnap kidnappers' family members.
Ted Olsen
A Monday Times of London article is full of revelations that haven't appeared anywhere else -- which may mean the paper has several big scoops, or may mean what they're reporting isn't right at all. But in any case, the paper says:
- The bus driver who was transporting the Koreans when the Taliban attacked has been arrested and is accused of tipping the kidnappers.
- The Korean government has stopped at least two military operations intended to free the Christian aid worker hostages being held hostage by members of the Taliban.
- One of the planned military operations would have involved kidnapping family members of the kidnappers "as a way of applying pressure." An unnamed "senior intelligence source" told the paper, "We know who the Taleban commanders are and we wanted to arrest their families but the Koreans wouldn't let us."
It's hard to imagine, even if kidnapping innocents to secure the release of the aid workers had "worked," that the Christian aid workers would be very pleased. It's hard to imagine Paul writing to the Corinthians, "When persecuted, we persecute; when kidnapped, we kidnap..."
Posted by Ted Olsen on August 14, 2007 2:22PM
Comments
I've always been a huge critic of Christians and sometimes Christianity Today, but I really gotta hand it to Ted Olsen's
comments. Especially like his quotation from Saul. Hmmm, surprising to say the least. But that being said, this was the Korean government, who's President is an ardent Confucian. If it were American Christians who were kidnapped, and given this option of kidnapping the kidnappers family, you bet it would have been implemented, Marines would have been sent in, whole villages burnt down, and countless innocent Afghans would have been massacred. And for what? To free people who should not have been there in the first place.
Posted by: Diocletian at August 15, 2007
Ted needs to Rethink Paul and realize he did not hold political office and never spoke from a position in which law, justice and war would be carried out on a daily basis through practical means by a governmental agency. I've read Corithians and don't recall any hostages being held captive and killed by a terrorist organization.
Posted by: Glenn at August 16, 2007
I, too, appreciated Teds blog because it touches my life very closely. It is sad that Diocletian's comment reveals the popular preconceived and uninformed bias that so many non-Christians (and some non-American believers) have about "American Christians" and their presumed response in any of a number of situations such as the kidnapping of the Koreans. My wife and I are American missionary to an African country, and such dangers of life are very real. It has been my direction through discussions with my church and my family, that if we are ever taken in a hostage situation (whether political, religious, or criminal), under no circumstances are we to be ransomed, bargained for, or fought for in a military or police action. We are here by God's call on our lives; we are willing to accept all circumstances of that call; and no one else should ever be put into moral or ethical compromise, or physical danger because of us. Diocletian should also remember that Ted Olsen is also writing his comments from an American Christian perspective. I pray that Diocletian may actually get to know a committed follower of Jesus; then might really find the truth instead of presuming it on the basis of the secular media.
Posted by: Robert at August 16, 2007
Sorry Ted. The South Korean government would be not only within its right, but acting under divine sanction to punish evil this way:
Romans 13:1-4
1Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. 2Consequently, he who rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves. 3For rulers hold no terror for those who do right, but for those who do wrong. Do you want to be free from fear of the one in authority? Then do what is right and he will commend you. 4For he is God's servant to do you good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword for nothing. He is God's servant, an agent of wrath to bring punishment on the wrongdoer.
Posted by: Ken Shepherd at August 16, 2007
Okay, on second thought, the option of kidnapping innocents seems a bit extreme. But I don't think the South Korean authorities would intend harm upon the innocents.
Posted by: Ken Shepherd at August 16, 2007
The US would kidnap innocents [and has, or at least held them in prison to try to get their relatives to give themselves up], so why hold off on taking it a step further? According to Alberto Gonzales, it's ok to crush the testicles of the child of a person accused of being a terrorist.
Posted by: Karen at August 16, 2007
Ted,
Perhaps you've never heard of the "just war" theory? In essence, this is no different than WWII or any other "just" war. It is a microcosm of those epic struggles.
What is the value of freedom? Of innocent life? Or what is worse - to do nothing while evil occurs or to risk doing some harm for the greater good? I'll admit that these are not(nor should they be) easy questions to answer.
For the record, if ever kidnapped you have my permission to kill the hostage takers and, short of killing or maiming innocent people, to do all that is necessary to obtain my freedom.
Posted by: J Mays at August 16, 2007
Karen,
Please cite a reputable source which indicates that the Attorney General of the United States advocated testicle crushing for the children of suspected terrorists.
Posted by: The MediaBlog at August 19, 2007
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