Their Brothers’ Keepers

IN early May, the Institute on Religion and Democracy sent a letter to President Bush, prompted by South Korean president Roh Moo Hyun’s visit to Washington. The letter— spearheaded by Christian conservatives—issued a plea in behalf of Roh’s suffering neighbors: “We call on you to give voice to desperate cries for freedom from the tormented people of North Korea.”

The Christian Left is also concerned about abuse in North Korea—by the United States against the Pyongyang regime. The National Council of Churches received a very different letter, concerning its work in North Korea: The head of a North Korean government-approved Christian church group thanked the Council for siding with the “international solidarity movement for peace” and condemned America’s “high-handed and imprudent acts.”

About the Author

Kate O'Beirne

IN early May, the Institute on Religion and Democracy sent a letter to President Bush, prompted by South Korean president Roh Moo Hyun’s visit to Washington. The letter— spearheaded by Christian conservatives—issued a plea in behalf of Roh’s suffering neighbors: “We call on you to give voice to desperate cries for freedom from the tormented people of North Korea.”

The Christian Left is also concerned about abuse in North Korea—by the United States against the Pyongyang regime. The National Council of Churches received a very different letter, concerning its work in North Korea: The head of a North Korean government-approved Christian church group thanked the Council for siding with the “international solidarity movement for peace” and condemned America’s “high-handed and imprudent acts.”