Victim of a Bible bashing

The brutal beating left her with deep purple bruises all over her body but a priest and two Bible studies teachers claim they were just trying to “help” the girl realise she should go to church.

Chi Yeong Yun, 37, a priest at Chatswood’s Open Door Church, and Bible studies teachers James Kang, 21, and Tom Chae-Young Lee, 22, pleaded guilty in the NSW District Court yesterday to assaulting Angela Kim on July 8 last year.

The court heard the three men beat Ms Kim, who was 19 at the time of the attack, for a “lengthy” period of time at a Bobbin Head park after dark.

Giving evidence with the aid of an interpreter, church elder Ken An said he has realised that beating as a form of “discipline” was wrong in Australia.

“I did not know how different the law was here and in Korea. I know know that it was wrong,” he said.

When asked by the judge if it would be lawful in Korea, he said: “No, that’s not right.”

Church elder Chang Kim told the court discipline was part of “old school” Korean tradition.

“Korean culture depends on parents occasionally being required to hold a cane,” he said.

His evidence was met by gasps from the courtroom packed with young Korean church followers.

Mr Kim said he liked to think of the assault as a “simple argument”.

“I don’t condone the violence, however, in the Korean culture for the purposes of education discipline can be utilised. I am from the old school and believe discipline should be maintained,” he said.

Kang admitted he hit Ms Kim in the head during the beating.

“Although it got out of hand, the intention was to help her. For me to stop what Mr Yun was doing just didn’t feel right for me,” he said.

“I know what I did was wrong and also against Australian laws.”

Acting Judge James Gibson continued bail but warned that was no indication of the ultimate outcome.

“Don’t let the accused think that means that I will let them walk free,” he said, before adjourning the sentencing hearing to July 28.

Read Another Article

Jewish group sues area evangelist
Teenage girl attacked by church trio

Related News Articles Topic(s): Open Door Church Subscribe to Religion News Blog updates Subscribe to Religion News Blog [What is this?] Get Religion News Blog's headline by Email [What is this?] Follow Religion News Blog at Twitter Find Related Information Use our custom search engines to find additional research resources on religions and cults: ApologeticsSearch.com: Search for apologetics articles, books, videos, and other research resources across 135 Christian apologetics websites and blogs. CounterCultSearch.com: Search for information about (religious) cults, cult-like organizations, and cults experts -- as well as paranormal-, New Age, and pseudoscientific claims -- across 260+ websites, blogs and forums dedicated to cult research, spiritual abuse, ex-cult counseling & support. Find Related Religion & Spirituality Books at Amazon.com Open Door Church Possibly related... or Most Popular Religion News Articles Kent Hovind: Evangelist arrested on federal charges Beast’s real mark devalued to ’616′ Muslim Woman Gives Sex Advice on Arab TV Michael Jackson Confirms Conversion to Islam Kent Hovind, ‘Dr. Dino,’ guilty on all counts The fall and rise of Carlton Pearson Search False prophet Harold Camping sets another date for rapture: May 21, 2011 Watch the film Theo van Gogh was murdered for Kent Hovind — Dr. Dino — sentenced to 10 years in prison

Search Religion News Blog