# Why is North Korea so utterly irresistible to proselytizing Christians? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [August 5, 2014, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-north-korea-so-utterly-irresistible-to-proselytizing-christians/694841 "2014-08-05T02:51:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [December 26, 2014, 6:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-north-korea-so-utterly-irresistible-to-proselytizing-christians/694841/61 "2014-12-26T06:41:14Z")
God often does miracles. Look up Brother Andrew of “God’s Smuggler” fame ([LINK](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_van_der_Bijl)) who smuggled bibles to communist countries and other areas even during the height of the cold war. God truly performed miracles with Brother Andrew which allowed him to smuggle bibles into countries which didnt allow them. Often he would place them in plain sight of police and God would blind the guards. The Bible talks about the early christian missionaries like Paul and John being imprisoned for their work. In fact most of the disciples were executed for being missionaries. Truly if the person is being lead by the Holy Spirit, and does things exactly as God leads them and is careful, then they wont be caught. And even if they are that is also part of God’s plan. Your article mentions missionaries who’ve been caught in NK but how many of them were not? Christians are required to stand up for their faith even in the face of danger. Remember Deitich Bonhoeffer, the German Lutheran pastor who stood up the the nazis ([LINK](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dietrich_Bonhoeffer)). ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 27, 2014, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-north-korea-so-utterly-irresistible-to-proselytizing-christians/694841/62 "2014-12-27T01:31:16Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > God often does miracles. Look up Brother Andrew of “God’s Smuggler” fame ([LINK](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Andrew_van_der_Bijl)) who smuggled bibles to communist countries and other areas even during the height of the cold war. God truly performed miracles with Brother Andrew which allowed him to smuggle bibles into countries which didnt allow them. Often he would place them in plain sight of police and God would blind the guards. > > Truly if the person is being lead by the Holy Spirit, and does things exactly as God leads them and is careful, then they wont be caught. And even if they are that is also part of God’s plan. Your article mentions missionaries who’ve been caught in NK but how many of them were not? Except none of that is true. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-north-korea-so-utterly-irresistible-to-proselytizing-christians/694841/63 "2014-12-28T06:03:32Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Except none of that is true. What do you mean? ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 6:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-north-korea-so-utterly-irresistible-to-proselytizing-christians/694841/64 "2014-12-28T06:37:53Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > What do you mean? Let me take a stab at this. The assertion that God blinded the guards (whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean) so that they wouldn’t see Bibles is bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 10:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-north-korea-so-utterly-irresistible-to-proselytizing-christians/694841/65 "2014-12-28T22:30:04Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Let me take a stab at this. The assertion that God blinded the guards (whatever the hell that’s supposed to mean) so that they wouldn’t see Bibles is bullshit. Well sorry but thats exactly what Brother Andrew said happened. How else can you explain his ability to bring in sometimes hundreds of bibles (which were considered illegal contraband) laying right out in the open? From what I read [here](https://books.google.com/books?id=Ssj2txmMyqgC&pg=PA247&lpg=PA247&dq=is+god%27s+smuggler+real?&source=bl&ots=LvpZMYcy0N&sig=shDxJwZxcZ0IFPxh6EDwPdMnloY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=E4GgVIeZFcWKyASDwYCYAw&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAzgU#v=onepage&q=is%20god%27s%20smuggler%20real%3F&f=false) is that the KGB did know of his activities but didnt arrest him. Why? It seems that God was dealing with them also. ---
**Author:** ![hajario](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hajario/32/171_2.png) [@hajario](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hajario)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-north-korea-so-utterly-irresistible-to-proselytizing-christians/694841/66 "2014-12-28T22:50:24Z")
Brother Andrew is totally full of shit. ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-north-korea-so-utterly-irresistible-to-proselytizing-christians/694841/67 "2014-12-28T23:34:45Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Well sorry but thats exactly what Brother Andrew said happened. How else can you explain his ability to bring in sometimes hundreds of bibles (which were considered illegal contraband) laying right out in the open? > > From what I read [here](https://books.google.com/books?id=Ssj2txmMyqgC&pg=PA247&lpg=PA247&dq=is+god%27s+smuggler+real?&source=bl&ots=LvpZMYcy0N&sig=shDxJwZxcZ0IFPxh6EDwPdMnloY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=E4GgVIeZFcWKyASDwYCYAw&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAzgU#v=onepage&q=is%20god%27s%20smuggler%20real%3F&f=false) is that the KGB did know of his activities but didnt arrest him. Why? It seems that God was dealing with them also. > [@from cited article](#): > > “why didn’t they stop you?” Was it, we suggested, because he had so prudently and regularly changed his methods? On the **natural** level, Andrew **agreed** , this was a factor. “But looking back, **I believe** the real answer is that the KGB could not stop us…” (my emphasis added) I think that speaks for itself. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [December 28, 2014, 11:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-north-korea-so-utterly-irresistible-to-proselytizing-christians/694841/68 "2014-12-28T23:43:48Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Brother Andrew is totally full of shit. Preach it, brother! And a lying sack of shit at that. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 1:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-north-korea-so-utterly-irresistible-to-proselytizing-christians/694841/69 "2014-12-29T01:17:59Z")
> [@hajario](#): > > Brother Andrew is totally full of shit. Occam would suggest it. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-north-korea-so-utterly-irresistible-to-proselytizing-christians/694841/70 "2014-12-29T05:29:05Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Preach it, brother! And a lying sack of shit at that. How do you know? ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-north-korea-so-utterly-irresistible-to-proselytizing-christians/694841/71 "2014-12-29T05:30:46Z")
> [@Canadjun](#): > > (my emphasis added) > > I think that speaks for itself. Maybe at the upper levels they knew about him but decided to not do anything. Surprising since they were sometimes some very hardcore atheists. But what kept the border guards from confiscating his bibles? ---
**Author:** ![Canadjun](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/76d3ee/32.png) [@Canadjun](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Canadjun)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-north-korea-so-utterly-irresistible-to-proselytizing-christians/694841/72 "2014-12-29T14:49:28Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Maybe at the upper levels they knew about him but decided to not do anything. Surprising since they were sometimes some very hardcore atheists. But what kept the border guards from confiscating his bibles? You answered your own question. If TPTB don’t give a shit, why should the border guards, particularly given what I quoted from your own cite earlier in this thread? ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [December 29, 2014, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-north-korea-so-utterly-irresistible-to-proselytizing-christians/694841/73 "2014-12-29T18:17:22Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > Well sorry but thats exactly what Brother Andrew said happened. How else can you explain his ability to bring in sometimes hundreds of bibles (which were considered illegal contraband) laying right out in the open? > > From what I read [here](https://books.google.com/books?id=Ssj2txmMyqgC&pg=PA247&lpg=PA247&dq=is+god%27s+smuggler+real?&source=bl&ots=LvpZMYcy0N&sig=shDxJwZxcZ0IFPxh6EDwPdMnloY&hl=en&sa=X&ei=E4GgVIeZFcWKyASDwYCYAw&ved=0CDIQ6AEwAzgU#v=onepage&q=is%20god%27s%20smuggler%20real%3F&f=false) is that the KGB did know of his activities but didnt arrest him. Why? It seems that God was dealing with them also. Because guards are not computerized scanning systems that autolog items, they are human beings who can make the decision to not report or confiscate an item [or a whole bunch of items] and whomever he got inspecting him on that/those trip/s probably ignored the hell out of his bible cargo for their own purposes ranging from acute indifference, totally lazy and didn’t feel like doing the hour of paperwork, closet Christian, drunk off their ass and lazy in combination with any or all of the above. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [January 8, 2015, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-north-korea-so-utterly-irresistible-to-proselytizing-christians/694841/74 "2015-01-08T01:05:17Z")
> [@Urbanredneck](#): > > How do you know? The same way I know Harry Potter is fiction and not a documentary. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-north-korea-so-utterly-irresistible-to-proselytizing-christians/694841.md?page=3)