From school, home, clubs, to other areas, we all have a position or a role at a group. I do have several names: I am Kim Ji-min at my house. I am named as Editor-in-Chief of The Dongguk Post. I am called a student or classmate in the classroom. We all live up to the responsibility that we have to fulfil. However, if one does not fulfil such responsibility, what happens to the others?
There was a class that flared up in the Everytime, an application used by Donggukians to share their opinions and make their class schedule. According to a post by the student taking the class, the professor of Dongguk University said, “The ones who believe in Jesus are all dead. The Buddhist believers are all alive.” These phrases are referring to the “Sewol ferry disaster.” A student of the class showed discomfort and referred, “The professor spoke to students as if the victims of the ferry disaster encountered disaster because they do not believe in Buddhism.” The student commented on the post saying, “Is this something we really need to learn during the class?” Since this class is included as graduation requirements, all of Donggukians have to take this class.
If Donggukians encounter the professor above, there could be a possibility that inappropriate perception of Buddhism might emerge. It is true that since Dongguk University is a university based on Buddhism, there could be a lot of professors who believe in Buddhism. However, there is no right granted for professors to force students to believe in a specific religion. Also, the goal of the course is to give a broad idea of religion, not a criticism of other religions.
Therefore, as a human being, especially when it comes to someone who gives teaching, the cautious approach will always be required. According to online etymology dictionary, the origin of “teacher” is the combination of Old English, meaning “show, present, point out,” and from an Indo-European root shared by Greek deiknunai “show.” The ones who give teaching are held in honor because they have learned and experienced more.