me of these ideas are, one should encompass a respect for life, have an intolerance for war and hold the belief that it is meaningful to do good works in order to earn redemption. Shamanism, Seok-Choon Lew (1988) relates, is an indigenous religion that is based upon spirits and the role they play in our realm. Shamanists believe that these spirits dwell on earth and control our fate. Another common religion is Taoism. Taoism embraces the search for blessings and the concept of longevity. Because it readily accepts Confucian and Buddhist principles, its influence has remained widespread today (Handbook, 1978). The appearance of Christianity in Korea is somewhat current and has helped to modernize thew country. In fact, Paul S. Crane (1967) explains that, among other things, Christian missionaries started the first modern schools, were first to provide education for women, set up the first hospital and first medical school and even bestowed upon them the secrets of the apple industry. With all these different religions and beliefs being practiced simultaneously, one would assume that conflict would be a familiar occurrence, but that is not the case. Koreans live harmoniously because the beliefs of most religions often overlap. Seok-Choon Lew (1988) maintains that, "There is no exact or exclusive criterion by which each believer can be identified because there is nothing contradictory in one person visiting and praying at Buddhist temples, participating in Confucian ancestor rites, an even consulting a Shaman." Koreans practice of worship is ideal to keep the peace. Americans could learn a lot from them with respect to religions. Most of the population in the United States claims a Christian denomination, and because Christianity maintains that it is the only undistorted religion, there is often an intolerance of other religions which results in disagreements. Religion and beliefs for Koreans do not just remain in the church. They envelop all aspects of Korean life and guide most their decisions and actions in relationships with others. A common thought among Koreans is that, "Normal behavior is based upon accepted communal norms and the failure to act properly is attributed to a lack of proper, moral education" (Pan-Asia). I think that this is an important matter to consider when looking at the Korean family. The Korean family is established with respect to a hierarchy. According to Paul S. Crane (1967), familial relationships are entirely vertical rather than horizontal. Everyone has a place in the family and even between twins, one is always superior to the other. Filial piety is also meaningful to the Korean way of life. The people are expected to be devoted to their parents, ancestors, spouse and friends. It is true that there are even, "Korean fables and legends abound with episodes of filial sons and daughters as well as faithful wives who even risked

Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1939
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page double spaced)