To celebrate its 133th anniversary yesterday, the Taiwan Theological College and Seminary yesterday granted former president Lee Teng-hui (李登輝) an honorary doctorate in theology.
To explain why the college authorities had decided to grant Lee the honorary degree -- which traditionally is only offered to people working for a Christian ministry -- college head Lin Hung-hsin (林鴻信) praised Lee as "a shepherd spreading the gospel as well as guarding the Taiwan-centered consciousness."
According to Lin, when the college professors, board members and alumni decided to give Lee the honorary doctorate, they faced criticism as to why the college would grant one to an "ordinary Christian."
PHOTO: LIAO CHENG-HUI, TAIPEI TIMES
"If we look into former president Lee's past and present, we can say that what he has done for Taiwan is out of his faith in God, love of the people and affection for the land," Lin said at the ceremony yesterday.
"Therefore I don't need to provide an explanation [for the decision to give Lee the doctorate], since the motto of this college is `faith for God, love for the people and affection for the land,' Lin said.
During his career as a public servant and a politician, Lee never hid the fact that he was a Christian, and he has on numerous occasions quoted the Bible and spread the gospel of Jesus Christ, Lin said.
"Therefore, [Lee] is as eligible as a pastor [for the honorary doctorate]," Lin said.
When giving his blessing, Reverend William Lo (羅榮光), yesterday described Lee as a "man of action with a sense of mission," in his various political accomplishments, including the abolition of state blacklists and Article 100 of the Criminal Code, apologizing to the victimized of the 228 Massacre, and introducing the concept of "state to state" relations between Taiwan and China.
Article 100 of the Criminal Code was the ROC's anti-sedition law.
"For all that he has achieved, Lee has only half-completed his mission. He has yet to lead this nation of Taiwan into a state of complete freedom from the threats posed by China," Lo said.
In a speech to express thanks, Lee said the first requirement for a leader is belief.
"One can understand his weakness only when he has belief, which has been the driving force for my values and policies as a state leader," Lee said.
Lee also criticized the concept of reincarnation -- a tenant of Buddhism and other religions -- and one which most Chinese embrace.
"[Reincarnation] is a lie that there is another life. There is only one life, in which people must make all efforts to achieve [something]," Lee said.
Hong Kong-based American singer-songwriter Khalil Fong (方大同) has passed away at the age of 41, Fong’s record label confirmed yesterday. “With unwavering optimism in the face of a relentless illness for five years, Khalil Fong gently and gracefully bid farewell to this world on the morning of February 21, 2025, stepping into the next realm of existence to carry forward his purpose and dreams,” Fu Music wrote on the company’s official Facebook page. “The music and graphic novels he gifted to the world remain an eternal testament to his luminous spirit, a timeless treasure for generations to come,” it said. Although Fong’s
China’s military buildup in the southern portion of the first island chain poses a serious threat to Taiwan’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) supply, a defense analyst warned. Writing in a bulletin on the National Defense and Security Research’s Web site on Thursday, Huang Tsung-ting (黃宗鼎) said that China might choke off Taiwan’s energy supply without it. Beginning last year, China entrenched its position in the southern region of the first island chain, often with Russia’s active support, he said. In May of the same year, a Chinese People’s Liberation Army Navy (PLAN) force consisting of a Type 054A destroyer, Type 055 destroyer,
Actor Darren Wang (王大陸) was questioned by prosecutors for allegedly orchestrating an attack on a taxi driver after he was allegedly driven on a longer than necessary route in a car he disliked. The questioning at the New Taipei City District Prosecutors’ Office was ongoing as of press time last night. Police have recommended charges of attempted murder. The legally embattled actor — known for his role in the coming-of-age film Our Times (我的少女時代) — is under a separate investigation for allegedly using fake medical documents to evade mandatory military service. According to local media reports, police said Wang earlier last year ordered a
Taiwan is planning to expand the use of artificial intelligence (AI)-based X-ray imaging to customs clearance points over the next four years to curb the smuggling of contraband, a Customs Administration official said. The official on condition of anonymity said the plan would cover meat products, e-cigarettes and heated tobacco products, large bundles of banknotes and certain agricultural produce. Taiwan began using AI image recognition systems in July 2021. This year, generative AI — a subset of AI which uses generative models to produce data — would be used to train AI models to produce realistic X-ray images of contraband, the official
RSS