Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘), who has long flirted with the idea of standing for president, recently said that when he visited temples during the Lunar New Year, he was bequeathed the divine consent of sea goddess Matsu (媽祖) and god of war Guan Gong (關公) to run for highest office.
His claim was reminiscent of his talk during the 2020 presidential election, when Gou said that Matsu had come to him in a dream, asking him to enter the race.
Article 7 of the Constitution protects people’s right to hold religious beliefs, but it also ensures that Taiwan is upheld by a modern democratic system that keeps religion separate from politics.
However, Matsu and Guan Gong have a large number of believers in Taiwan, and therefore politicians cannot resist participating in religious events to boost their popularity.
Gou’s “divine” ploys are anachronistic and obsolete. Nobody buys into the feudal idea of the “divine right of kings” in this day and age.
To find a pretext for his personal ambition, Gou’s maneuvers only exploit the silence of divine deities and their influence on public belief. This is not only sacrilege, it is an affront to the spirit of democracy by placing the selection of presidents on a par with the election of cult leaders and con artists.
Democracy is built on the principle of disenchantment, by replacing mysticism and apotheosis with democratic elections, human rights and the rule of law. Nevertheless, Gou likely cannot understand this, as he supports the concept that “democracy cannot put food on the table.”
Gou acquired COVID-19 vaccines for the nation as a way to purchase political capital and underpin his bid for the presidency. He has gone further, using religion as a bargaining chip. It is ludicrous.
If Gou needs the consent of deities to run for president, might he cast divination blocks to manage state affairs if he is elected?
Lai Yen-cheng is a doctoral candidate at National Yangming Chiao Tung University.
Translated by Rita Wang
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