Following the Chinese Nationalist Party’s (KMT) nomination of New Taipei City Mayor Hou You-yi (侯友宜) as its presidential candidate for next year’s election, a rumor has been circulating that KMT Secretary-General Justin Huang (黃健庭) “prayed” for Hon Hai Precision Industry Co founder Terry Gou (郭台銘) before the announcement. Several television pundits have condemned Huang for using his Christian faith to deceive Gou in a bid to protect the KMT’s favored pick.
It is far from the first time that the KMT has committed such chicanery. In 2008, when former president Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) was running for office, a group of party members faxed a letter to Christian churches, signed “KMT Central Party Pastor Group” saying that Ma had been baptized in Hong Kong when he was five.
In 2012, they used the same approach, saying that Ma was a devout Christian and would become God’s most valued servant. Anyone who followed the event closely would remember that soon after the publication of the open letters, Ma was seen participating in the Dajia Jenn Lann Matsu pilgrimage.
I do not know Huang personally, and I have no idea what Christian denomination he belongs to. I do know two things: A truly devout Christian would not call themselves “devout” in front of other people, because one’s devoutness is not determined by oneself. Only the proud would say such a thing.
A real Christian would say they are weak, because their devoutness is judged by God and only God knows what is in people’s hearts.
Additionally, those of real faith would seek to avoid the secular title the other person uses in a society, such as “president,” or “chairman” when praying for others. As their prayers are directed at God, they would not insert titles of secular glory in their prayers so as to show their humility and humbleness to God.
It is a good deed for Christians to pray for others, even for those who practice different religions, but they should be more discreet when it comes to praying for politicians in case that religion becomes a tool in helping others fight for power or quash the truth. More importantly, the goal of praying for others is not to convert them, but to share God’s love with them in life.
Few devout religious politicians can be found in Taiwan’s political arena. Most of the time, religion has been used as a manipulative tool for politicians for personal gain.
Whenever there are temple fairs, politicians attend and capitalize on the popularity of such religious events, regardless of the identity of the people behind them. Many civic representatives also share a parasitic relationship with big temples to boost their finances and status.
These politicians do not have real faith in their hearts, as they are exploiting the symbols of religions. Under this thinking, they have no qualms using God for their self-interest and to even use it to deceive or hurt others. In contrast, the faithful would know that they would receive God’s judgement one day, and that this judgement is prevalent in all religions.
Lu Chun-yi is a retired Presbyterian Church pastor.
Translated by Rita Wang
Concerns that the US might abandon Taiwan are often overstated. While US President Donald Trump’s handling of Ukraine raised unease in Taiwan, it is crucial to recognize that Taiwan is not Ukraine. Under Trump, the US views Ukraine largely as a European problem, whereas the Indo-Pacific region remains its primary geopolitical focus. Taipei holds immense strategic value for Washington and is unlikely to be treated as a bargaining chip in US-China relations. Trump’s vision of “making America great again” would be directly undermined by any move to abandon Taiwan. Despite the rhetoric of “America First,” the Trump administration understands the necessity of
In an article published on this page on Tuesday, Kaohsiung-based journalist Julien Oeuillet wrote that “legions of people worldwide would care if a disaster occurred in South Korea or Japan, but the same people would not bat an eyelid if Taiwan disappeared.” That is quite a statement. We are constantly reading about the importance of Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Co (TSMC), hailed in Taiwan as the nation’s “silicon shield” protecting it from hostile foreign forces such as the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), and so crucial to the global supply chain for semiconductors that its loss would cost the global economy US$1
US President Donald Trump’s challenge to domestic American economic-political priorities, and abroad to the global balance of power, are not a threat to the security of Taiwan. Trump’s success can go far to contain the real threat — the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) surge to hegemony — while offering expanded defensive opportunities for Taiwan. In a stunning affirmation of the CCP policy of “forceful reunification,” an obscene euphemism for the invasion of Taiwan and the destruction of its democracy, on March 13, 2024, the People’s Liberation Army’s (PLA) used Chinese social media platforms to show the first-time linkage of three new
Sasha B. Chhabra’s column (“Michelle Yeoh should no longer be welcome,” March 26, page 8) lamented an Instagram post by renowned actress Michelle Yeoh (楊紫瓊) about her recent visit to “Taipei, China.” It is Chhabra’s opinion that, in response to parroting Beijing’s propaganda about the status of Taiwan, Yeoh should be banned from entering this nation and her films cut off from funding by government-backed agencies, as well as disqualified from competing in the Golden Horse Awards. She and other celebrities, he wrote, must be made to understand “that there are consequences for their actions if they become political pawns of
RSS