Religious Diversity in Taiwan
Johan Malan, Mossel Bay, South Africa (September 2013)
Many peoples in the Far East and sub-Saharan Africa were only exposed to Christianity during the 18th and 19th centuries by missionaries from the western world. The converts were actively assisted to adapt their lifestyles to the principles of the new faith. Major breakthroughs followed in many places, and various Christian congregations were established. We are pleased to offer you an edited version of a missionary story from this period. George Mackay did his pioneering work in Northern Taiwan, which was formerly known as Formosa:
The Life of George Leslie Mackay of Formosa
There are two reasons why it is important to read books of this nature. Firstly, it is highly informative to read the almost forgotten missionary stories form the distant past, so modern Christians may appreciate the difficult demands and challenges that were associated with the proclaiming of the gospel of Jesus Christ to hostile pagans. It was often a very dangerous venture which tested the early pioneers to the limit.
The second reason for the reading of such books is to enable us to do a modern appraisal of the further expansion of the Christian religion in the traditional non-Christian world. How did the succeeding generations react to the introduction of the Christian faith? If the reaction was poor, what were the reasons for it?
Below is a review of the present religious situation in Taiwan:
Different faiths
According to the article, “Religion in Taiwan” (Wikipedia), this country’s Department of Civil Affairs recognizes 26 different religions in Taiwan. The major groupings are the following:
Buddhism (35.1%)
Taoism (33%)
I-Kuan Tao (3.5%)
Protestant (2.6%)
Roman Catholic (1.3%)
Others (5.8%)
Non-religious or folk religions (18.7%)
In the light of extensive syncretism among the Oriental religions, a rigid classification of religious groupings in Taiwan is not possible. Many people identify with mystical practices such as transcendental meditation, the use of good luck charms, the worship of certain idols or ancestral spirits, as well as entertaining a holistic Oriental worldview, without formally associating with any single religion. If the statistics for the Oriental religions in the above list are added to the non-affiliated group who either practice folk religions or entertain aspects of the Oriental faiths, the total adherents of these religions exceed 90%.
In the Wikipedia article quoted above, the following is said under the sub-heading “Buddhism, Taoism, and folk religion”:
“According to the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) of the USA, there are about 93% of people identifying themselves as Buddhists, Taoists, or practitioners of Chinese folk religion. However, as with the majority of East Asian religious traditions in general, identification with these faiths does not necessarily mean actual affiliation as it does in many other parts of the globe. It is also common for people to practice a blend of the three religions. Some people practice Buddhism exclusively, but most blend Taoist religious practices with elements from Buddhism and folk traditions. It is not uncommon to find a Buddhist temple adjacent to a Taoist temple, or even under the same roof. One example of this is Longshan Temple in Taipei City. Religious diversity has never been a significant source of conflict in Taiwan. Those who consider themselves pure Buddhists are usually allied with the Zhaijiao movement.
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Mengjia Longshan Temple in Taipei. |
The Hui-an Temple at Kuan-t'ien. |
“Another example of syncretism commonly seen in religious life are the numerous sutra-chanting groups in Taiwan, which combine Buddhist, Taoist and folk religious spirituality, chanting, and ritual. In small rural areas where Buddhist and Taoist monastics are not readily available, trained sutra-chanting groups are hired by local villagers and townspeople to perform a variety of services, and are usually performed in the native Taiwanese Hokkien dialect rather than standard Mandarin. Chanting groups mainly consist of everyday men and women dressed in Buddhist monastic robes and playing traditional ritual instruments accompanied by an electronic keyboard.
“Besides large temples, small outdoor shrines to local deities are very common, and can be spotted on roadsides, parks, and neighborhoods in Taiwanese cities and towns. These small pockets of religious atmosphere let people stop by and pray informally anytime. They also provide a safe environment for locals to practice meditation and various other forms of religious practice. Many homes and businesses may also set up small shrines of candles, figurines, and offerings. Some restaurants, for example, may set up a small shrine to the Kitchen god for success in a restaurant business. Students may visit a shrine to the Learning god for good luck before a test.
“Taoist temples are highly decorative. Colorfully tiled sculptures of dragons and other mythological creatures highlight the roof, and temples are often filled with statues of many gods and semi-theistic historical figures, reflecting the polytheistic and ancestor worship tradition of Taoism and folk religion. Festivities and picnics often take place at Taoist temples.” (End of quote).
Confucianism is another important part of religious thinking in Taiwan. Confucius was China’s most famous and beloved teacher, advocating the practice of rituals and the worship of ancestors. Emperor Yuan of the Western Han Dynasty (207 B.C. - A.D. 24) built the first shrine dedicated to Confucius, and after that many more temples were constructed as a mark of respect to the sage.
Christianity
In the article “Discover Taiwan” (http://eng.taiwan.net.tw/m1.aspx?sNo=0002009) it is indicated that the Christian religion was first introduced to Taiwan “in the early part of the 17th century when Catholicism and Protestantism were introduced by Spanish and Dutch missionaries. Presbyterianism is perhaps the Protestant branch of Christianity that has played the most prominent role in Taiwan's history.”
There are quite a number of denominations and sects in Taiwan that are classified together as “Protestant”, and it is hard to tell how many of them are evangelical Christians with a testimony of being born again. True Christianity – significant though as it indeed is – would obviously be smaller than the figures reflected in the official religious statistics of the island state. According to the Wikipedia article quoted above, the 2,6% Protestants represent 605 000 people within a total population of about 23,3 million.
Struggle for the truth
How do we account for the relatively low percentage of Protestant Christians in Taiwan, despite intensive missionary endeavours by the early pioneers, evangelistic outreaches by existing churches, as well as radio and Internet ministries which potentially reach millions of people in a developed country like Taiwan? Every country obviously has its own unique set of factors which determine the religious nature and preferences of its population, and for that reason generalisations should be avoided.
Government policies with regard to Christian education and freedom of religion, as well as cultural factors which may favour traditional (indigenous) religions would have a major impact on people’s religious lives. However, it seems that the early missionaries were much more determined to proclaim the truth amid adverse conditions and outright hostility, than are most of the modern preachers and evangelists.
A factor which equally affects the sustained growth of true Christianity in every society is the fact that every new generation of people has to be newly evangelised and clearly confronted with the gospel message. Christianity is not hereditary, as even devoted Christians’ children are born with a sinful nature and need to be saved. Should churches become lax and complacent by declaring the young generation to be saved merely by virtue of church rituals such as infant baptism, the scene is set for the deterioration of Christian standards. The increase of nominal Christians who only have a form of godliness give rise to apostatising in society.
Another factor which greatly restricts the expansion of Christian societies is persecution – regardless of whether the source of persecution is governments that enforce communist or other anti-religious policies, or militant members of non-Christian religions who conspire together to harm or kill Christians. This phenomenon is increasing in various parts of the world, and appears to be very successful in instilling fear and discouraging immature Christians to serve the Lord.
In different parts of Asia, Africa and the Middle East, Christians are subjected to various forms of oppression – from derision and discrimination to outright persecution, including death penalties and attacks by religious adversaries and murderous gangs. However, Christians in modern Taiwan enjoy democratic rights and freedom of religion, but for how long? Dark clouds of a militant and strongly antichristian movement are gathering in many places across the globe, and one of its aims is to eradicate biblical Christianity.
In an article, Christianity close to extinction in Middle East, the Telegraph states: “Christianity faces being wiped out of the biblical heartlands in the Middle East because of mounting persecution of worshippers, according to a report in the Middle East Quarterly. The study warns that Christians suffer greater hostility across the world than any other religious group. And it claims politicians have been blind to the extent of violence faced by Christians in Africa, Asia and the Middle East.” (http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9762745/Christianity-close-to-extinction-in-Middle-East.html).
Wikipedia (Christianity in the Middle East) confirms this tendency: “Christianity, which originated in the Middle East in the 1st century AD, was one of the major religions of the region until the Arab Muslim conquests of the mid to late 7th century AD. ... Christians now make up 5% of the population, down from 20% in the early 20th century.”
The statement about the persecution of Christians in the Middle East and Asia is corroborated by Christianity Today. Under the heading, Persecution in China is very real, they say: “You can argue that Christians are more free than they were 30 years ago. But persecution is rising and the central government does plan to eradicate house churches. The China Aid annual report states that the number of incidents of persecution increased in 2012 from the previous years, including a number of arrests, sentencing to labor camps, short term detentions, rape and torture in police custody, destruction and confiscation of property, beatings, fines, the loss of jobs or business licenses, and police intimidation.” (http://www.christianitytoday.com/ct/2013/february-web-only/persecution-in-china-is-very-real.html).
What are the possibilities of totalitarian Chinese rule of this nature being imposed upon Taiwan? Chang Mao-sen and Stacy Hsu of the Taipei Times wrote an article on the Taiwanese lack of a sense of crisis. They quoted a Japanese representative who said: “Taiwan’s gravest crisis is the lack of a sense of crisis among its people, who are at a crossroads, faced with the choice of being annexed by China and living under a one-party regime or continuing to be citizens of a free and democratic nation. ... If Taiwanese were to take the wrong path at the crossroad, they may experience the bitter fruit of a new era of totalitarian darkness that their forebears tasted in the past.” (http://www.taipeitimes.com/News/taiwan/archives/2013/06/18/2003565079).
Apart from the very real threat of the loss of Christian freedom, there is also the pervasive problem of syncretism, the forging of ecumenical ties with non-Christian religions, and the consequential loss of the basic character of evangelical Christianity. The interfaith movement is gaining momentum, and they regard non-compromising evangelicals as a major stumbling block impeding the formation of a close alliance of world religions. Only committed Christians who have a thorough knowledge of the Bible will be able to withstand the pressure exerted by this unitary movement.
Those who adapt to the forces of multireligious thinking will inevitably collaborate in preparing the way for the coming of the universal messiah of all faiths – the Antichrist (Rev. 13:3-4, 8). There is no room whatsoever for compromise with the non-Christian religions. George Mackay preached a clear message to the people of Taiwan who walked in spiritual darkness – repent from your evil ways and publicly destroy all the images of your idols as a token of full allegiance to the only Saviour of the world – Jesus Christ! Nothing less than a clear Christian testimony will help us to resist and overcome the emerging new world order with its interfaith basis. Those who are either deceived or intimidated to succumb to the forces of compromise, are denying the Lord Jesus as the only way to the Father (John 14:6; cf. 1 John 5:12).