Taiwan Church News 3204 Edition July 22-28, 2013 Editorial After a sun-shine boy, Hung Chung-chiu, was maliciously abused to death by the military, many parents whose children werealso died for unknown reasons came out crying on the public; we therefore became very sad for our big boys recruited to protect this island: Maybe they would not die on the battle field, but to be abused behind the barrack confinement. Yet, the impact to Taiwan people seems does not stop on this event. On July 18th, the County government of Miaoli, whose nameoriginated from a cat-like animal called "Pali", summoned 600 policemen to act secretly and malignantly like Pali, tearing down the remaining 4 houses of Chang Pharmacy at Dapu Village, Chu Nan. When the gigantic crane moved in and destroyed the last hope of the helpless, would you be awaken by those flying brick and fallen walls? Do you still insist the legitimacy ofconciliatory viewpoint of "the separating of church from state", which made us all suffered under the irresponsibility of a senseless leader? Let us think about all the impacts from the issues, like service trade agreement, the 4th Nuclear Plant, Death of CaptainHung by the rampant shooting of Philippine, cover up of chicken influenza plague, appearance of mad-dog disease, double cost-up on oil and electricity, Wen-lin Yuan urban reform, corruption of Lin Yi-she, poisonous starch, military training abuse at Hung Chong-chiu, Dapu house demolition, and etc. Just as the ten disasters cursed to the Egyptians written in the Exodus of Old Testament, all the sufferings make Taiwan people bereft the human rights, civil rights and nation sovereignty. When the Israelite were not allowed leaving for a new life to freely worship God, breaking the Egyptian land and culturebound under the heart-hardened Pharaoh, the outcome turned into a sequence of tragic disasters. On the same logic, the dignity, values, ideas and life quality of our society are under a total derailment and distortion, for Taiwan is now blockaded behind an outdated ideological frame cage of traditional Chinese bureaucrats, as show by the example of the bigoted Ma government which is incompetent and becomes more violent. "It was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair", said Charles Dickens in his famous novel - A Tale of Two Cities.These words encourage Christians to stop wasting time, playing bumblers to mess up. Rather we should stand out for justice and become the blessings for the public during the hard times. In his autobiography, Mahatma Gandhi said: "I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ"; "“If Christians would really live according to the teachings of Christ, as found in the Bible, all of India would be Christian today.” What Gandhi criticized is that Christian always stand too far away from Jesus. If we should follow Jesus to clear the Temple,driving out of those selling and buying there, overturning the tables of the money changers and the benches of those selling doves, then how Taiwan Church can stay away from Yang Ju-men's action: throwing paint at Presidential Office to protest the brutal demotion of Dapu remaining buildings? In his recently published book, Witness for God, former President Lee Teng-hui expressed how he and his wife dealt with kindsof difficulties based on the revelation from the Bible. These caused him to learn, what it means to love God with a whole-heart enthusiasm, becoming "a me-self but no more I-self". And this "me-self" is to act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with God and have Christ within us. When we are deeply sad for the leaders' corruption and betrayal to this abundantly promised island, please open your Bible to read aloudand bring the Bible up to the street to protest the unjust! |