Re Taiwan, January
I was quite upset when I read the article “Taiwan is not China, but it is what China should be” by Ted Siverns. The conclusion at the end of the article is neither well-thought nor responsible.
First of all, Chiang Kai Shek did not flee China in 1946. After the Sino-Japanese War in 1937-1945, a civil war broke out in China between the Nationalists (Chiang) and the Communist (Mao), which lasted for four years. Chiang lost in the war and retreated to Taiwan in 1949 not 1946 as Ted said.
Secondly, it was agreed that Taiwan, which Japanese forcefully occupied for 50 years, would be given back to China after the war in the conference in Cairo in 1943. Historically speaking, Taiwan was always part of China. It was the Nationalist generals who accepted the surrender of the Japanese in Taiwan in 1945. Taiwan was officially returned to China. Chiang did not take over Taiwan.
However, the major problem, I think, is the recommendation at the end: “The time is over-due for the PCC, along with our partners in ministry, to pressure the Canadian government to do what is right and recognize Taiwan as a country, welcoming it into the family of nations.”
To recognize Taiwan as an independent country will obviously cause a lot of political consequences. But why should the church be so keen in political matters? Why did Siverns think whether Taiwan is not an independent country or not so important to PCC or PCT? What is the main purpose of PCC to send missionaries to Taiwan or other countries? Why did he have to emphasize that “to resist the authority is sometimes imperative”? Are all these involvements a waste of the manpower and resources of the church?
The question of relationship between church and state is a very difficult topic. As Christians we should learn from the Bible. In Acts Chapter 4, Peter and John were brought to the Jewish Council for preaching the news of Jesus Christ, the Saviour. The Council warned them to stop speaking the name of Jesus. Peter and John answered them, “You yourselves judge which is right in God’s sight—to obey you or to obey God”. (Acts 4:14) Peter and the apostles continued to preach the Good News. They were again brought to the Council. Peter and the other apostles said, “We must obey God, not men”. (Acts 5:29) Peter and the apostles “resisted” the state not because of political reasons but because the state forbade them to preach the Good News.
As Christians we should also learn from Jesus’ own example. The Pharisees asked Jesus whether it was against the Law to pay taxes to the Roman Emperor. Jesus said to them, “Pay to the Emperor what belongs to the Emperor and pay to God what belongs to God”. (Matthew 22:21) Jesus did not advocate that the Jews should oppose the Roman Emperor because he was not the “legitimate” ruler. The job of the Church and the Christians should be to “pay to God what belongs to God.”
I was very excited when I read the news in the same issue of the Record that a Bible translation team under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Paul McLean is going to release a Taiwanese Hakka edition of the Bible for the Hakka people in Taiwan. This is a job well-done by the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan. I think the PCC or the PCT should devote all their time and energy in bringing the Good News to more Taiwanese instead of involving in pure political matters like “the sovereignty of Taiwan,” “the current relationship between Taiwan and China,” “anti-nuclear declaration,” or whether Taiwan will be able to return to the United Nations (“the family of nations” as Ted put it). Since there are only 0.2% of the three million Hakka people in Taiwan are Christian there is still a long way to go.
