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Taiwan 2002 |
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 | Religion |
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Age-old religious customs, icons, and beliefs permeate all levels of Taiwan's Chinese culture. Almost all adults in Taiwan, even those not formally subscribing to a religious belief or worshiping regularly at a particular temple, engage in religious practices stemming from one or a combination of traditional Chinese folk religions. It is very common in Taiwan to see homes and shops include a lighted shrine with incense burning to honor a deity, hero, or ancestor. Most families perform the filial duty of ancestral worship; and on important occasions, as when a son or daughter takes the university entrance examination, a visit to the temple is made to present petitions and solicit divine assistance. Many taxi drivers in Taiwan decorate their cars with charms, amulets, statuettes, and religious slogans for protection against accidents and harm. Yet strictly speaking, these people are not necessarily Buddhist, Taoist, officially affiliated with any certain temple, or registered with a religious organization. The latest figures released by the Ministry of the Interior 內政部 (MOI) in December 2000 indicate that about 10.8 million people in Taiwan--almost half of the population--are religious believers (see chart). Altogether, 21,181 temples and churches dot the island serving the spiritual needs of the people on Taiwan. Polytheistic and syncretic, Chinese society is dominated by ancestor worship, Taoism, and Buddhism, but has never excluded the addition and development of other indigenous and foreign religions. Although each religion may appear to postulate an independent doctrine, some cannot be strictly differentiated. For example, the Taiwan folk deity Matsu 媽祖, Goddess of the Sea, and Kuanyin 觀音, the Buddhist Goddess of Mercy, are often worshiped together in the same temple. This reveals the special character of the Chinese religious outlook, which can accommodate seemingly contradictory beliefs simultaneously. Another important factor influencing religion in Taiwan is the extremely eclectic nature of the Chinese religious view. The religions currently practiced in Taiwan are for the most part combinations of elements from several religions. Even Taoism, which is rooted in traditional Chinese philosophy, has absorbed many aspects of non-Chinese dogmas. Unlike Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, which require that believers adhere only to their particular doctrines, the Chinese have seldom felt it necessary to exclude aspects of other faiths from their personal or collective religious beliefs. Freedom of religion is a fundamental right of every citizen in the ROC: "The people shall have freedom of religious belief," states Article 13 of the ROC Constitution. People of all recognized religions can publicly proselytize, evangelize, and congregate as long as they do not violate ROC laws and regulations, public morals, and social systems. To be recognized, however, these groups must apply and register with the Civil Affairs Department of the MOI 內政部民政司 after meeting stipulated requirements, including a minimum number of local believers, organizations, and sufficient funds. Currently, there are 16 religions recognized by the government: Taoism, Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Hsuan-yuan Chiao 軒轅教, Li-ism 理教, Tenrikyo 天理教, the Baha'i faith 巴哈伊教, the Lord of Universe Church (Tien Dih Chiao) 天帝教, Tien Te Chiao 天德教, I-kuan Tao 一貫道, Mahikarikyo 真光教, Confucianism 儒教, Ta Yi Chiao 大易教, and Hai Tse Tao 亥子道.
Concerted Efforts to Help HumanityIn August 2000, the United Nations (UN) held a four-day summit dubbed "The Millennium World Peace Summit of Religious and Spiritual Leaders (WPS)." Around 1,000 world religious and spiritual leaders worked together to tackle peace, poverty, and environmental issues as interfaith allies with the UN. Among the world religious leaders joining the summit were Master Sheng Yen 聖嚴法師 of the Association of Dharma Drum Mountain Cultural and Educational Organization 法鼓山文教組織協會 and Master Hsin Tao 心道法師 of the Ling Jiou Mountain Buddhist Society 靈鷲山佛教教團 from Taiwan. They joined hundreds of religious leaders in signing the "Commitment to Global Peace," which condemns violence in the name of religion and appeals for respect for the right of religious freedom. The WPS is also developing "Peace Initiatives for Regions of Conflict," which focuses on the roles of the religious leaders in reducing regional conflicts, something religious leaders in Taiwan could take up.Religious groups have traditionally been the backbone of community services in Taiwan. As of December 2000, religious groups were operating 51 hospitals, 62 clinics, 29 retirement homes, 31 centers for the mentally retarded, 12 handicapped welfare institutions, nine rehabilitation centers, 18 orphanages, and 37 nurseries in Taiwan. These groups have also established 390 kindergartens, 11 primary schools, 37 high schools, six colleges, 15 universities, and 84 monasteries and seminaries. They have also set up 166 libraries, 168 publishing houses, and 300 publications. Immediately following the 921 Earthquake on September 21, 1999, the religious community contributed immensely to relief efforts with great compassion and efficiency. They were among the first to reach out to victims in the disaster areas, bringing hope, comfort, food, materials, and monetary assistance. Particularly noteworthy were the Buddhist Compassion Tzu Chi Relief Foundation 佛教慈濟慈善事業基金會; Fo Guang Shan 佛光山 (FGS) and its affiliate, the Buddha's Light International Association 國際佛光會, which formed a 921 Earthquake United Relief Fund/Center 佛光山國際佛光會聯合救災基金/中心; the Association of Dharma Drum Mountain Cultural and Educational Organizations; the Catholic 921 Earthquake Relief Center 台灣天主教九二一賑災救助中心; and the Taiwan Christian United Rescue Action for the 921 Earthquake 九二一地震救助行動 set up by Chinese Christian Relief Association of Taiwan 中華基督教救助協會. Another concerted effort made by the religious groups in Taiwan was to assist the families of the 82 passengers and crew members of Singapore Airlines flight SQ006, which crashed on October 31, 2000, at the Chiang Kai-Shek (CKS) International Airport in Taoyuan. Around 300 Taiwanese and 100 relatives of the victims from Britain, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore, and the United States participated in the religious ceremonies held by local Buddhist, Muslim, Protestant, Catholic, and Taoist communities. Aside from sharing a common concern for the poor and disaster victims, religious organizations have also diversified into medical services, free health checkups, community projects, and visitations to homes and hospitals. Churches in Taiwan have also taken the lead in organizing cultural and recreational activities. Whereas the Protestant church has focused on promoting youth activities, Taoist organizations have channeled much of their efforts into preserving and staging traditional Chinese dramas, and Buddhist groups have offered a wide range of self-improvement seminars.
Government and Private Organizations and InstitutionsTaiwan's first religious association, the Taiwan Association for Religious Studies, was established on April 18, 1999, by a group of scholars and academics. The association researches mainstream and folk religions in Taiwan and publishes a monthly newsletter. In addition, National Chengchi University 國立政治大學 established a graduate school in religious studies in 2000, the only university unaffiliated with religious groups to set up a graduate program in religion. Other universities provide religious studies under the laws governing private schools that prevent discrimination on religious grounds include Aletheia University 真理大學, Chung Yuan Christian University 中原大學, Fu Jen Catholic University 輔仁大學, and Hsuan Chuang University 玄奘大學. The Department of Higher Education under the Ministry of Education (MOE) is also inspecting existing theological seminaries and Buddhist studies schools that are registered under the MOI as "research institutes of religious teachings," attempting to incorporate them into the former educational system while maintaining proper tertiary education standards.Although nearly half of Taiwan's residents practice the 16 religions recognized by the government, many religious groups are legally registered as organizations. Therefore, former Minister of the Interior Chang Po-ya 張博雅 ordered the Religion Section of the Civil Affairs Department 民政司宗教輔導科, currently staffed by only six civil servants, to be expanded and upgraded into a Religious Affairs Department in the near future. The MOI sent to the Legislative Yuan a reorganization draft in June 2000, under which the new department would have 53 staff members. The Ministry also established a Religious Affairs Counseling Committee 宗教事務諮詢委員會 on October 2, 2000. Vice Minister Lee Yi-yang 李逸洋 serves as the convener, and the committee members consist of six Buddhist, five Catholic, one Hai Tse Tao, three I-kuan Tao, one Muslim, five Protestant, one Tien Te Chiao, one Tenrikyo, one Tien Dih Chiao, and six Taoist representatives, four academics, and two officials. Out of these 37 members, one Buddhist, one Taoist, two Presbyterians, one Catholic, and one academic were selected to draft the Law Governing Religious Groups 宗教團體法, which was submitted to the Executive Yuan in March 2001 for deliberation. The law was intended to solve problems such as requiring a secular manager in addition to a religious leader in order to formally register a temple, a system that was first established during the Japanese occupation. However, articles related to tax exemption, property ownership, and construction regulations have ignited fierce debates.
Alternative Military ServiceIn coordination with the implementation of alternative military service beginning in July 2000, the MOI agreed that conscripts inducted into the military in 1999 could apply for a one year postponement due to religious reasons, but must produce a certificate of proof from a legitimate religious group.In 2000, a total of 28 Jehovah's Witnesses and three Buddhists had applied for the 33-month alternative to military service, which is 11 months longer than ordinary military service. All were assigned to do social work in the Taichung area by the 921 Earthquake Post-Disaster Recovery Commission, Executive Yuan 行政院九二一震災災後重建推動委員.
Cross-Strait Religious ExchangesInvited by the Nanhua Management College of Fo Guang University 佛光大學南華管理學院 and the Straits Exchange Foundation 海峽交流基金會, five officials from mainland China's Bureau of Religious Affairs 宗教局 arrived in Taiwan on July 28, 1998, for a twelve-day visit. The group toured various religious centers, temples and churches of the Buddhist, I-kuan Tao, Catholic and Protestant religions. The purpose of the visit was to promote exchanges and research on Taiwan's religious development.After the Legislature passed the Offshore Islands Development Act 離島開發條例 in March 2000, the issue of direct cross-strait religious visits via the offshore islands was thoroughly discussed and debated. Several religious groups applied for direct sea travel to the Chinese mainland in order to save energy, time, and money for pilgrims, especially the elderly. However, due to political considerations, the Chenlan Temple 鎮瀾宮 in Tachia, Taichung County, arranged for more than 2,000 pilgrims, Taiwan's largest group ever, to fly to Fujian Province via Hong Kong for celebrations held July 16-20, 2000. Immediately after the "three small links" was formally implemented on January 1, 2001, allowing direct links between Matsu 馬祖 and Kinmen islands with the Chinese mainland, 500 Matsu residents took a two-hour crossing to Fuzhou City on the Chinese mainland for pilgrimage. Another 190 pilgrims from Kinmen took a 30-minute voyage to Meizhou, a Fujian Province islet, for a six-day tour in March 2001. The pilgrims escorted three statues that were brought to Kinmen more than 300 years ago back to the Tienhou Temple at Meizhou, the first time in five decades. Nevertheless, until the political climate changes, pilgrims from Taiwan proper will still need to take indirect routes for their annual journeys. In 2001, the Wuchi Sanching Taoist Temple 無極三清總道院 of Taichung County held a summer camp dubbed "Shaolin Martial Arts and Zen Meditation for Spiritual Reform" and invited 19 monks, the youngest of whom was only four years old, from the Buddhist Shaolin Temple in mainland China's Henan Province. The purpose of this camp was to show the youth of Taiwan who spent most of their holidays studying how to train their bodies and spirit, and give adults a chance to regenerate their energy through meditation. This summer camp featured not only cross-strait interactions, but also interfaith cooperation.
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