Strong Traditions

Light of the Gospel

A Missionaries Perspective

"Ghost Month" by Tom & Lisa Englesman

"Souls, Gods, Ghosts, & Demons" by Courtney Bowers

Strong Traditions

Although the church has been in Taiwan for over 100 years, the people of Taiwan are slow to respond to the Gospel. Religious traditions are strong among the Taiwanese and closely associated with "being Chinese." These traditions include both ancestor and idol worship. Taiwan has one of the highest ratios of temples per capita in the world. Worship of idols is especially strong among the grass-roots people. Ancestor worship has even a greater control over people. This tradition has grown out of the strong respect Chinese have for their parents. To fail to worship and care for those who gave life and nurture is considered the gravest of moral offenses. As Taiwan has modernized, a new hurdle to faith has developed. The promise and comforts of material wealth are constantly visible: expensive cars, comfortable homes, mobile phones, computers. People work hard and make great sacrifices to share in this growing national wealth. Little time or interest remains for spiritual things.

Recent difficulties faced by Taiwan have provided opportunities to introduce people to the true and living God. In September of 1999 a killer earthquake devastated Taiwan. Thousands of people in central Taiwan are still living in temporary housing. In early 2000 Taiwan elected a president who was not from the ruling party for the first time in the history of the ROC. While this was a great step forward for democracy, the economy has been stumbling ever since. In addition, Mainland China continues to press for the reunification of Taiwan with China. All of these things create instability and people are more open to learning about security in Christ.

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by Tom & Lisa Englesman SEND Missionaries "Ghost Month" "Why is everybody burning paper money and making offerings of food in front of their homes and businesses?" we wondered. We found out from some friends thatthe seventh month on the lunar calendar is "GhostMonth." It is believed that on the first dayof this month, the gates of Hades are opened and the spirits there are free to roam. With this being the case, the typical Taiwanese family offers food, money and worship to their ancestors on the first and fifteenth day of this month sothat the ghosts won't bring any harm to them. The people are also very careful with their activities during this month so that lonely spirits (those with no living descendants) won't do them harm. Pray that the veil of darkness over the eyes of the people in Taiwan will be lifted and that they be drawn to the life and freedom of worshipping the true God.

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Light of the Gospel

Into this restless environment, SEND missionaries bring the gospel of Christ. The people of Taiwan are generally warm and friendly toward outsiders, and missionaries usually find it fairly simple to develop relationships in which the gospel can be presented. But the Taiwanese drive to succeed, on the one hand, and the widespread allegiance to traditional Chinese religion, on the other hand, offer formidable challenges to the actual acceptance of the gospel message.

And yet, a small but thriving Christian church exists in Taiwan. Many Chinese believers have suffered rejection by family, as well as other difficulties yet they maintain a bold and eager witness for Christ. Still, much work remains to be done. Of the island's total population, only a small percentage claim affiliation with a Christian church. Apart from the minority aboriginal people (comprising just 2% of Taiwan's population) who converted to Christianity in large numbers in years past, the most evangelized segment of Taiwan society are the "mainlanders") whose families immigrated after 1949 to escape the Communists (see Taiwan History). Two-thirds of Taiwan's population belong to the lesser-evangelized group usually called "Taiwanese" most of those who migrated to Taiwan from China during the several centuries prior to 1949. Of this group, only about 1% claim to be Christian. Finally, the Hakka, who make up roughly 14% of the island's population, are less than 0.3% Christian.

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by Courtney Bowers SEND Missionary "Souls, 'Gods', Ghosts, and Demons" Most Taiwanese believe that every person has at least two souls, one mortal and one immortal. The immortal soul, after death, suffers in hell/purgatory for its sins on earth and then is reincarnated. A teacher told me that Buddhism has a very detailed doctrine on hell, including the specific punishment for common sins. The immortal soul of a person who lived an exceptionally good life becomes a "god." However, Taiwanese also believe that after death, this immortal soul goes to an unseen world that inter-penetrates our world. Its condition in the unseen world depends on whether or not its descendants provide for it by offering food and burning paper clothes and money. Most homes have a family altar dedicated to worshipping both ancestors and the "gods." Souls that are not provided for become vicious ghosts that can attack people, causing sickness, injury, or even death. Therefore, these hungry ghosts are also often worshipped by offering food and burning paper money. It is interesting to me that my neighbors offer real food for the ghosts to eat (which they themselves eat later), but the rest, in paper form, is burned. What if a family member dies without descendants to provide for him/her? Males are often given a "son" or "sons" (perhaps by a brother who has plenty) to provide for him. Female ghosts are "wed" to a living man who then provides for his deceased "wife." Taiwanese, individually and as a family or village, often consult their ancestors and/or "gods" when making decisions or requests—or even to find the reason for a prolonged illness. They use divination blocks, chairs possessed by a "god," or even demon-possessed spirit mediums to find their answer. It astonished me to find out how much they unknowingly let demons control their lives. Pray that the Lord opens their eyes to the truth (Ephesians 3:2).

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