Advocacy for Social Justice: A Personal Reflection

Advocacy for Social Justice: A Personal Reflection

Tao-jen Wang

Social justice is important in the Bible and also in real world, and this is the reason for Christians to love and stand with the oppressed.  But things get complicated when dealing with homosexuality, which is becoming a heated issue in Taiwan.  The society of Taiwan is divided on this controversy, where the younger generation being more open and pushing the older generation to change.  A Taiwan Alliance to Promote Civil Partnership Rights (TAPCPR)[1] was formed and has been trying to change the law: to allow same-sex marriage and establish a system “partnership relationship” to coexist with the traditional marriage system.  In 2013, TAPCPR successfully pushed the same-sex marriage law amendment draft proposal into Legislative Yuan’s committee review process, which did not include the “partnership system,” but might lead to a quick law change regarding to same-sex marriage if the proposal was accepted.  But this ignited the churches in Taiwan to form a Family Alliance with multiple religious groups and organize a parade to defend traditional marriage system and uphold family values.  The parade seemed successful and the proposal was not accepted, but churches in Taiwan were labeled as “not tolerant” and “homophobia” by the younger generation and some LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender) Christians left their church.  There were a few pastors sympathetic of the difficult plight of LGBTs and were supportive of same-sex marriage.  Though they might not be supportive of the “partnership system,” they were labeled as compromising the Bible and succumbing to sexual liberation movement by others. 

Church and Mission in Global Contexts: A Personal Reflection

Church and Mission in Global Contexts: A Personal Reflection

Tao-jen Wang

Global Christianity is changing: an emerging “south” Christianity that Jenkins described in his book[1] is transforming the look of global Christianity.  The “south” is more conservative,[2] indigenous,[3] and sometimes Pentecostal.[4]  In contrast, religiosity is declining in Western society and even in the United States.[5]  So what’s wrong with western Christianity?  Is the culture of western Christianity too liberal and going down the wrong path?  Or is charismatic experience the key and we should all pursue it?  Or from a non-Christian point of view, do people become more “civilized” and “rational” and then abandon their religion? 

If we look deeper, people tired of churches in the United States are still seeking spirituality.[6] Human, being created by God, certainly has spiritual needs; it’s the church that disappoints.  And a conservative theology does not guarantee from disappointment or decline; evangelical churches in the United States are also going down.[7]  Pentecostalism may or may not help, but there seems to be difficulties for some people to experience God in this way than others even if they are willing: spiritual gifts are given by the Spirit “who allots to each one individually just as the Spirit chooses.” (1 Cor. 12:11 NRSV)

And when we are analyzing global Christianity, we should keep in mind another important question: is “size” or “number of Christians” the only right way to analyze a church?  Is the largest church in the world always doing the right thing?  If so, the Protestant Reformation should never take place and Jesus’s church should be seen as a failure.  Actually nearly every church with its theology has its ups and downs.  Only God and His Word have the final say on what is right or wrong for a church.

對自己解經立場的檢視與反思My personal reflection on how I interpret Bible

Tao-jen Wang 王道仁 97003

“And no one knows the Son except the Father, and no one knows the Father except the Son and anyone to whom the Son chooses to reveal him.” (Matthew 11:27, NRSV)  Reading Bible and trying to know God is impossible without God’s own help.  May the Lord guide me on this reflection paper.

Background

I was born in Taipei during the 1970’s, when Taiwan was struggling with diplomatic crises and in the same time trying to transform from a developing country into a developed country.  Politically Taiwan was moving toward democracy and the culture in Taiwan was rapidly changing and mixed with traditional Chinese, American and Japanese influence.  Education in Taiwan was mostly authoritative, but became more open as I grew up.  My thinking tend to be simultaneously modern and post-modern and this might come from my cultural background.  And maybe the conflict between Taiwan and China made me often think about justice when I read Bible.  I also stayed in the United States for four years when I was a pre-schooler, so my boldness in asking questions might be influenced by that.  Feminism movement had its influence in Taiwan, but often more in words rather than in action.  But at least conceptually I am also influenced by it.

My parents’ and I go to the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan regularly and my hometown church had a good relationship with Campus Evangelical Fellowship.  My mother studied in Taiwan Theological College and Seminary, China Evangelical Seminary and The South East Asia Graduate School of Theology and I also studied in China Evangelical Seminary and Taiwan Theological College.  So I have my conservative roots, but am also exposed to a diverse range of theologies. 

荷蘭在台灣的宣教 The Dutch in Taiwan

Tao-jen Wang 王道仁
The Dutch in Taiwan. (That which occurred between 1624 and 1661)
Important events:
(1) The Dutch East India Company settled in Taiwan for commercial reasons in 1624. The company hired missionary to do translation, collect taxes and minister their workers. Some of the missionaries focused on Dutch people only, but some of them turned their attention to Pingpu aboriginal people.
(2) The Dutch started the immigration of Han Chinese to Taiwan.
(3) Candidus, the first ordained missionary, came in 1627. He lived with the villagers, not in the castle and suggested that missionary should stay lifelong and marry a local.
(4) Nika event occurred in 1629 and broke the locals’ trust in Candidus.
(5) Junius came in 1629 and translated part of the Bible. He trained local students and plan to open a seminary in Taiwan. Sadly this never happened because Jheng came to Taiwan and driven out the Dutch.
(6) The Seminary of Dutch East India Company was closed in 1633.
(7) Guo Huai-yi Incident occurred in 1651 and made the relationship between Han Chinese and the Dutch worse.
(8) Jheng Cheng-gong came to Taiwan in 1661 and defeated the Dutch. Antonius Hambroek was killed in this event and the Dutch surrendered and left Taiwan in 1662.

Theology:
(1) The missionaries contextualized Christianity and made the Ten Commandments very practical. But they also introduced western burial style and Dutch style nuclear family life. They also educate the locals and taught them how to write down what they spoke (the Singang language).
(2) The Dutch did not force conversion, but had laws against native religion.
(3) The missionaries had conflict of interests since they were paid by the company.
(4) Protestant theology did not think mission is important then, and the Great Commission was thought to be given to the apostles at that time only. So interest in mission was not that strong.

Evaluation:
(1) The Dutch was only in Taiwan for 37 years, and they did a good job in such a short period of time, especially their contextualization of Christianity.
(2) The missionaries did not minister and evangelize all people: some focus on the Dutch only, some focus on Pingpu, but the Han and the aboriginal people in the mountains were not their focus. But the Han rose to power and the Pingpu was assimilated. This might be the reason Christianity disappeared in Taiwan.
(3) The missionaries’ bond with the company made the missionaries be viewed as the ruling Dutch, which the Han Chinese resented. The Han Chinese wanted to rule themselves. And the mission in Taiwan stopped after the company was driven out. If mission was not dependent on the company, the missionaries and the Han Chinese might have better relationships.
(4) The missionaries tried to train local pastors, but the plan was not carried out. Maybe they should not wait for the company and should start the seminary earlier. But their ties with the company might prevent them to do so.
(5) The wrong exegesis and interpretation of the Great Commission hindered protestant mission. Correct exegesis and interpretation of the Bible is very important.
(6) If missionaries revisit Taiwan earlier, maybe the efforts of the Dutch missionaries might be preserved to some extent.

Reference:
Moffett, Samuel Hugh. A History of Christianity in Asia, Volume 2, Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2005.

景教在中國Nestorians in China during Tang Dynasty: important events, theology and evaluation

Tao-jen Wang 王道仁

Important events:
(1) The Turks were evangelized when expanding westward by Nestorians in Persia in the 6th century, and the Turks were related to the Tang dynasty.
(2) Alopen arrived in Xian by the silk road in 635 and met Tai-tsung. Christianity was welcomed and the Scripture was translated; a church was built in Xian.
(3) Persecution occurred when Wu Hou seized power and became an Empress. She made Buddhism the state religion and persecuted Christians.
(4) Persecution stopped after Hsuan-tsung became the Emperor and the church grew. The church gained royal favor and Chi-ho was even invited to say mass at the palace.
(5) Kuo Tzu-I, Issu and Adam were 3 important figures at that time. Adam mastered Chinese and translated many books.
(6) The church disappeared when Tang dynasty fell in the tenth century. The persecution of Wu-tsung might contribute it.

Theology:
(1) No Nestorian emphasis on separation of two natures.
(2) Trinity, God the creator, sinful man, the incarnation, crucification and resurrection of Jesus, respect and obey God were stated.
(3) God or heavenly hosts were sometimes referred to as Buddha.
(4) Obey the Emperor was put into the Ten Commandments.
(5) Some concepts and phrases of Taoism and Buddhism were incorporated into Christianity.

Evaluation:
(1) There might be religious syncretism, but only a little. Some of the phrases might cause confusion though.
(2) The adaptation of Christianity to Chinese culture might help the spread of Christianity initially.
(3) There were no record of training or ordination of Chinese bishop/pastor. This dependence on Persian missionaries might contribute the disappearance of Christianity. In my opinion, this is the main reason.
(4) Dependence on politically important figures might help avoid persecution, but these can change suddenly when they lost power. And when they lost power, the new ruling figure might be even more hostile to Christianity. Mission cannot always depend on politically important figures only. People of low social status might adhere to their religion longer, and God loves everyone regardless of social status.
(5) Part of the Bible was translated, but not all. To their credit, part of it was translated and preserved, and they had no printing technology yet. But if the whole Bible was translated, Christianity might last longer.

Reference:
Moffett, Samuel Hugh. A History of Christianity in Asia, Volume 2, Maryknoll, NY: Orbis Books, 2005.

What if a Christian sins? A reflection based on the first epistle of John

Tao-jen Wang 王道仁

1. Foreword

Christians should not sin, but Christians do sin in real life. What should Christians do if they sin after becoming Christians? Will their sin still be forgiven? On what condition will their sin be forgiven? Do they need repentance or penance first to be forgiven? These questions might bother some Christians, and I am one of them. There are many passages in the Bible related to these questions, but those in the first epistle of John caught my attention. This paper aims to answer these questions based on it. May the Holy Spirit guide me in my study and lead me towards the truth.

2. Christians do sin

First of all, does Christians sin? 1 John 1:8-2:2 says “8If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he who is faithful and just will forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us. 1My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. 2But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.” (NRSV) In this passage there is a clear possibility of Christians’ sin, or else the author would not tell Christians not to sin. And the author even wrote about “if anyone does sin” and “if we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves.”

On the other hand, 1 John 3:4-10 says “4Everyone who commits sin is guilty of lawlessness; sin is lawlessness. 5You know that he was revealed to take away sins, and in him there is no sin. 6No one who abides in him sins; no one who sins has either seen him or known him. 7Little children, let no one deceive you. Everyone who does what is right is righteous, just as he is righteous. 8Everyone who commits sin is a child of the devil; for the devil has been sinning from the beginning. The Son of God was revealed for this purpose, to destroy the works of the devil. 9Those who have been born of God do not sin, because God’s seed abides in them; they cannot sin, because they have been born of God. 10The children of God and the children of the devil are revealed in this way: all who do not do what is right are not from God, nor are those who do not love their brothers and sisters.” In addition, 1 John 5:16-18 says “16If you see your brother or sister committing what is not a mortal sin, you will ask, and God will give life to such a one—to those whose sin is not mortal. There is sin that is mortal; I do not say that you should pray about that. 17All wrongdoing is sin, but there is sin that is not mortal. 18We know that those who are born of God do not sin, but the one who was born of God protects them, and the evil one does not touch them.” In these two passages, the author wrote that “those who born of God do not sin” and “cannot sin.”

海底總動員觀後感：Finding Nemo and Finding Us

王道仁
Finding Nemo is a film about a clown fish father Marlin finding his lost son Nemo. In the film the love, desperateness and perseverance of Marlin touched my heart. Despite rejected by his son, threatened by sharks and lantern fish and injured by jellyfishes, Marlin did not give up. On the other hand, Nemo did not know his dad was coming at first and was depressed. But later on he heard the news of his dad and turned enthusiastic about his escape. Nemo and his father found each other in the end. The joy of finding each other showed how much they love each other.

The effort of Marlin reminds me of the effort God made to find us. In Luke 15 Jesus told a parable of a woman who lost her coin, “Or suppose a woman has ten silver coins and loses one. Does she not light a lamp, sweep the house and search carefully until she finds it?” (Luke 15:8 NIV) Just as the woman searches carefully, and just as Marlin tried desperately, God also makes every effort to find us. He even gave his most beloved Son to the world and let Him be crucified. Just as it was written in the Bible, “He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all-how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?” (Romans 8:32) Marlin would give up everything to find his beloved son Nemo, but God gave up he beloved son Jesus to find us. How amazing is the love of God!

And sometimes we are like Nemo. Before he heard of the news of his father, he thought that his father would not come to him and was depressed. At times when we get into trouble, we might lose our faith and think that God has forgotten us. But “are not five sparrows sold for two pennies? Yet not one of them is forgotten by God. Indeed, the very hairs of your head are all numbered.” (Luke 12:6-7) Just as Marlin never forgot his son, God never forgets us, even when we are complaining.

The moment Marlin and Nemo found each other was touching. Nemo apologized at once and Marlin also apologized. But the joy of finding each other was so great that none of them seemed to pay attention to those apologies. This is similar to the reunion of father and son in the parable of the lost son in Luke 15. In the parable the son did not even get an chance to finish his apology:1 his father interrupted and started celebration. When we sin against God, sometimes we fear that God might not accept us. Sometimes we worry that our apologies are not sincere enough. But when we are worrying about our sincerity, we probably are sincere indeed. And maybe God does not view those apologies as important as we think: our return is what matters most and the joy is so great that God even celebrates with his angels: “there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10)

Marlin wanted to find Nemo, and God wants to find us. May God help us respond to his love and make us his instrument to find others.

1 His full apology was “Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired men.” (Luke 15:18-19) But he was interrupted and did not finish the last sentence in Luke 15:21.