Title: Taipei Clergy Protest Municipal Funding of Homosexual Parade
Taiwan Church News 2846 11-17 September 2006
Reported by Gu Hao-jan. Written by David Alexander
Gay and Lesbian Organizations in Taipei City have scheduled a parade for September 30th, partly in support of amending Taiwan’s laws to permit homosexual marriages. This has moved many church leaders to file dissents. Recently the pastors of several Mandarin Language churches openly criticized the Taipei Municipal Government for its support of the Homosexual movement, saying that such support not only led to the spread of HIV/AIDS but was injurious to traditional family ethics and destructive of Taiwan’s social values.
The protesting ministers include the Rev. Chou Sin-chou of Bread of Life Christian Church, Rev. Chang Mao-song from Hsintien Covenant Church, Rev. Chu Jyr-shen from The Taipei True Way church, Rev. Gu Chyi-yun of New Life Cell Group Church, Chu Tai-shen from the Taipei United Churches Association, Chen Jyh-hong, who serves as the General Secretary of the Taiwan Lutheran Church and Fr. Louis G. Aldrich SJ, the principal of the Roman Catholic Theological Seminary at Fu-Jen Catholic University. They hosted a press conference at the Taipei City Council chambers, openly proclaiming Protestant and Roman Catholic opposition to the legalization of homosexual marriage.
Their declaration of “Christian opposition to the September 30th Homosexual Parade” says that these believers, beyond asserting that homosexual groups supporting marriage rights for same-sex couples is inconsistent with their faith, add that it is abhorrent to God. They say that legalization of same-sex marriage will influence Taiwan’s values and morality in a negative direction. These pastors emphasized that they love all people, including homosexuals and are willing to respect their rights to work and to live. Apart from the sexual practices of gay and lesbian persons, these clergy accept everything about them. It is their belief that homosexuals should undergo transformation processes from which they will emerge as heterosexuals.
The city government dispatched Yeh Jie-seng, vice director of the civil affairs bureau, as a representative of Mayor Ma Ying-jeou. Yeh said that the municipal government neither advocated nor promoted the homosexual movement, but that it respected all social organizations in an inclusive spirit. He added that it was not a city matter to endorse or legalize homosexuals registering as married couples.
Rev Chang Mao-song said, “Ecclesiastical sectors cannot agree with the municipal government’s public support of the homosexual parade activity.” He called on Taipei’s mayor Ma Ying-jeou to absent himself from the parade and to lend support to a united movement in support of legal marriages.
For more information: Taipei Bread of Life Christian Church www.llc.org.tw
Hsin Tien Covenant Church http://www.topchurch.net/xoops/ Chen Jyh-hong cch1963320@yahoo.com.tw
Fr. Louis G. Aldrich SJ badm1024@mails.fju.edu.tw
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