wfn.org | TCN: Churches urged to support petition against building casinos in Penghu

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>Taiwan Church News

>2995 Edition

>July 20~26, 2009

Churches urged to support petition against building casinos in  Penghu

>Reported by Chen Yi-hsuan

>Written by Lydia Ma

Penghu will stage a referendum on whether to build casinos on the  island in

August and Taiwan Anti-Gambling Alliance is urging everyone to  publicly express

their opposition to building casinos on the island.

According to reports, President Ma Ying-jeou visited Penghu on  July 19th in his

capacity as candidate for the chairmanship of the KMT party and  gave a speech

on his political views on this issue, but was met by more than a  dozen protesters

displaying placards and banners opposing casinos in Penghu.

Penghu Youth Against Gambling Alliance has created a website to  campaign

against building casinos in Penghu and the website also features  an online

petition. More than 70 organizations and 3,000 individuals have  signed this

petition so far, including religious organizations set on  protecting Penghu’s

>beauty and serenity.

Organizations opposed to building casinos in Penghu also posted  their opinions

on the website. A Baptist church in Penghu wrote, “Penghu is  a paradise God

gave to the people of Penghu. We oppose building casinos here and  destroying

the beauty, purity, and innocence of this island.” An  alliance of pastors in Penghu

urged the public to maintain the innocence of Penghu as a means to  prosper the

>island in the long run.

Magong Presbyterian Church’s Elder Shih Bi-jou, who is also  the convener of

Penghu Anti-Gambling Alliance, is asking churches across Taiwan,  regardless of

denomination, to publicly express their support by signing an  official press

release on this issue. Churches can also help by praying and  posting prayers on

>their church bulletins.

Presbyterian Church in Taiwan already issued a statement in  December 2007

opposing the inclusion of a clause in the “Offshore Islands  Development Act” that

would make building casinos legal in the offshore islands of  Taiwan.

Pastors and churches are encouraged to submit articles to national  newspapers

and express their opposition to building casinos in Penghu. To  sign the online

petition, please visit http://blog.roodo.com/smilelong/

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