wfn.org | TCN: Church leaders and anti-gambling organizations help defeat referendum in Penghu

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

>      Taiwan Church News

>3005 Edition

>September 28~October 4, 2009

Church leaders and anti-gambling organizations help defeat  referendum in Penghu

>Reported by Chang Yi-chein and Chen Yi-hsuan

>Written by Lydia Ma

The defeat of the referendum on casinos in Penghu was yet another  example of

small organizations and regular citizens taking on giant  corporations and winning

in the process. Those who opposed building casinos in Penghu  included

religious organizations, academics, and some political  organizations, and this

victory can be largely attributed to their tireless efforts. They  collaborated with

each other, made advertisements, leaflets, and banners, and used  the internet

and media outlets to disseminate their views. Their efforts  generated public

discussion, raised public awareness, and enabled residents to cast  an educated

>vote.

A group of youth wearing t-shirts displaying anti-gambling slogans  walked the

streets of Makung city in the afternoon of September 25, 2009,  despite the

blistering heat to distribute flyers to anyone they met. “For  the sake of Penghu,

please remember to cast your “no” vote tomorrow!”  they urged. This event was

the last of a series of planned activities aimed at raising public  awareness in the

>final days leading up to the referendum.

Penghu Anti-Gambling Alliance Convener Lin Chang-hsing, who is  also a retired

teacher, played a major role in opposing casinos. He and his wife  worked hard to

start this alliance once they discovered legislation allowing  casinos passed in

February of this year and sought to unify everyone in Penghu and  Taiwan who

opposed casinos to empower the “no” camp.

With support from local bed & breakfast businesses, other  anti-gambling

alliances, Presbyterian churches, DPP members, and other  university

professors, the alliance strived to raise awareness on  anti-gambling throughout

Penghu and Taiwan and their efforts stimulated passionate  discussions among

>the public.

Leaving no stones unturned, the alliance also visited Penghu  residents living in

rural areas, knocked on their doors, and informed them why they  must come out

to vote against building casinos. At first, many elderly citizens  weren’t even

aware of the referendum, but after some discussion, they resolved  to vote

against it for the sake of preserving Penghu’s tranquility  for their descendants.

Many among them were illiterate and needed assistance remembering  where to

place a check mark. Alliance members brought samples of real  ballots to show

>senior residents how to vote properly.

Alliance members also organized several rallies targeting  different age groups.

The first few rallies targeted mothers and seniors as the main  audience, while

rallies scheduled later on focused on reaching out to youth or  high school

students. To attract the attention of youth, alliance members used  bright posters,

text messaging, blogs, and social networking sites such as Plurk.  They also

collaborated with several media outlets to make a few television  specials.

Within churches, Penghu pastors from Presbyterian and Baptist  denominations

were active participants in the anti-gambling camp. They prayed  for the

referendum and campaign efforts during weekly church prayer  meetings, taught

why churches must oppose casinos in their sermons, posted  explanations in the

church’s weekly bulletin, and went out of their way to ensure  that members,

regardless of political affiliation, knew the Bible didn’t  approve of gambling.

Penghu Presbyterian churches were also supported by their  presbytery when the

latter urged its member churches to pray for the referendum during  Friday prayer

services and family gatherings. One Shou-Shan Presbytery pastor  went as far as

emailing his colleagues and church members urging them to write to  President

Ma Ying-jeou to voice their opposition. Many Christians were also  encouraged to

call their friends and families in Penghu to advise them to vote  against the

>referendum.

All of these efforts paid off and were evident on the day before  the referendum as

the alliance staged its last rally. In the end, casino opponents  were rewarded for

their efforts when ballots were counted and their side won by a  considerable

>margin.

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