Editorial: Show some backbone, no more kneeling!

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

      Taiwan Church News

      3051 Edition

      August 16~22, 2010

                                   

       

      Editorial: Show some backbone, no more kneeling!

       

      Translated by Lydia Ma

       

       



      During the latter part of the Qing Dynasty, the imperial 
government sent a bunch of youths to 

      the US for further training. It so happened that whenever there 
were edicts from the emperor, 

      these youths would have to assemble at a nearby dock and 
prostrate themselves to hear and 

      receive the edict.

       



      Self-conscious of the curious glances cast in their direction 
by American onlookers; these 

      students wrote to Qing officials about the awkwardness of their 
situation and explained the 

      inappropriateness of bowing down in such a public place as a 
dock.

       



      An official eventually replied and told these students that 
they didn’t need to prostrate 

      themselves at a dock any longer, but instructed them to 
assemble instead at a nearby 

      Chinese embassy and continue the tradition of “kneeling and 
receiving” royal decrees inside 

      the embassy.

       



      Kneeling is still prevalent in Chinese society today. The 
following story on the topic of kneeling 

      was circulated in the internet a while ago: A young man who’d 
applied for work at a company 

      was unfortunately turned down by the company. Upon receiving 
this news, the young man 

      attempted suicide but was saved in the nick of time 

       



      The same company later sent the young man a notice to inform 
him that he’d been hired after 

      all. Upon receiving this news, the young man’s whole family 
went to the company and knelt 

      before the executive who’d hired the fellow to thank this 
official for showing kindness and mercy.

       



      For human rights advocates and highly educated folks in China 
who disagree with the 

      Communist regime, this is a shameful story. But we have to 
wonder when and how this 

      practice that cowers before tyranny made its way across the 
Taiwan Strait. We shake our 

      heads in disbelief that this practice seems to gain momentum 
especially when human rights 

      collide with abuse of government power.

       



      When Yunlin County Magistrate Su Chih-fen knelt outside the 
Executive Yuan to protest 

      against the government’s attitude vis-a-vis fire and pollution 
spewing out from Formosa 

      Plastics Group’s refinery in Mailiao, which dealt a serious 
blow to farms and fisheries in the 

      area, she secured some financial restitution for her efforts. 
But her actions and the 

      government’s attitude also had an aura of paternalism and 
condescension.

       



      August is sometimes the peak of typhoon season in Taiwan. In 
the past few years, strong 

      winds and rains have taught us to be humble before Mother 
Nature instead of kneeling or 

      depending on government authority or help. 

       



      But August is also replete with examples of heroes who achieved 
great things through grit and 

      backbone, without kneeling or depending on incompetent 
officials. They include Aborigines’ 

      fight against being called “savages”, Hakka militia commander 
Wu Tang-hsing’s resistance 

      against Japanese forces, Chiang Wei-shui’s resistance against 
colonialism, the 823 Kinmen Bombing, etc.

       



      On August 16, 1977, the PCT issued its “Declaration on Human 
Rights”. We know that many 

      pastors who’d helped pen this declaration at the time had also 
prepared themselves for the 

      worst because they’d written their wills soon afterward in case 
they were apprehended and killed.



      An excerpt from this declaration states: “As we face the 
possibility of an invasion by Communist China, we hold firmly to our 
faith and to the principles underlying the United Nations Declaration 
of Human Rights. We insist that the future of Taiwan shall be 
determined by the 17 million people who live there. We appeal to the 
countries concerned - especially to the people and the government of 
the United States of America - and to Christian churches throughout 
the world to take effective steps to support our cause.



      In order to achieve our goal of independence and freedom for 
the people of Taiwan in this critical international situation, we 
urge our government to face reality and to take effective measures 
whereby Taiwan may become a new and independent country.



      We beseech God that Taiwan and all the rest of the world may 
become a place where "Mercy and truth will meet together; 
righteousness and peace will embrace. Truth shall spring out of the 
earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven." (Psalm 85:10, 
11).”





      As we re-read this statement 33 years after it was penned, we 
strongly urge Christians in 

      Taiwan to rise up and be like those warriors who accompanied 
Gideon into battle – they 

      lapped the water with their hands and didn’t kneel down to take 
a drink. We urge Taiwanese 

      Christians to be ready so that we can reclaim truth, justice, 
peace and love for our country together.

       



      Let us follow Jesus’ example when he was tempted in the desert 
to bow and worship Satan. 

      Jesus replied in no uncertain terms, “Away from me, Satan! For 
it is written: ‘Worship the Lord 

      your God, and serve him only.’”

       

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