wfn.org | PCT warns against overemphasis on figures when dealing with economic issues

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

>      Taiwan Church News

>3035 Edition

>April 26~May 2, 2010

PCT warns against overemphasis on figures when dealing with  economic issues

>Reported by Sam Lee

>Written by Lydia Ma

Commenting on the economic cooperation framework agreement (ECFA)  the Ma

administration wants to sign with China and the recent debate  between 
President Ma Ying-

jeou and DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen on this topic, former PCT  General Assembly

Moderator Rev. Leonard Lin said that both parties risk losing  sight of the big 
picture if they

focus solely on dollar signs and economic growth.

Rev. Lin was referring especially to China’s long-standing  goal of annexing 
Taiwan and using

the KMT as its accomplice and ECFA as another instrument to  fulfill its 
agenda. He

underscored that ECFA would create a severe national crisis.

Rev. Lin reiterated PCT’s longstanding concern for the  welfare of Taiwan’s 23 
million citizens

and said Christians should search deep within their hearts for the  reason why 
they’ve been

powerless in the past two years under the Ma administration in the  face of 
rising

unemployment, increasing gap between rich and poor, and influx of  Chinese 
officials, tainted

Chinese products, and Chinese capital into Taiwan.

He emphasized that churches should model Jesus, who walked among  commoners, and

experienced suffering, death, and resurrection. He also  underscored PCT’s 
resolve be with

Taiwanese people as the country faces challenges and suffering.

He added that, in contrast to many churches in Taiwan that are  indifferent to 
the issue of

economic inequality, the universal church has been concerned for a  long time 
about

economic inequalities, widening gap between rich and poor, and  environmental 
degradation

as consequences of economic development. Many churches have even  drafted and 
passed

>declarations on this issue.

For example, when the World Alliance of Reformed Churches (WARC)  adopted the 
Accra

Confession in 2005, it included the following statement: “We  reject any 
theology that claims

that God is only with the rich and that poverty is the fault of  the poor. We 
reject any form of

injustice which destroys right relations—gender, race, class,  disability, or 
caste. We reject

any theology which affirms that human interests dominate  nature.”

According to Cheng Yang-en, Academic Dean at Taiwan Theological  College and

Seminary, who represented PCT at the signing of the Accra  Confession in Ghana, 
every

confession of faith is a reflection of world events during that  particular 
period. It serves as a

guide to Christians and as a statement to the world about a  particular 
church’s position on an

>issue.

When WARC drafted a confession of faith on topics such as poverty,  
environmental

protection, and economy, it stated clearly its position and its  resolve to 
deal with injustices in

these areas. As a participant with the WARC in this confession of  faith, PCT 
will continue

working hard on these issues with other churches in the world,  said Cheng.

Cheng recalled when the Accra Confession was being drafted in  2004, there were 
fierce

debates between churches representing richer countries in the  northern 
hemisphere and

churches representing poorer countries in the southern hemisphere.  This 
phenomenon

merely proves Christians continue to have different views when it  comes to 
economic justice.

But despite these challenges, WARC still passed the Accra  Confession and 
strived toward

economic justice and environmental protection. In the same way,  PCT will 
continue to work

>toward realizing the Accra Confession.

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