wfn.org | Editorial: From ECFA to 22 grand – youth should take a stand now!

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

>      Taiwan Church News

>3035 Edition

>April 26~May 2, 2010

Editorial: From ECFA to 22 grand – youth should take a stand  now!

>Translated by Lydia Ma

The war of words was intense during a recent televised debate  between 
President Ma Ying-

jeou and DPP Chairwoman Tsai Ing-wen on a proposed economic  cooperation 
framework

agreement (ECFA) with China. But long before ECFA became an issue,  young 
people in

Taiwan were already struggling from the effects of unequal  allocation of 
Taiwan’s resources.

If ECFA is signed, a few corporations stand to benefit, but the  government has 
already been

catering to their needs even before ECFA, as evidenced in the  Industrial 
Innovation Act where

corporations were given a 3% tax cut that decreased their taxes  from 20% to 
17%. This

legislation passed without a fuss in the legislature because both  pan-blue and 
pan-green

politicians were afraid of losing support and votes from  corporations.

In contrast to these perks enjoyed by major corporations, laborers  and office 
workers can be

taxed as much as 40%. But the most unfortunate people are recent  grads who’ve 
just begun

working. Their average salary nowadays can be as low as 22 grand  (NT$20,000 or 
US$700).

Furthermore, singles also pay higher premiums on their national  health 
insurance.

With a set income that doesn’t keep up with inflation, the  lives of average 
young adults today

are a far cry from that of wealthy politicians’ children who  live in mansions 
and drive luxury

cars. It is no wonder that many youth today feel they’re  being exploited when 
they compare

their lives with the lives of social and political elites.

Faced with unequal distribution of resources, high unemployment  rates, and low 
wages, all

that young adults are seeking is a steady job - and that is why  civil service 
(including working

in the military or working as a teacher in public schools) has  become the 
optimum career

>choice for many.

Similarly, the spiritual formation and development of Christian  youth in 
Taiwan is stifled by the

pressures of performing well in tests and entrance exams from  junior high 
school to graduate

school. When church services and small group meetings conflict  with times and 
dates of these

>exams, the former takes a backseat.

In the same way, when young adults start working, their weekends  are spent 
preparing for

some exam or other just to progress to a better, steadier job. As  result, many 
of them simply

don’t have time for church and young adults who  should’ve been a church’s 
source of strength

are the least involved with church activities and church life.

Young people nowadays feel a great deal of insecurity because they  know they 
could become

unemployed anytime. Adding to this fear are the pressures of  paying back 
student loans,

mortgage, car loans, and starting a family. It is no wonder that  many young 
adults choose not

to have children under such circumstances. Their inspiration and  ambition seem 
to have faded

>away into the distance.

Many Taiwanese firms have relocated to China in recent years,  resulting in 
significant

shrinking and imbalance in the Taiwanese job market. When a young  adult’s 
income falls to

22 grand and he sees his academic degree depreciate, it is perhaps  too much to 
expect him

to think beyond taking care of himself and focus on God’s  kingdom and missions.

It is a good thing for churches to want more youth in their pews  and for PCT 
churches to

continually ask themselves, “Where have all the youth  gone?” Youth make up an 
important part

of a new movement within the PCT known as “New Doubling  Movement” and PCT is 
aware

>youth are the future of the church.

Faced with present national circumstances and all the challenges  before them, 
Taiwanese

youth today face a tough future. So, we urge grown-ups not to look  down on 
youth and call

them “strawberries” who can’t handle pressure.  Youth today are actually “wild 
berries”

sprouting out from crevices where the soil is hard and dry.

But perhaps today’s youth could learn something from a bunch  of PCT youth 
gathered in

Tamsui in July 1949 who began PCT Youth Fellowship (also known as  TKC). 
Circumstances

then were worse but youth back then had a vision and were unafraid  to proclaim 
it. They called

for church unity within PCT and were instrumental in the founding  of PCT 
General Assembly in

>1951.

In light of ECFA, the widening gap between rich and poor, and many  social 
inequalities, will

today’s youth become slaves of corporations and politicians  and allow 
themselves to be

stepped on? Or will they be brave enough to take a stand and lead  this 
generation toward the

>light?

May 2 was designated by the PCT General Assembly as Youth  Ministries Sunday and

churches are encouraged to use this occasion to support PCT youth  ministries 
through

financial donations and prayers. The time has come for youth to  speak up and 
take a stand!

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