A Civil Forum on the Legislation of Taiwan Religious Basic Law as an Echo to the Regional Dialogue of Civil Societies on Religious Freedom in Indo-Pacific Region
Taiwan and the United States will jointly hold a regional dialogue of civil societies on religious freedom on March 11-12, which will be attended by U.S. Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback. The event, which is aimed at promoting religious freedom, human rights and democracy in the Indo-Pacific region, is being organized by the Taipei-based non-profit Taiwan Foundation for Democracy (TFD), commissioned by Ministry of Foreign Affairs. And so far more than ten countries in this region are expected to participate in this dialogue. Given this event we can easily sense the growing awareness toward religious freedom in the international community.
Since 2017 Taiwan religious societies started to concern about the legislation of religious law—a religious awakening that was heralded by some movements such as the one of some Taoist association in Taiwan that launched a demonstration against Taiwan government’s “ban on the burning of incense in temples” and the Buddhist campaign against the Religious Institution Law
Two years later, nowadays, Taiwan is joining the U.S. and other Indo-Pacific countries for promoting religious freedom, human rights and democracy. Now, Taiwan should seize this opportunity to examine the achievements of Taiwan’s transformation from an authoritarian regime to democratization over the past 30 years. And religious freedom is supposed to be the most significant index for evaluating a nation’s democratization. Though Taiwan has been considered as one of the democratic countries that value religious freedom and human rights in the world, this achievement is mainly done by civil societies, not by the government. Therefore, we should re-examine thoroughly how much Taiwan has cleansed the two-thousand-year Chinese feudal and authoritarian tradition that is manifest in the state-sponsored manipulation of religious rites, organizations, and events. The official intervention of religious affairs is in fact caused by our humanistic cultural heritage, which tends to ignore the transcendental/spiritual aspects of religion. As a result, the elite class of the society, when they have the chance to take charge of the religious affairs, tend to impose some secular rules on religious institutions and affairs, while showing great distrust and disrespect for religion. The authorities thus either fail to show much respect for religious institutions or launch an appropriate religious law that could protect and promote religious traditions and institutions.
Nowadays, the world is facing all kinds of disasters and chaotic political situations, for instance the political interference in religions, which poses a great threat to the free spread and prosperity of religions. Therefore, to fight for religious freedom has become a great mission for all humanity around the world. In addition, to make reforms of Taiwan’s improper religious law and policy and to refute the general public’s disrespect and misunderstanding of the peculiarities of religion, we should first struggle for the legislation of a religious basic law that corresponds to the founding principles and ideals of several influential international bills of religious freedom or human rights such as Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Citizen Rights（ICCPR）and our Constitution. Currently, we have submitted it to the lawmakers of the two main political parties in Taiwan to facilitate their preparatory work for drafting a formal religious bill.
Nowadays, Taiwan is an important Buddhist region/territory characterized by the blending and prosperity of Tibetan and Chinese Mahayana Buddhism, we should seize this opportunity when Taiwan is hosting this Indo-Pacific Dialogue on Religious Freedom to re-examine the development of religious freedom in Taiwan.
Given the above-mentioned, under the coordination and sponsor of Taiwan Law Journal, Taiwan Buddhist & Religious Association, Chinese Buddhist Association, Taiwan Buddhist Society, and Chinese Buddhist Bhiksuni’s Society, simultaneously host a civil forum on religious freedom during March 11-12 (9:00-18:00).
Venue: Howard Civil Service International House (福華國際文教會館) 30, Sect. 3, Hsin-Sheng South Road, Taipei.
We cordially invite the press and people from all walks of society to join us.
For more details, please contact Ms. Chen at 0907-508200. Thanks a lot!!
Since 2017 Taiwan religious societies started to concern about the legislation of religious law—a religious awakening that was heralded by some movements such as the one of some Taoist association in Taiwan that launched a demonstration against Taiwan government’s “ban on the burning of incense in temples” and the Buddhist campaign against the Religious Institution Law
Two years later, nowadays, Taiwan is joining the U.S. and other Indo-Pacific countries for promoting religious freedom, human rights and democracy. Now, Taiwan should seize this opportunity to examine the achievements of Taiwan’s transformation from an authoritarian regime to democratization over the past 30 years. And religious freedom is supposed to be the most significant index for evaluating a nation’s democratization. Though Taiwan has been considered as one of the democratic countries that value religious freedom and human rights in the world, this achievement is mainly done by civil societies, not by the government. Therefore, we should re-examine thoroughly how much Taiwan has cleansed the two-thousand-year Chinese feudal and authoritarian tradition that is manifest in the state-sponsored manipulation of religious rites, organizations, and events. The official intervention of religious affairs is in fact caused by our humanistic cultural heritage, which tends to ignore the transcendental/spiritual aspects of religion. As a result, the elite class of the society, when they have the chance to take charge of the religious affairs, tend to impose some secular rules on religious institutions and affairs, while showing great distrust and disrespect for religion. The authorities thus either fail to show much respect for religious institutions or launch an appropriate religious law that could protect and promote religious traditions and institutions.
Nowadays, the world is facing all kinds of disasters and chaotic political situations, for instance the political interference in religions, which poses a great threat to the free spread and prosperity of religions. Therefore, to fight for religious freedom has become a great mission for all humanity around the world. In addition, to make reforms of Taiwan’s improper religious law and policy and to refute the general public’s disrespect and misunderstanding of the peculiarities of religion, we should first struggle for the legislation of a religious basic law that corresponds to the founding principles and ideals of several influential international bills of religious freedom or human rights such as Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on Civil and Citizen Rights（ICCPR）and our Constitution. Currently, we have submitted it to the lawmakers of the two main political parties in Taiwan to facilitate their preparatory work for drafting a formal religious bill.
Nowadays, Taiwan is an important Buddhist region/territory characterized by the blending and prosperity of Tibetan and Chinese Mahayana Buddhism, we should seize this opportunity when Taiwan is hosting this Indo-Pacific Dialogue on Religious Freedom to re-examine the development of religious freedom in Taiwan.
Given the above-mentioned, under the coordination and sponsor of Taiwan Law Journal, Taiwan Buddhist & Religious Association, Chinese Buddhist Association, Taiwan Buddhist Society, and Chinese Buddhist Bhiksuni’s Society, simultaneously host a civil forum on religious freedom during March 11-12 (9:00-18:00).
Venue: Howard Civil Service International House (福華國際文教會館) 30, Sect. 3, Hsin-Sheng South Road, Taipei.
We cordially invite the press and people from all walks of society to join us.
For more details, please contact Ms. Chen at 0907-508200. Thanks a lot!!
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