A Taiwan Sunday

I thought I'd write a little about Taiwan in terms of Christianity. In surveys during the last ten years, only 2% of Taiwan's population claim to know Christ as their Savior. Taiwan is a country that is rich in heritage and tradition. I'm certainly no expert, so here's a little info gleaned from Lonely Planet: "Religion on the island . . . is dominated by ancestor worship, Taoism, and Buddhism. The religious views of the Taiwanese are quite eclectic and most think little of combining elements of various religions to suit their needs, not neccessarily adhering to one particular religious path. . . Religion is a fundamental part of Taiwanese society, despite its modern progressive appearance. Though many Taiwanese wouldn't identify themselves with an organized religion, most participate in the age-old folk customs that have dominated Chinese culture for centuries. In most Taiwanese homes is a shrine, meant as a sacred place to burn incense and place offerings for ancestors."

There are many different "places of worship" in Taiwan. I'm going to include some pictures of a few temples, etc. that I've managed to snap photos of so far. The yellow building is Buddhist. I'm not sure about the temples, but I'm assuming they're either Taoist or folk. Taoist temples tend to be very brightly colored with fierce-looking creatures painted on the outer walls and entrance to scare away evil spirits. The fire that you see is actually for burning "ghost money"--paper money meant to keep the ancestors happy in heaven.

Please pray for the people of Taiwan. They are precious in HIS sight, and many are in bondage to fear and ancient lies.

"Seek the Lord while you can find him. Call on him while he is near." Isaiah 55:6