Religious groups of various faiths yesterday voiced their strong opposition to legislation allowing for same-sex marriage and family diversity, saying that same-sex marriage might lead to the eventual destruction of human society.
“Legalizing same-sex marriage is a reverse tide in the international movement for sexual liberation, it is not progressive, rather, it is a downward step that will lead to the collapse of civilizations,” Unification Church Taiwan vice president Paul Chang (張全鋒) told a press conference hosted by the Alliance of Religious Groups for the Love of Families Taiwan at the Legislative Yuan.
“Legalizing same-sex marriage is legalizing adultery, incest and group sex,” he said.
Photo: Fang Pin-chao, Taipei Times
He said the gay rights movement seeks to create more homosexuals through group sex.
“We must understand how dangerous it is, because once such legislation is passed, our children will be taught at school that it is OK to be gay, which will lead to very serious consequences for our society,” he said.
Whether looking for an Eastern or Western perspective, marriage should for a union between a man and a woman, Chang said.
“From our traditional perspective, it is in line with the heavenly way for a man and a woman to get married,” Chang said. “From the Christian perspective, God has created men and women, and blessed their union.”
Chang also spoke against allowing gay couples to adopt children, saying that children raised in same-sex families are more likely to become criminals or victims of sexual violence.
Chen Chih-hung (陳志宏), a Taiwan Lutheran Church bishop, said that marriage between a man and woman is the best system, and that legalizing same-sex marriage would encourage more people to become homosexuals, which would destroy the marriage system.
“If, one day, after the bill to legalize same-sex marriage is passed, if your child or grandchild tells you that he or she is homosexual, and thus your family lineage would stop right there, can you accept it?” Chen asked.
He also said that Taiwan already has a large number of people with AIDS.
“Would you like to see more people being infected with AIDS due to same-sex marriage? Would you like to see the birthrate continues to decline due to same-sex marriage?” he said.
Buddhist master Shih Ching-yao (釋淨耀) said the religious leaders were speaking out because they “feel it is our responsibility to stand up for family values and the stability of our society.”
“The family is the basis of social stability. How will we able to maintain social stability if people of the same sex could form a family?” Shih said.
He said it is also the duty of a family to produce children.
“People should not sacrifice this important moral value just because they want to enjoy sex,” he said.
“Many Western countries have legalized same-sex marriage, but no Asian country has done so,” Shih said. “I hope that Taiwan will learn from countries upholding the right values, not from those who follow bad values.”
The Central Weather Administration (CWA) today issued a "tsunami watch" alert after a magnitude 8.7 earthquake struck off the Kamchatka Peninsula in northeastern Russia earlier in the morning. The quake struck off the east coast of the Kamchatka Peninsula at 7:25am (Taiwan time) at a depth of about 19km, the CWA said, citing figures from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The CWA's Seismological Center said preliminary assessments indicate that a tsunami could reach Taiwan's coastal areas by 1:18pm today. The CWA urged residents along the coast to stay alert and take necessary precautions as waves as high as 1m could hit the southeastern
FINAL COUNTDOWN: About 50,000 attended a pro-recall rally yesterday, while the KMT and the TPP plan to rally against the recall votes today Democracy activists, together with arts and education representatives, yesterday organized a motorcade, while thousands gathered on Ketagalan Boulevard in Taipei in the evening in support of tomorrow’s recall votes. Recall votes for 24 Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) lawmakers and suspended Hsinchu City mayor Ann Kao (高虹安) are to be held tomorrow, while recall votes for seven other KMT lawmakers are scheduled for Aug. 23. The afternoon motorcade was led by the Spring Breeze Culture and Arts Foundation, the Tyzen Hsiao Foundation and the Friends of Lee Teng-hui Association, and was joined by delegates from the Taiwan Statebuilding Party and the Taiwan Solidarity
Instead of threatening tariffs on Taiwan-made chips, the US should try to reinforce cooperation with Taiwan on semiconductor development to take on challenges from the People’s Republic of China (PRC), a Taiwanese think tank said. The administration of US President Donald Trump has threatened to impose across-the-board import duties of 32 percent on Taiwan-made goods and levy a separate tariff on semiconductors, which Taiwan is hoping to avoid. The Research Institute for Democracy, Society, and Emerging Technology (DSET), a National Science and Technology Council think tank, said that US efforts should focus on containing China’s semiconductor rise rather than impairing Taiwan. “Without
The National Museum of Taiwan Literature is next month to hold an exhibition in Osaka, Japan, showcasing the rich and unique history of Taiwanese folklore and literature. The exhibition, which is to run from Aug. 10 to Aug. 20 at the city’s Central Public Hall, is part of the “We Taiwan” at Expo 2025 series, highlighting Taiwan’s cultural ties with the international community, National Museum of Taiwan Literature director Chen Ying-fang (陳瑩芳) said. Folklore and literature, among Taiwan’s richest cultural heritages, naturally deserve a central place in the global dialogue, Chen said. Taiwan’s folklore would be immediately apparent at the entrance of the