Dan Bloom's Great Letter, Atheism, and Taiwan

Except at Internet Infidels I am not what one would call a public atheist, so I do not plan to write about my religious beliefs in here very often. But I would like to comment about one of Taiwan's best features: its religious tolerance.

One of the really great things in life is finding out someone you have always liked is a fellow atheist. And so it was with Dan Bloom's excellent letter to the Taipei Times today. Referring to the nasty comments made by a local foreign priest, Bloom observes:

The Dutch clergyman and longtime Taiwan resident was invited to go to Rome with President Chen Shui-bian (陳水扁) to attend the Pope's funeral, and what does he do upon returning to these shores? After Chen lauds Father van Aert in public at a press conference as an "unknown hero who promotes the power of reconciliation and faith in peace," the clergyman a few days later tells a reporter, explaining his religious faith: "I pity people who do not know [Jesus]. They have little comfort in their sufferings."

So van Aert presumably "pities" Chen and most of the people in Taiwan -- about 90 percent of the 23 million people who live here who are Buddhists or Taoists -- because they do not know Jesus? And this comes from the mouth of a "hero who promotes the power of reconciliation and faith in peace?"

The incredible arrogance of the Christian faith was definitely on display with that one. Cardinal Ratzinger didn't help things one bit, with his announcement upon taking the Papal throne that he was going to unify all Christians. Just like Beijing wants to unify all Chinese, and for the same implacable, authoritarian reasons: the inability to stand even one place that might lie outside the Power and Control of the Authority. Everyone knows what Ratzinger means by "unify" -- he means place all Christians under the thumb of Rome. Now that corporate revenues falling and millions switching to exciting new brands like Evangelical Christianity, or even giving up the product all together, Rome is proposing a merger.....

Those of you wondering what kind of man Ratzinger is might enjoy this insight into the man's character from the well-known ANE scholar Greg Doudna. Ratzinger is not a conservative but a raving reactionary who argued in 1992 that the civil rights of homosexuals could be legitimately curtailed. He had predicted earlier that Buddhism would replace Marxism as the main enemy of Christianity. Earth to Ratzinger: Buddhism is not the enemy of anything, except hateful centralized authority beliefs. Buddhists have no trouble living with Christianity. It is Christianity that cannot abide other beliefs.

One thing about atheists: there are quite a lot of us here in Taiwan. Taiwan is a place where there is a high level of tolerance for religion, and people take a very practical attitude toward its benefits. Hence many have nothing to do with it, and nobody, believer or skeptic, seems to mind what anyone else thinks. The only missionaries I have met here have been Mormons and JWs. For an atheist used to the West, where people actually take seriously the ideas like angelic intervention, the Virgin Birth and the Trinity, and where the culture is absolutely saturated with Christianity, life in easygoing Taiwan will be a welcome relief.

Many times I have heard my fellow foreigner atheists express their joy at living in a place where religion is a private affair and not a public club to force others to align with oneself. Someday I hope that the US returns to the level of tolerance and sanity on religious issues displayed by the islanders here.