|
Church of Scientology Int. announces recognition of Scientology religion by Taiwan Government
Scientology religion welcomed in deeply Buddhist nation
Los Angeles (14.03.2003) - The Church of Scientology International has announced that the government of Taiwan has officially recognized the Scientology religion, just 15 years after the first Scientology Mission opened in the capital city of Taipei.
At the same time, the Ministry of the Interior registered the Church of Scientology as the 25th officially recognized religious body in Taiwan. Scientology, founded by author and humanitarian L. Ron Hubbard, joins Buddhism, Taoism, Christianity and 21 other faiths in Taiwan's pluralistic religious community.
The Taiwan decree follows other recognitions internationally, the most recent in New Zealand, Sweden and South Africa. The Church is already recognized in the United States.
Church of Scientology International President Heber C. Jentzsch said, "As the Church approaches its 50th anniversary, we see a growing momentum of recognitions around the world, a clear indication of a world seeking practical religious solutions in a society in turmoil."
Taiwan Church President Mei-Tsu Lee said, "We are delighted. The Scientology religion has its roots in the great religions of the East such as Buddhism. It feels as if we have come home. It is because the Taiwanese are a deeply spiritual and yet practical people that Scientology has grown so fast in our country."
She added that the Church in Taiwan will also expand its community work that already won it the "Good Citizen, Good Deeds" award from Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian in 1999. The government bestowed the award for the 500 Scientology Volunteer Ministers who aided the rescue of victims of the September 1999 earthquake in Nan Tao. A photo of President Chen Shui-bian presenting the award to Taiwan Church President Mei-Tsu Lee is at www.scientology.net.
Scientology membership is rapidly increasing throughout Asia, with one of the denomination's largest churches located in Tokyo. Buddhist masters who have studied the Scientology religion have praised its founder, L. Ron Hubbard, for his contribution to religious wisdom in the spirit of Buddha.
Scientology came to Taiwan with the forming of the first mission in Taipei in 1988. This was followed by the Scientology Mission of Taichung, incorporated in 1991 as a religious organization by the Taichung County government. Over the next decade, Scientology grew rapidly in Taiwan and there are now nine Scientology Missions throughout the country. Because of the religion's rapid growth, in March 1999 the Church opened an administrative headquarters in Taipei to coordinate the activities of the burgeoning mission network.
In recent months, thousands of Taiwanese have visited a 250-square-meter What Is Scientology? exhibit consisting of more than 50 visual and graphic representations of the religion. The exhibit, which has also traveled to Kaohsiung and Taipei, explains the theology and practice of Scientology and describes its social betterment activities in fields such as education and drug rehabilitation.
Internationally, the Scientology religion has grown from one church in 1954 to more than 3,000 churches, missions and groups in 154 countries. Scientology provides a precise path to spiritual enlightenment that enables people to improve the quality of their lives.
Back to the Table of Contents
Court voids cult leader's conviction
Reverse ruling: Judges decided that although Sung Chi-li claimed he had supernatural powers, his practices were protected by the freedom of religion
by Jimmy Chuang
The Taipei Times (29.01.2003) The Taiwan High Court yesterday overturned the 1997 fraud conviction of cult leader Sung Chi-li, saying there was insufficient evidence that he had deceived the plaintiffs by claiming to have supernatural powers and encouraging his followers to donate money.
The court ruled that his activities were simply religious activities, which are protected by the Constitution.
"There is no evidence to prove that Sung cheated his followers and forced them to donate. In other words, the judges decided that Sung's followers believed in Sung's supernatural powers out of their own free will and that their donations to Sung were simply religious activities. The law does not have the right to interfere with people's beliefs," said Tsai Kuo-tsai, the spokesman for the Taiwan High Court.
Sung's two assistants, Cheng Chen-tung and Lo Cheng-hung were also acquitted in yesterday's ruling.
Judge Lee Chun-di's verdict added that under Article 13 of the Constitution -- which guarantees freedom of religion -- the defendants could not be guilty of the charges.
Asked whether the court also believed that Sung's "divine photos" were true, Tsai said, "We cannot prove whether they were true or false but that was not the point that the judges were considering."
Sung's "divine photos" -- established during his trial to have been produced using basic computer graphics skills -- were alleged by the plaintiffs to have been used by him to win people's trust. They usually depicted colorful rays of light in the sky and a ring of light around his head.
Sung, Cheng and Lo were sued by their followers Chiang Cheng, Chen Chiang Li-hua, Liu Ho-ren, Cheng Ying-hsien, Tsai Te-yang, Huang Mu-lin and Hsu Shu-chuan and were indicted on charges of deception in 1996.
They were alleged to have obtained NT$3 billion in donations from followers by deceiving them with claims that Sung had "supernatural powers" which he was able to use to help people.
At their trial on Oct. 30, 1997, the three defendants were all found guilty. Sung and Cheng were both sentenced to seven years in jail. Lo received a two-year sentence.
Neither the plaintiffs nor the defendants were present at yesterday's appeal hearing.
But Sung said during a TV interview that he was glad to learn that he had finally been found innocent.
"I have already said more than once that I did not ask or force anybody to make any donations. What I did was nothing more than help people who were in need," he said.
As of press time yesterday, none of the seven defendants had said whether they would appeal.
Chief Prosecutor Hsueh Wei-ping of the Taipei District Prosecutors' Office, who indicted Sung, Cheng and Lo seven years ago, said he was surprised.
Taoyuan County Police Department Director Hou You-yi, who recently joined the DPP and is one of the officers who investigated the case seven years ago, declined to comment on the verdict yesterday.
Kaohsiung City Mayor Frank Hsieh and his wife Yu Fang-chih have admitted to being sincere followers of his cult for years. Their close relationship with Sung was seriously questioned by political enemies during the mayoral election in 1998.
According to police, Sung insisted during his investigation that he had supernatural powers and could get people to do whatever he commanded.
The police therefore invited him to display his powers in public. But he failed to persuade a standing police officer to sit down despite repeated attempts.
|
