|
The responsibility of the abbot to a temple is to administer the daily operation of the temple. He plays an important role in building up and carrying out an operational system for the temple for centuries. There are about 1,200 temples registered in Tainan County. It is the most populated temples among the Counties of Tawan. However, it is also the most disputed county in Taiwan. The responsibility of settlement of the disputes falls on the local government. The local government has an authority to consider and decide its own ways to solve these arguments. This causes a conflict among the county people. Some people ask the local government to intervene the disputes. The others request the local government to indulge to protect the freedom of religions. The dilemma is the motivation of this study.
The purpose of the research is to resolve the role of the local government in the election process of an abbot for a temple. The method of bibliography analysis is used to determine the best way to resolve the system of the abbot election. The discussions are emphasized on the election system instead of the personnel characteristics and the technique of the election.
The results of the study suggest that the local government should not intervene the abbot election. A guidance given from the local government is necessary when the regulations of the abbot election are violated. Based on the autonomy of religion, the local government officers should not involve in the election process of an abbot. In this way, the autonomy of religion and the human rights are protected.
|