I previously commented Norman Geisler´s "Questions for Atheists, Agnostics and Non-Christians". Just for fun, I asked Gemini to respond to Geisler´s anti-Taoist polemics. Enjoy!
How would a Taoist respond to these questions from a Christian missionary? [Questions follow]
These questions come straight out of a classic Christian evangelical apologetics framework—specifically designed for proselytizing in Chinese-majority societies by challenging folk religious practices (like burning joss paper) and reframing ancient concepts like Shangdi through a biblical lens.
From a authentic Taoist perspective (drawing on the Tao Te Ching, Zhuangzi, and traditional Taoist philosophy/cosmology), a Taoist priest or practitioner would answer these foundational worldview differences like this:
1. Who sets the standard for goodness? Would it ever be possible for you to reach that standard?
The Taoist Response: No external judge or deity "sets" a moral standard in Taoism. "Goodness" (Shan) is not a checklist of divine commandments, but a state of being in harmony with the Tao (the natural, underlying flow of the universe).
As Laozi writes in Chapter 2 of the Tao Te Ching: "When people see some things as good, other things become bad." Rigid moral standards are man-made constructs. Instead of striving to reach an artificial bar of perfection, Taoism teaches us to return to Ziran (spontaneity/naturalness) and Pu (the uncarved block—our original, uncorrupted nature). You don't "reach" a standard; you simply stop resisting the natural order.
2. What will you be in the next life? Are you confident that you will make it there?
The Taoist Response: Taoism doesn't focus on anxiety over a legalistic "destination" after death. In philosophical Taoism (and concepts like Hun and Po souls), life and death are simply the gathering and dispersing of Qi (vital energy).
Zhuangzi famously celebrated when his wife died, explaining that she merely returned to the giant cycle of seasonal change. "Confidence" about the next life comes from realizing that you are already part of the universe. Whether your Qi recombines into a tree, a bird, another human, or dissolves back into the infinite source, nothing is lost. You cannot be cast out of the Tao, because everything is the Tao.
3. Who can assure you of that final destination and destiny?
The Taoist Response: Nature itself is the assurance. Water does not need a external ruler to assure it that it will eventually reach the ocean; it simply flows downward. The universe does not require a legal contract or a personal savior to guarantee where your energy goes. The natural laws of transformation (Zaohua) handle all creation and dissolution effortlessly.
4. Do you think there is a way to be certain what the heavens want so that we can please them?
The Taoist Response: Chapter 5 of the Tao Te Ching states: "Heaven and Earth are impartial; they treat all things like straw dogs."
Heaven (Tian) in Taoism is not an emotional, human-like monarch sitting on a throne waiting to be "pleased" or offended by human actions. Heaven is the natural law of the cosmos. How do you alignment with Heaven? By observing nature, cultivating stillness, practicing non-contention (Wu Wei), and living without ego. You do not "please" Heaven with flattery; you embody Heaven by living in balance.
5, 6, & 7. Questions about offering food and paper money (Joss Paper) to dead ancestors:
5. Do you think offering food to your dead ancestors once a year will be enough?
The Taoist Response: Here, the Christian question mistakes a ritual of filial piety (Xiao) and remembrance for a literal, commercial transaction.
Philosophical View: Offering food and joss paper during Qingming or the Hungry Ghost Festival is fundamentally an act of gratitude and memory. It grounds the living in respect for those who came before. It is not about "paying off a debt" or "buying time." You do it as long as you wish to honor your roots.
Religious/Folk View: In religious Taoism, ancestor rituals ease the transition of the Po (earthly soul) and comfort spirits in the underworld (Yindu). The rituals stop when the family line ends or when the ancestral spirit has fully transitioned. But the core purpose is always mindfulness for the living—keeping families connected across generation lines.
8. Should there not be a way to keep one’s descendants informed so as not to waste time/money? Otherwise, the paper money is pocketed by someone unrelated!
The Taoist Response: This reflects a Western, literalist view of a symbolic, spiritual medium. Joss paper (Mingbi) is not paper legal tender sitting in an earthly bank account; the fire acts as an alchemical medium converting physical matter into symbolic, spiritual intent (Qi).
Nobody "pockets" burned ash. The "currency" being transferred is the emotional devotion, love, and respect of the living descendant. That spiritual intent cannot be stolen, diverted, or wasted, because the act of offering purifies the heart of the person giving it.
9. Would you like to hear about the One and Only God, Shang Ti, whom even the great Chinese emperors worshipped?
The Taoist Response: A Taoist would likely smile at this clever historical argument, as Christian missionaries (starting with Matteo Ricci) often attempted to merge the ancient Chinese concept of Shangdi (The Highest Emperor/Ruler) with the Biblical God.
A Taoist's response would be: "Shangdi was indeed worshipped by ancient Chinese emperors as the high lord of the heavenly court. But in Taoist cosmology, even Shangdi, the gods, and the heavens themselves are bound by and birthed from something even higher: The Tao."
As Chapter 25 of the Tao Te Ching says:
"Man conforms to the Earth.
Earth conforms to Heaven.
Heaven conforms to the Tao.
And the Tao conforms to its own nature."
In short: A Taoist would respect your belief in a supreme personal God, but would gently remind you that any deity who can be named, conceptualized, or given a personality is a manifestation of reality, not the unnamed, limitless Source of reality itself.
