Big changes in Christianity in Communist China

[Nick the Pilot]

Here is a fascinating look at big changes, both good and bad, in Christianity in Communist China.

The article is rather long, and makes several key points, so I have not pasted small chunks of it here.

In China, a church-state showdown of biblical proportions

 

[wil]

I am scared...

These churches....are they fire and brimstone?

Are they short earthers?

Literalists?

Who is the impetus behind this? Which missionairies, which denominations are growing the fastest, represented the most?

Is this an American export?

I'm scared.

 

[wil]

Mo (religion))

Looks like primarily catholics and baptists...15% each... rest of the denominations single digit influence (of all of Christians)

And Christianity between 2-7% depending on the charts you find...10% in Hong Kong...

It is expected that China will have more Christian followers than any other nation by 2030

 

[Thomas]

These churches....are they fire and brimstone?

According to the article, 'American Evangelical Protestant Christian', so you tell me.

Are they short earthers?
Literalists?
Who is the impetus behind this? Which missionairies, which denominations are growing the fastest, represented the most?

Wil, have you read the article?

Is this an American export?

Doh!

If scared is your thing, how about this:
These evangelical Christian missions are basically a Christian gloss on right-wing American ideology. Rapture theology, for example, has done a huge amount of damage in some parts of Africa, where missionaries preach there's no point in trying to improve one's lot because the end is coming ... just take the hand-outs from Uncle Sam and wait for the skies to open ...

So I would guess outfits like 'International Ministries' are probably discreetly and unknowingly funded by the US right who, faced with the emergence of China as a global player likely to eclipse the US in the near future, will employ any means to destabilise the situation.

So I don't know what scares you more, that or the fact that this time, you can't blame the Catholics!

But seriously, I doubt the Chinese are unaware of what's going on, and the fact that Christians will outnumber Communists in 15 years ... don't see the current regime 'going away' quietly, so I suppose there will be the inevitable crackdown, and then all the Chinese nationals who will suffer as a result will count as just more 'collateral damage' in the US game of global politics.

 

[Nick the Pilot]

Wil,

I have spoken with some of my Christian students trying to find out which denomination their churches are, but they have no idea of the concept of 'denomination'. They are completely unaware that there are different types of Christianity, such as Catholic, Protestant, Methodist, etc. Also, I have not been to any of their church services, so I don't have a first-hand view of which denomination these churches probably are.

By the way, I have also spoken with my Buddhist students, and they too have no idea of the different types of Buddhism.

Religion in China is a very difficult topic for Chinese people to talk about. As the article says, the Communist government has been very successful in destroying most forms of organized religion in China, and the few that remain have become heavily controlled and indoctrinated by the Communist government. The whole idea in this article is that these Christian churches are trying to strike out on their own, be free and open, not be heavily controlled and indoctrinated by the government, and it is becoming increasingly clear that the Communist government will not allow this.

Another point made in the article is that Christians are becoming the largest 'people-group' in China, and this clearly has the Communist government worried.

 

[Hermes]

But it seems like they are flourishing undisturbed...Nick, yes? The church that is sanctioned by the committee-that-oversees-religion(whatever their official name is) can be open and practice. At least this is my understanding. Am I wrong?

 

[Nick the Pilot]

Hermes,

I would not say undisturbed. The government is tearing down the churches' crosses. And, according to the article, the government is now going into the seminaries in China and telling the seminaries what to teach. I wouldn't be surprised if the day came when sermons had to be submitted to censors beforehand, just like how all news is censored today.

 

[wil]

Wonder how 'the word' is spreading...

 

[Nick the Pilot]

It's spreading quickly. Way too quickly, as far as the government is concerned.

China has the fastest growing Christian population in the world, and soon will be the country with the largest Christian population. The number of Christians in the country will soon surpass the number of members of the Chinese Communist Party.

 

[Thomas]

I think a telling point is this:

For decades, Christianity here was considered something for older female peasants. But the demographics of religion are changing dramatically. China’s new faithful are younger, more educated, more urban, and more affluent.

That's the key, I think, that points to a certain ideology.

Catholicism in China currently faces its worst crisis in decades, after Thaddeus Ma Daqin, who had been in line to take over as Shanghai's next bishop, has been placed under house arrest for speaking out against The Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, an arm of the Religious Affairs Bureau set up to exercise state supervision over mainland China's Catholics.