China will create own Christian belief system amid tensions with church, says official

[Europa]

Worshiping a white man is infinitely worse, because it categorically puts you below another race.

it was late 19th century, india was perceived as a permanent colony of the great (sarcasm) victorian masculine british empire where sun didn't set (again sarcasm). anyway, no gandhi, no notion of nationalism was there in india, the indian feudatory princely states and all the rajas, maharajas*, nawabs, zamindars who had sided with the brits in 1857 mutiny-- these oriental despots had one thing in mind that was to please their british masters in their negotiation to push their petty personal interests ignoring those of their subjects. against this backdrop interestingly, encouraged by european nationalism, the bengal bourgeoisie had to invent nationalism from crap and rabindranath tagore's cousin abanindranath got an idea, he portrayed the image of bharatmata -- personifying the subcontinent as mother-goddess.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Bharat_Mata.jpg

and it worked and had a good feedback. there arose a new religion, nationalism was translated into the chanting of vandemataram (worshiping the mother-goddess) -- projected as somewhat like a sacred hymn.

an odd to china is there, fine, but it cannot go abstract every time, you have to make sure, people can visualize something that they worship. i think time is ripe for chinese to portray their motherland as a goddess. make it and leave it for the next generation to nurture it further... your govt' can ask the best artist of china to portray the image of a traditional chinese attire clad mother-goddess.

it will be the best answer to all.

 

[GDan]

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, but I'm getting the impression that some of you think Catholics worship the pope.

 

[Jlaw]

Who care ? I only believe the SCIENCE, only science can save China & Chinese ppl !

I think Chinese has the GOD in tranditional Chinese culture.

I don't mind Chinese gods because for Chinese, religion is more about spiritualism. As long as it's secular, fine. But you are correct that science is what Chinese should believe in.

 

[Europa]

I don't mind Chinese gods because for Chinese, religion is more about spiritualism. As long as it's secular, fine. But you are correct that science is what Chinese should believe in.

the sense of nationalism, patriotism --- they are not science. application of science is fine but it has to be guided by some parameters and there has to be some objective. science without nationalism and patriotism might end up in creating more chinese college students, (such as the one recently been exposed) who would stab their own mother (china) to earn extra bucks!

Chinese student sells 'intelligence' for $32,000

i don't think he did it by mistake, he had some motivation and you have to counter it, i am afraid, science can't.

 

[Europa]

^^^ the case of that chinese college student who sold secrets to your enemies is very serious matter, its a bad symptom. you have to cure it before it goes out of control.

i am sure if that chinese college student had perceived china as his mother, he would not have done that. students like him must see their country as mother who would raise and protect them

every living thing goes to the mother if in danger, btw.

 

[Jlaw]

the sense of nationalism, patriotism --- they are not science. application of science is fine but it has to be guided by some parameters and there has to be some objective. science without nationalism and patriotism might end up in creating more chinese college students, (such as the one recently been exposed) who would stab their own mother (china) to earn extra bucks!

Chinese student sells 'intelligence' for $32,000

i don't think he did it by mistake, he had some motivation and you have to counter it, i am afraid, science can't.

He did it because he's a greedy traitor. What this has to do with science?

 

[Chinese-Dragon]

China should always remain majority Atheist.

And if someone needs to be religious, we have plenty of native religions. What's the difference really?

 

[LeveragedBuyout]

China will construct a "Chinese Christian theology" suitable for the country, state media reported on Thursday, as both the number of believers and tensions with the authorities are on the rise.

China has between 23 million and 40 million Protestants, accounting for 1.7 to 2.9 per cent of the total population, the state-run China Daily said, citing figures given at a seminar in Shanghai.

About 500,000 people are baptised as Protestants every year, it added.

"Over the past decades, the Protestant churches in China have developed very quickly with the implementation of the country's religious policy," the paper quoted Wang Zuoan, director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, as saying.

"The construction of Chinese Christian theology should adapt to China's national condition and integrate with Chinese culture."

China's ruling Communist Party is officially atheistic and keeps a tight grip on religion for fear it could challenge its grip on power. It requires believers to worship in places approved by the state and under government supervision.

Besides officially sanctioned churches, China also has "underground" or "house" churches which seek to exist outside government control and are occasionally raided and shut down.

In April, authorities in the eastern Chinese city of Wenzhou, known as China's Jerusalem, with more than a million Christians, demolished a church following government claims it was an illegal structure.

Though a registered church, state media reported that the building was far larger than originally approved.

"Over the past years, China's Protestantism has become one of the fastest growing universal churches," Gao Feng, president of the China Christian Council, was quoted as saying in the China Daily report.

It did not include a number for Catholics in China, who must also worship only in officially sanctioned churches which reject the Vatican's authority, though an "underground" church loyal to the Holy See also exists.

Experts estimate that there are as many as 12 million Catholics in China, split roughly evenly between the two churches.

As of the end of last year, China had published 65 million copies of the Bible, the report said, including minority-language editions.

Interesting. Are any examples provided of how the religions are adapted to China? I wonder what the differences are, or what the authorities believe are dangerous aspects of the religion.

 

[Aepsilons]

Interesting. Well, that's their country, their laws.

@Edison Chen and @Chinese-Dragon

I also read an article that a friend of mine, who adheres to Orthodox Judaism, that mentioned some tribes in China that practice a form of Judaism. What was interesting is that there are many of them observing Hok Ha Schvut (The Law of Return), which allows people of the Jewish faith the right to live in Israel.

I think it's wonderful that Chinese who practice Judaism retained the faith of their fathers , and should keep and retain a presence in China.

When my friend Jerry told me this I couldn't believe it at first , but after he showed me the article....then I believed lol.

Adonai is Great! ^^,

 

[Edison Chen]

Interesting. Are any examples provided of how the religions are adapted to China? I wonder what the differences are, or what the authorities believe are dangerous aspects of the religion.

I am not quite familiar with how they work in China. I know there are some underground Christian churchs, the authorities keep an eye close on them. I don't think the the Christains in China are the real ones, they worship the Jesus like Buddhism, they are too humble, or maybe lowly in front of Jesus. This might be influenced by the tradition of Buddhism in China. In the US, I've participated some church activities, the Christians look like normal people.

By the way, I am an atheist.

Interesting. Well, that's their country, their laws.

@Edison Chen and @Chinese-Dragon

I also read an article that a friend of mine, who adheres to Orthodox Judaism, that mentioned some tribes in China that practice a form of Judaism. What was interesting is that there are many of them observing Hok Ha Schvut (The Law of Return), which allows people of the Jewish faith the right to live in Israel.

I think it's wonderful that Chinese who practice Judaism retained the faith of their fathers , and should keep and retain a presence in China.

When my friend Jerry told me this I couldn't believe it at first , but after he showed me the article....then I believed lol.

Adonai is Great! ^^,

There are people believe Judaism in China?

 

[Europa]

By the way, I am an atheist.

i believe atheists are more stronger believers than theists. atheism gives recognition to the presence of theism, lets make it easier to understand, when you say you don't believe in god, well that is also a belief, isn't it? i am neither an atheist, nor a theist, but i am a believer because i have to believe, i mean... lets leave it, its like repeating descartes in a derridian style

 

[terranMarine]

By the way, I am an atheist.

I think most patriotic Chinese members here are atheist. What i like about Buddhism is that the monks don't go try to recruit members. It's definitely the best religion compared to the Western ones. There were no crusades, no witch hunts in the existing history of Buddhism. It's a free religion, believers don't have to be vegetarians and are not forbidden to consume alcohol.

 

[C130]

It's especially important to stamp out and purge catholicism, which requires adherents to worship and submit to a foreign white master living on another continent. If catholicism ever gains a serious foothood in China, the country will resemble the Philippines .

lol, why does skin color have anything to do with catholicism???

 

[KalaGhoda]

We also need to do this,why should Indians worship a foreign white man

Jesus was a Mediterranean Jew.

He probably looked indian by indian standards.

 

[Aepsilons]

lol, why does skin color have anything to do with catholicism???

Correct. I mean, the last I recollected, wasn't Jesus Christ a Hebrew ?

There are people believe Judaism in China?

Yes, I believe they are regarded as Kaifeng Jews. Their ancestors were ancient Sephardic Jews who traversed the silk road from Judea into Cathay (China) hundreds of years ago.

China’s Kaifeng Jews Rediscover Their Heritage - The Daily Beast