Sky is the Limit for Christianity in China

Hardly a week goes by anymore that the exponetial growth of Christianity in China doesn't seep into the news somehow. 

In 1949 when Chairman Mao took over and soon chased out or put to death the leaders and clergy of the church it seemed like the end of an era.  Maybe the end of time for Chinese Christians.  Yet today, millions and millions of new Chinese are embracing the Christian faith like never before, says the World Council of Churches (WCC). 

Three days ago Christian Today  reported that Mathews George Chunakara, Director of WCC's International Affairs and Public Witness, said there had been a "unique and explosive growth" of Christianity among the Chinese people.

"I have been visiting China for the last 15 years. I am astounded to see the tremendous growth there. Their worship places are now overflowing," Chunakara told Christian Today.

"It is not just the poor you see in churches, even the rich and educated are embracing Christianity. Beijing and Shanghai are the proof,” he added.

The ecumenical leader compared freedom of religion in the country now to a decade ago, when the church kept a tight grip on the goings on in churches. He said the situation had "much improved" and that the government was now starting to "favour" religious people.

"The Chinese government will not raid unless provoked. Now being the fastest growing economy, they know the importance of a harmonious society. To promote such a society, they are giving religion a special role," says Chunakara.

 For instance, the Communist Government amended the Constitution two years ago to accommodate the role of religion.

 "You could not expect such a thing to happen 15 years ago," Chunakara said.

When you read about the explosive growth of Christianity in China, do you ever wonder... why?  What is it about the Christian faith that is so attractive to Chinese?  What do so many Chinese "see" in Jesus that they don't see in Budhism, or Shintoism, or Hinduism? 

The answers may be a no-brainers for Christians, but it's still a cultural phenonmenon that one can't help but sit up and take notice, no matter what your religious views or background.

The People of Medicine Lake

Toast and I decided last night to walk around Medicine Lake. To see if we could do it. Around the whole lake—all 7.8 miles of it. I’ve never walked around a whole lake before, at least one that is of any decent size. We made it just fine in about two hours with just a short stop for Toast to take a swimming break (her favorite thing!). My hips are sore this morning and I’m a little tired, but otherwise, feeling great. Toast is conked out on the floor—sleeping.

Tons of people were out last night… walking, riding bikes, sitting by the lake talking, walking their dogs, kids swimming at the beaches.

I feel funny meeting people on the walking path, pretending we don’t notice each other as we pass within 24 inches of each other. So I usually greet people. Most people try not to make eye contact as we approach each other, I notice. But when I greet them they almost always seem happy to greet me back. (Why wouldn’t they? We’re all come from the same species after all.)

It probably helps to have a dog walking with me. “You can trust people with dogs.” (That’s what one woman told me recently.) Especially if they’re holding a filled poop bag (which I did for about 1.5 miles until I could find a garbage). I mean, who walks around with a filled poop bag except only the very conscientious, responsible type? So, what’s not to trust?

I passed a herd of women. Walking—or getting in shape—for a breast cancer walk. They had official-looking tags around their necks. Two groups of them—probably 6 in the first group and 3 in the second. The second group was especially friendly (maybe because they were less “driven,” since they were the slower group). They got all cutesy about Toast and smiled a lot.

Women are especially enamored with Toast, I’ve noticed. They’ll smile and say things like “pretty dog.” Or, “what a beautiful dog.” Sometimes a guy will say something similar, but it’s rare, and it’s always an older guy who’s usually walking a dog himself.

There were not as many guys walking and biking as women. And they were usually with a gal, biking or running. Guys usually are riding a bike rather than walking. They seem more intense—riding for a workout. Whereas most of the women seem to be walking… usually with another gal, and fully engaged in conversation. One guy who was stopped on his bike, looking at the map of the lake, obliged me and took the shot of me and Toast on my cell phone.

One big German Shepherd was especially jealous of Toast when she got to go swimming. The Shepherd wanted to go too, but was constrained to just sit and watch as Toast jumped in and played fetch with a stick from the shore.

We passed one group of women who were sitting at the park at a picnic table planning out their next Bible study, or book study. I overheard them debating whether they should begin with a prayer or not and trying to figure out how “spiritual” to make it.

I think you could easily walk around the same lake, meet the same people, and conclude that “people are just not very friendly.” Maybe they aren’t, really. But maybe they are. Maybe it just depends on your own demeanor and perspective. I find that most strangers on the walking path are happy to greet others, and are usually very friendly, but they usually don’t initiate it. But since I like to greet people… I’ve found that people around Medicine Lake are usually a pretty friendly bunch. (Toast agrees.)

Burn a Quaran Day?

A group of Christians in Florida needs the corrective insight of other Christians. Immediately. Maybe you can help.

Dove World Outreach Center, a non-denominational church in Gainesville, Fla., currently plans an "International Burn A Quran Day" on September 11. Senior Pastor Dr. Terry Jones explained, "We only did it because we felt there needed to be an outcry against Islam, because Islam is presenting itself as a religion of peace."

I’m left scratching my head thinking, “How is this a biblical action rooted in Christian love?”
This action doesn’t exactly square with my reading of the First Letter of the Apostle Peter, (2:12) "Live such good lives among the pagans that, though they accuse you of doing wrong, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day he visits us." Or when he says a few verses later in 2:17: "Show proper respect to everyone.”

Fortunately the President of the National Association of Evangelicals, Leith Anderson, has responded quickly. He said the book burning would "exacerbate tensions" between the religions. In a statement the NAE said, "It sounds like the proposed Quran burning is rooted in revenge. Yet the Bible says that Christians should 'make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else' (I Thessalonians 5:15)."

Muslims worldwide would be “profoundly” offended by the burning of Qurans, just as Christians would be deeply insulted if another faith group burned Bibles, the NAE stressed.

Orlando-based Pastor Joel Hunter of Northland, A Church Distributed, who is a member of the NAE Board of Directors, commented, “We have to recognize that fighting fire with fire only builds a bigger fire.”

“Love is the water that will eventually quench the destruction,” he said.

I have my own issues with Islam but the way to lead Muslims to the truth is not through vengeful acts, making incendiary pronouncements, or encouraging emotions of fear, distrust and violence on the part of fellow Christians. It’s through love and respect. At least, that was Jesus’ way. Since I’m a follower of Jesus, it’s my way too. By default.

If you’re a follower of Jesus, it’s your way too.

Our brothers and sisters at Dove—well-intentioned, I’m sure, but misguided nevertheless—need to hear from other Christians. Before they do something stupid, of which, all of us who follow Jesus, will bear the shame and grief. And it’s not like we (Christians) have a huge supply of goodwill in the eyes of the world in the first place.

More info at: The Christian Post. Send an email to Dove at: http://www.doveworld.org/contact. Make your voice heard.

Interview With A Vampire--Anne Rice

Well, another one bites the dust… a Christian, that is, who has “had enough” of the church, and organized religion. "The church is just too different from Jesus." That’s their experience, personally, and it’s tough to reconcile that with the Jesus they read about in the Gospels, and with the Jesus they experience personally in prayer.

Anne Rice, author of “Interview with a Vampire,” is the most recent example. In her own words she writes on her blog in the last two days:

For those who care, and I understand if you don't: Today I quit being a Christian. I'm out. I remain committed to Christ as always but not to being "Christian" or to being part of Christianity. It's simply impossible for me to "belong" to this quarrelsome, hostile, disputatious, and deservedly infamous group. For ten years, I’ve tried. I’ve failed. I’m an outsider. My conscience will allow nothing else.  

As I said … I quit being a Christian. I'm out. In the name of Christ, I refuse to be anti-gay. I refuse to be anti-feminist. I refuse to be anti-artificial birth control. I refuse to be anti-Democrat. I refuse to be anti-secular humanism. I refuse to be anti-science. I refuse to be anti-life. In the name of Christ, I quit Christianity and being Christian. Amen.

My faith in Christ is central to my life. My conversion from a pessimistic atheist lost in a world I didn't understand, to an optimistic believer in a universe created and sustained by a loving God is crucial to me. But following Christ does not mean following His followers. Christ is infinitely more important than Christianity and always will be, not matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become.hristianity and always will be, no matter what Christianity is, has been, or might become.
Anne is not the first person to “leave the church.” She won’t be the last. But she’s part of a growing wave of folks whose numbers are increasing at an alarming rate. I understand—even sympathize with—her experience. I’m praying and thinking... intensely … what’s the answer?...

The Reason for God, part 4

Just finished reading Tim Kellor’s book, The Reason for God.

What’s really unique about Christianity? Is Christianity just another religion? Is one just as good or helpful as another? If we were born into another culture, wouldn’t we have been brought up in a different religion, and felt faithful to that?

Kellor believes there is a tremendous difference between Christianity, and other “religions.” He writes:

There is a profound and fundamental difference between the way that other religions tell us to seek salvation and the way described in the gospel of Jesus. All other major faiths have founders who are teachers that show the way to salvation. Only Jesus claimed to actually BE the way of salvation himself. The difference is so great that, even though Christianity can certainly be called a religion in the broader sense… we will use the term “religion” … to refer to “salvation through moral effort” and “gospel” to refer to “salvation through grace.”

Religion operates on the principle “I obey—therefore I am accepted by God.” But the operating principle of the gospel is “I am accepted by God through what Christ has done—therefore I obey.”

In Christ I could know I was accepted by grace not only despite my flaws, but because I was willing to admit them. The Christian gospel is that I am so flawed that Jesus had to die for me, yet I am so loved and valued that Jesus was glad to die for me. This leads to deep humility and deep confidence at the same time. It undermines both swaggering and sniveling. I cannot feel superior to anyone, and yet I have nothing to prove to anyone. I do not think more of myself or less of myself. Instead, I think of myself less. I don’t need to notice myself—how I’m doing, how I’m being regarded—so often.

This means that I cannot despise those who do not believe as I do. Since I am not saved by my correct doctrine or practice, then this person before me, even with his or her wrong beliefs, might be morally superior to me in many ways. It also means I do not have to be intimidated by anyone. I am not so insecure that I fear the power of success or talent of people who are different from me. The gospel makes it possible for a person to escape oversensitivity, defensiveness, and the need to criticize others. The Christian’s identity is not based on the need to be perceived as a good person, but on God’s valuing of you in Christ.

What's your take on religion? Worthwhile? Or waste of time?

The Reason for God, part 3

Just finished reading Tim Kellor’s book, The Reason for God.

Many who are leaving the church have found that they cannot tolerate an institutional culture which comes off as "judgmental, exclusive, homophobic, too political and hypocritical" (Kinnaman, 2007).

Unfortunately, the church has not reflected well the teachings of its Lord, Jesus Christ, in this regard. In fact, Jesus taught and lived (and died) a life that reflected just the opposite. Kellor writes:

One of the paradoxes of history is the relationship between the beliefs and the practices of the early Christians as compared to those of the culture around them

The Greco-Roman world’s religious views were open and seemingly tolerant—everyone had his or her own God. The practices of the culture were quite brutal, however. The Greco-Roman world was highly stratified economically, with a huge distance between the rich and poor. By contract, Christians insisted that there was only one true God, the dying Savior Jesus Christ. Their lives and practices were, however, remarkably welcoming to those that the culture marginalized. The early Christians mixed people from different races and classes in ways that seemed scandalous to those around them. The Greco-Roman world tended to despise the poor, but Christians gave generously not only to their own poor but to those of other faiths.

Why would such an exclusive belief system lead to behavior that was so open to others? It was because Christians had within their belief system the strongest possible resources for practicing sacrificial service, generosity, and peace-making. At the very heart of their view of reality was a man who died for his enemies, praying for their forgiveness. Reflection on this could only lead to a radically different way of dealing with those who were different from them. It meant they could not act in violence and oppression toward their opponents.

If this sounds refreshing to you… welcome to the Christian faith, and to the Jesus who established this New Life and turned upside down the established norms of human culture.

If this sounds foreign to you, or even objectionable… let’s go back and read the Gospels again and discover the roots our church.

Tell us what you think...

The Reason for God, part 2

Just finished reading Tim Kellor’s book, The Reason for God.

Question: Does the evidence point to a gradual dying out of religion in the West, or it on the rise? Not sure? Seeing signs of both? Kellor writes:

Is skepticism or faith on the ascendancy in the world today? The answer is Yes… Skepticism, fear, and anger toward traditional religion are growing in power and influence. But at the same time, robust, orthodox belief in the traditional faiths is growing as well….

In short, the world is polarizing over religion. It is getting both more religious and less religious at the same time. There was once a confident belief that secular European countries were the harbingers for the rest of the world. Religion, it was thought, would thin out from its more robust, supernaturalist forms or die out altogether. But the theory that technological advancement brings inevitable secularization is now being scrapped or radically rethought….

People are opting instead for a nonreligious life, for a non-institutional, personally constructed spirituality, or for orthodox, high-commitment religious groups that expect members to have a conversion experience.

For those of us in the Church, this has one of two effects: it’s a terribly frightening prospect that threatens our current church-culture.

On the other hand, it’s a terribly liberating prospect that paves a clear way for us to adapt the Christian faith to a new emerging culture that has different needs, different values, different perspectives on the world and new forms of mistrust of institutions, technology, government and “religion.” In other words, it gives the church (if she takes advantage of it) a way “in” to speak the language of this new culture. And learning to speak the language of the culture is always the first and most important task of any missionary that is newly arrived in a foreign culture.

What's your take?

The Reason for God, part 1

Just finished reading Tim Kellor’s book, The Reason for God.

Very well written. Provocative. Well-reasoned. Challenging. Convincing. Inclusive. Thorough.

Kellor asks and addresses such common questions as,

• “Why does God allow suffering in the world?”
• “How could a loving God send people to Hell?”
• “Why isn’t Christianity more inclusive?”
• “Hasn’t science disproved Christianity?”
• “Why have so many wars been fought in the name of God?”
• “Can you really take the Bible literally?”

Pastor Tim Kellor is a friend of skeptics, unbelievers, and doubters, who form the core of his Manhattan congregation, and writes as a best friend would write to his friend… with compassion, respect, reason, and conviction. His primary audience has been New Yorkers for the past 20+ years. A tough crowd to convince, much less to have a reasonable conversation with about God and religion. But his experience imbues his writing and he succeeds in addressing each common objection or question that people have with sensitivity, and with all the nuanced complexity that each issue demands.

I highly recommend it as an engaging primer for non-believers or new believers to understand the why’s, what’s, how’s and therefore’s of the Christian faith. I’m planning to buy several copies and give them away. It's that good.

I also highly recommend it for Christians. It will challenge you to rethink why you believe what you believe and will make you the stronger for it. It will give you much deeper insight into the breathtaking brilliance of your faith that will leave you coming away saying, “wow, what an amazing faith.”

Those of you running an Alpha course... this is a great companion!

Sad Commentary on Islam

Compass Direct News reports that Islamic militants in Somalia tracked down an underground [Christian] church leader and killed him last week. Islamic extremist al Shabaab rebels shot Madobe Abdi to death on March 15. He had escaped a previous attempt to kidnap him on March 2. Abdi's death adds to a growing number of Christians murdered by Islamic militants.

In another incident, alleged members of the government-aligned Islamic Courts Union last month set fire to the house of an underground church member they suspected of having left Islam. After learning that a Bible and Christian pamphlets were inside, the militants stormed the house in Hamarwien district of Mogadishu as a warning to those who dare possess any Christian literature, sources said. The assailants looted the home before setting it afire.

It’s a pretty sad commentary on Islam when its followers have to resort to persecution, violence, threats, and murder to keep fellow Muslims from reading or owning Christian literature, and to keep any non-Muslim influence out of their territory, and to prevent the free flow of other religious thought, speech and ideas from “infecting” Islamic culture.

It reminds me of the tactics of the old Soviet Union where rule by fear and intimidation was the only way to preserve a weak and ineffective system of government. And we all know how that story turned out with the out-of-the-blue smashing of the Berlin Wall and the subsequent quiet implosion of a nation. My take is that if Islam can’t stand up and offer the world something more valuable than fear, intimidation and violence (something we already have enough of anyway) … it’s only a matter of time before the pages of history preserve more of the Islamic faith than the hearts of living human beings.