The China Christ Crisis

From The Week, via Asia Times, columnist "Spengler" notes that if current trends in conversion continue, there will be 200 million Christians in China come mid-century--and says that:

Barred from worshipping publicly, Chinese Christians meet in their homes, and the resulting network of the faithful is already creating a “leaven of democracy” that the communist regime can’t control. “These fearless grass-roots evangelists will do more to bring democracy to the world than all the bluster of President George W. Bush.”

The link--scroll down to the headline "China: The Opiate of the masses gathers strength."

Comments

Lead-based Saviour | September 13, 2007, 12:48pm | #

Reading the headline, I thought this thread was about me.

Ken Shultz | September 13, 2007, 12:52pm | #

I once heard a missionary say about Asian converts that it takes about ten minutes to convince them that they need to pray to Jesus, but it takes a lifetime to convince them to stop praying to all the other gods.

...add such cultural differences to the standard caveats regarding any early growth projection (At some point in the 70s, we could have projected that eventually we'd all be working for Amway), and you can color me skeptical.

Porcelain God | September 13, 2007, 12:56pm | #

Bow down before me Lead-based!

J sub D | September 13, 2007, 12:57pm | #

“These fearless grass-roots evangelists will do more to bring democracy to the world than all the bluster of President George W. Bush.”

Yep. They brought down the Roman Empire and democracy sprung up only 1500 years later.
Hey, they were busu burning witches and jews. You've got ot have your priorities straight

J sub D | September 13, 2007, 12:58pm | #

Damn, I should proofread! I know better.

matthew hogan | September 13, 2007, 12:59pm | #

Of course it should be repressed, because atheist libertarians know that religious belief in Jeebus is far more dangerous and irrational than anything on earth, and freedom only counts up 'til religion then it must stop because it is so irrational and psychotic and Imaginary Friendy, as alQaeda proves.

Of course, on the other hand, in China, there is precedent for bloody civil wars being fought by folks who pick up the Christian message with a twist of two.

And despite a jab at the anti-religious militants, both communist and "libertarian", I have to wonder, given the past bad experience, why Christian conversions will be inherently pro-democratic, regardless of their effect on the immortal or imaginary soul, and regardless of the irrational religionphobia of Communists and Randians.

Stevo Darkly | September 13, 2007, 1:00pm | #

Sit, Busu, sit!

Good boy.

Disco Stu | September 13, 2007, 1:01pm | #

...columnist "Spengler" notes that if current trends in conversion continue, there will be 200 million Christians in China come mid-centur.

6 million disco records were sold in 1975, but 35 million were sold in 1977. If this trend continues, Aaaaaay!

ed | September 13, 2007, 1:08pm | #

Matthew,

Uhh.....what?

CFisher | September 13, 2007, 1:14pm | #

Why do I have a feeling that before long the consensus on this thread will be that this is a worse development than if they all bought new copies of the little red book.

Chris S. | September 13, 2007, 1:24pm | #

J sub D,

Pissing in the sink would "do more to bring democracy to the world than all the bluster of President George W. Bush." We're not talking about bringing down the Roman Empire.

J sub D | September 13, 2007, 1:25pm | #

Yep. They brought down the Roman Empire and democracy sprung up only 1500 years later.
Hey, they were busu burning witches and jews. You've got ot have your priorities straight

Perhaps I should have indicated that the post was snark, not to be take seriously. My bad!

Axl Rose | September 13, 2007, 1:34pm | #

What am I? Chopped liver?

sixstring | September 13, 2007, 2:31pm | #

Hair Maly, furr of glace...

Warren | September 13, 2007, 2:35pm | #

Barred from worshipping publicly... They all take in a lite lunch and bible story down at the Inn of the Sixth Happiness.

Brian E | September 13, 2007, 2:45pm | #

Here's the actual article, which wasn't even quoted accurately in The Week. It wasn't that hard to find.

Brian Doherty | September 13, 2007, 2:52pm | #

Lest anyone think THE WEEK mischaracterized the article, the misquoting is merely tightening and paraphrasing the original--they shouldn't have used quotation marks to be sure given the editing and paraphrasing, but THE WEEK's summary of the meaning was indeed accurate.

Mary's Danish | September 13, 2007, 2:53pm | #

What am I? Chopped liver?

No, Axl. You are love.

Rhywun | September 13, 2007, 2:58pm | #

The evangelizing power of American-style Pentecostalism is proving irresistible to millions of Chinese

Oh great. As if the dozen or so tongues spoken in the various regions weren't already enough.

Rattlesnake Jake | September 13, 2007, 3:10pm | #

That's interesting. Some Hal Lindsay types say the 200,000,000 man army of the Anti-Christ mentioned in Revelations refers to China. Now we read that there will be 200,000,000 Christians in China, not 200,000,000 anti-Christians.

Yuri | September 13, 2007, 3:25pm | #

So soon we shall have 200 million supporters of the Chinese Inquisition. One thing Christians are experts in is prosecuting/persecuting heretics. They will combine the experience of the Inquisition with that of Mao and we'd better watch out.

blg | September 13, 2007, 3:38pm | #

sixstring:

BWAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAAHAAAAAAAHAAAA ....

It took a second to get it, but god that's funny.

(k-12 catholic school may be a pre-req for grokking the humor)

J sub D | September 13, 2007, 3:43pm | #

(k-12 catholic school may be a pre-req for grokking the humor)

Nah, catechism every saturday fo 12 years is enough.

blg | September 13, 2007, 3:44pm | #

Jsub,

Ouch!

Jamie Kelly | September 13, 2007, 6:01pm | #

sixstring pwns the thread, and owes me a new set of boxers.

M | September 13, 2007, 6:29pm | #

After three days you're hungry again. (I write as, etc.)

Mad Max | September 13, 2007, 7:45pm | #

Hmmm . . . an article about a potential challenge to the ChiCom dictatorship, yet the libertarians on H&R don't seem to be showing much enthusiasm.

As between Communism and Christianity, it seems that some posters are more opposed to Christianity. But wait, I thought there was nothing inherently anti-religious about Communism! Guess I was wrong.

"Hair Maly, furr of glace..."

Ha, ha, Asians are funny! Their English isn't always very good, as opposed to Americans, whose Cantonese is absolutely impeccable.

sixstring | September 14, 2007, 10:06am | #

Mad Max-

diu-nei lou-mou, you plick.

Stevo Darkly | September 14, 2007, 2:39pm | #

So soon we shall have 200 million supporters of the Chinese Inquisition.

Huh. I didn't expect a Chinese Inquisition.

Mad Max | September 14, 2007, 9:49pm | #

sixstring,

"diu-nei lou-mou, you plick."

A quick Google search shows that that the particular phrase you used traslates into a fairly insulting phrase suggesting an Oedipal relationship between myself and my mother.

I guess you really put me in my place! With that erudite comment, you undermined the logical foundations of my position. Your carefully-reasoned analysis has fully refuted my arguments.

But why did you have to drag my mother into it? I would never insult *your* mother, not after all the wonderful sexual services she has performed for me.

sixstring | September 14, 2007, 11:54pm | #

Sheesh! Took you all day and the best you can come up with is "No. Fuck YOUR mother." Amateur.

Mad Max | September 15, 2007, 8:38am | #

sixstring,

Your mother isn't an amateur, she's a professional. But she gave me a discount because . . . well, modesty forbids.

Stevo Darkly | September 15, 2007, 7:36pm | #

I said...

I didn't expect a kind of Chinese Inquisition!

Cardinal Fang | September 15, 2007, 7:37pm | #

Oh, very well. I'll do it.

No one expects the Chinese Inquisition!!!

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