Within a generation, a certain Communist country will have more Christians than any other country. I\u2019ll tell you what that says about them, and us, next.<\/p>\n
At the time of Chairman Mao Zedong\u2019s death in 1976, Christianity in China seemed on the verge of extinction.<\/p>\n
Less than four decades later though, not only has Christianity in China not disappeared, but by some estimates there\u2019ll be more Christians in China come the year 2030 than in any other country in the world.<\/p>\n
Purdue sociologist Fenggang Yang, author of the book, \u201cReligion in China: Survival and Revival under Communist Rule,\u201d told Britain\u2019s Telegraph newspaper that \u201cChina is destined to become the largest Christian country in the world very soon.\u201d<\/p>\n
How soon? Yang said that \u201cit is going to be less than a generation,\u201d and added that \u201cnot many people are prepared for this dramatic change.\u201d<\/p>\n
According to his estimates, by 2030 there\u2019ll be 247 million Christians in China. While that will represent less than one-fifth of the population, it may \u2014 depending on how you count who is a Christian and who is not \u2014 be the largest Christian population in absolute terms in the world.<\/p>\n
And remember, China is officially an atheist state that routinely harasses and persecutes Christians who get out of line.<\/p>\n
This harassment is by and large an acknowledgment by the Communist government of Christianity\u2019s ability to shape a culture. William Jeynes of California State University at Long Beach has written about how, on the one hand, Chinese officials are warily open to Christianity, because they see the link between Christianity and the West\u2019s economic success.<\/p>\n
But on the other hand, they also see a link between Christianity and Western freedoms, which is why they try to control the practice of Christianity.<\/p>\n
While Chinese officials and scholars see these links, the West is increasingly blind to them. At the same time that the Telegraph was telling readers about the rise of Christianity in China, it was also reporting on the controversy over British Prime Minister David Cameron\u2019s calling Britain a \u201cChristian country\u201d during remarks at the Easter Sunday reception at 10 Downing Street.<\/p>\n
As soon as the remark was made, Cameron was accused of \u201cfostering divisions in the UK.\u201d Fifty \u201cprominent public figures including novelist, diplomats, Nobel prize winners and playwrights\u201d signed a letter to the Telegraph in which they said that \u201cRepeated surveys, polls, and studies show most of us as individuals are not Christian in our beliefs or our religious identities.\u201d<\/p>\n
They wrote that \u201calthough it is right to recognise the contribution made by many Christians to social action, it is wrong to try to exceptionalize their contribution when it is equaled by British people of different beliefs.\u201d<\/p>\n
Well, to put it mildly, that is a comically absurd reading of British history. Still, it reflects the opinion of many, if not most, opinion-makers in Britain and Europe. And if church attendance is any guide, it also reflects the beliefs of most Europeans.<\/p>\n
That leaves me wondering: is the United States closer to Britain or to China?<\/p>\n
How ironic is it that in this country, more and more, the faith of our Fathers is seen as the enemy of human freedom. Yet the Chinese communist leaders understand Christianity for what it is: a culture-shaping source of human freedom. And not only freedom. The West\u2019s superiority in economics, education, charity, and even technology and science, can all be traced to Christianity and the Christian worldview.<\/p>\n
________<\/p>\n
Copyright (c) 2014 Prison Fellowship Ministries. Reprinted with permission. “BreakPoint” is a radio ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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