Bush Worships in Chinese Church

President Bush made a symbolic visit to one of 5 sanctioned Protestant churches in Beijing during his recent trip to China.  This article from the Washington Post, with a superb commentary by Rick Moore of HolyCoast, points to an important event.  Religious freedom is a cornerstone of our democracy, and expanding such freedoms in China will lead, over the long term, to greater personal and democratic freedoms.

The President, while a Protestant evangelical himself, did not specify his actions and comments directly at promoting the Christian faith in China.  The San Diego Union Tribune reports:

"Prodded by U.S. evangelical Christians and a bipartisan group in Congress, he has long championed the cause of Chinese persecuted for their religious beliefs. Bush met with Tibetan Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, long denounced by China, in Washington before the trip.

The president made his case directly to Hu yesterday when the two leaders met in the Great Hall of the People just off Tiananmen Square. 'It is important that social, political and religious freedoms grow in China,' he said in his formal statement read standing next to the Chinese leader. 'And we encourage China to continue making the historic transition to greater freedom.'"

From the same article here are some of President Bush's comments while in China regarding religion:

• "As he entered Gangwashi Church with first lady Laura Bush, he was greeted by pastor Du Fengying, who gave him two Chinese bibles. He then wrote in her guest book, 'May God bless the Christians of China.'"
• "'My hope is that the government of China will not fear Christians who gather to worship openly,' he said during the church service, after applauding the small choir's rendition of Beethoven's Ode to Joy. 'A healthy society is a society that welcomes all faiths and gives people a chance to express themselves through worship with the Almighty.'"
• "After the services, Bush remarked that 'the spirit of the Lord is very strong inside your church.'"
• "'I will continue to remind President Hu about . . . my personal faith and the belief that people should be allowed to worship freely,' he said in a pre-departure interview. He added, "And a vibrant, whole society is one that recognizes that certain freedoms are inherent and need to be part of a complete society.'"

It is important for the President to speak out about religious freedoms.  They often go hand in hand with how a country approaches human rights.  As the move to abolish slavery, to restore civil rights to black Americans and efforts to affect poverty in the United States have been largely driven by religious organizations from a Judeo-Christian perspective, so too will a greater level of religious freedom in China lead to a better Chinese society with dignity for all peoples.

Comments

[Tom the Redhunter]

Indeed I am glad to see the president take up the cause of religious liberty too.

Strange about China, it has a communist country that has abandoned communist theory in everything but the desire to hold absolute power. As such they have nothing left but old-fashioned nationalism, and that of the worst sort (the recent anti-Japanese fervor,for example).

Perhaps this is why they're so afraid of Christians and Falun Gong? Because the government really has nothing to offer the people in the way of something to believe in. And people the world over will sooner or later search for something "higher". Sadly, some find it in totalitarian ideologies or some other radicalism. But perhaps the rise of Falun Gong and Christianity in China is due top the vacuum that was left when the Communist party there abandoned communism.

Agreed or no?

[Bill Rice]

Tom,

Faith in Communist Poland seemed to play a powerful role in the Solidarity movement.

Religious freedom goes hand and hand in free speech. You cannot have one without the other.

As Chinese increase their economic wealth and living condition and find that it doesn't produce a lasting satisfaction of the soul, I imagine religion will be of interest to the people.

This seems true in South Korea. My grandmother was a missionary in China prior to the Second World War. There is a large and growing underground church movement in China that I have posted on prior.

I hope that the Chinese receive more freedom in worship.

Kind regards,

Bill Rice
Dawn's Early Light

[Michael Turton]

Perhaps this is why they're so afraid of Christians and Falun Gong? Because the government really has nothing to offer the people in the way of something to believe in.

Incorrect, as it is serving up a potent brew of nationalism and economic growth. Besides, whatever makes you think the Chinese need something to "believe in?" What if that is just your western ethnocentricism speaking?

And people the world over will sooner or later search for something "higher". Sadly, some find it in totalitarian ideologies or some other radicalism. But perhaps the rise of Falun Gong and Christianity in China is due top the vacuum that was left when the Communist party there abandoned communism.

Christianity and Communism represent a clash of competing authoritarianisms, two groups of believers in centralized authority-worship, values rooted in trascendent absolutes, with Leninist political structures and tight control of all the major aspects of human life. It is not a coincidence that Christianity and Communism hate each other -- they are two versions of the same system. This competition, however, is sometimes useful for both, which is one reason why the Catholic Church is shifting to China now that Taiwan is a democracy.

Given that religious repression in China has produced rapid rises in all forms of religious expression, including Christianity, as well as increased interest in missionary work, higher levels of financing from abroad, greater doctrinal and organizational unity, the cachet of being anti-government, and numerous other benefits, perhaps evangelical support for religious freedom in China is the wrong strategy for growth. After all, there are proportionally fewer Christians in the free states around China -- Macao, Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong -- and in none is Christianity growing like it is in China. Poland was mentioned above -- the Church was important when there was authoritarianism, but now that there is freedom, people promptly fell away from it.

Michael

[Danavrop]

http://morfolojnc.com/207_0.htm

http://morfolojnd.com/263_0.htm

http://morfolojnd.com/269_0.htm

http://morfolojnd.com/247_0.htm

http://morfolojnd.com/286_0.htm

http://morfolojnc.com/246_3.htm

http://morfolojnd.com/284_0.htm

http://morfolojnc.com/8_0.htm

http://morfolojnc.com/3_5.htm

http://morfolojnd.com/288_0.htm

[Danavrop]

http://morfolojnc.com/207_0.htm

http://morfolojnd.com/263_0.htm

http://morfolojnd.com/269_0.htm

http://morfolojnd.com/247_0.htm

http://morfolojnd.com/286_0.htm

http://morfolojnc.com/246_3.htm

http://morfolojnd.com/284_0.htm

http://morfolojnc.com/8_0.htm

http://morfolojnc.com/3_5.htm

http://morfolojnd.com/288_0.htm

[Danfilvn]

http://morfolojna.cn/3_7.htm

http://morfolojnb.cn/285_0.htm

http://morfolojna.cn/3_4.htm

http://morfolojnb.cn/247_0.htm

http://morfolojnb.cn/250_0.htm

http://morfolojna.cn/3_3.htm

http://morfolojna.cn/206_9.htm

http://morfolojna.cn/211_0.htm

http://morfolojnb.cn/268_0.htm

http://morfolojna.cn/8_0.htm

[Markclcan]

http://safekwm.iquebec.com/