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China Cracks Down on Churches

nytimes.com

101–110 of 245 posts

Re: China Cracks Down on Churches

#101
Somehow it is easier to be ignorant and believe something happens to you you can't do anything about. There's no problem in that, everyone has a right to live his/her way as long as it doesn't disturb other peoples right to do so.

The problem are the troublemakers that set themselves at the head of those sects and mess things up for those who happen to choose a different mindset.

Re: China Cracks Down on Churches

#103
post #4

This is why we need to sever economic ties with China. The more we support this the worse this type of thing will intensify, including beyond China's borders....and it won't stop at just Christianity, they have targeted Islam and, Buddhists etc. as well.

[deleted]

Re: China Cracks Down on Churches

#104
post #29

This is why it's frustrating when some make it seem that Christians are incapable of facing persecution, based entirely on their experiences in the US. The Christians in China are very brave for standing by their faith, and I wish them luck and peace.

Christians persecute Muslins. Muslins persecute Christians. Buddhists persecute Muslins. Christians persecute Jews. Muslins persecute Hinduism.

It is not a Christian thing, it is a religion tradition all over the world to persecute other religions. Christians have done this for millennia and sometimes they are victims themselves. I think the solution is to stop with the craziness altogether.

Re: China Cracks Down on Churches

#106
post #18

> ...Christianity, which by some estimates is China’s fastest-growing religion, promotes Western values and ideals like human rights that conflict with the aims of China’s authoritarian government and Mr. Xi’s embrace of traditional Chinese culture and Confucian teachings that emphasize obedience and order. > But the government’s heavy-handed efforts to obliterate several high-profile churches have been met with resi…

> ...Christianity, which by some estimates is China’s fastest-growing religion, promotes Western values and ideals like human rights that conflict with the aims of China’s authoritarian government This is the part that confuses me. I'm not sure what Christianity intrinsically promotes (ask 12 Christians and I suspect you'll receive 13 conflicting opinions). But practically speaking , governments and ruling classes ha…

You also had William Wilberforce and Oliver Cromwell. Co-option can only go so far: they have state run churches, but those don't appeal to people. See also Dissenters in England during the industrial revolution.

Re: China Cracks Down on Churches

#107
post #4

This is why we need to sever economic ties with China. The more we support this the worse this type of thing will intensify, including beyond China's borders....and it won't stop at just Christianity, they have targeted Islam and, Buddhists etc. as well.

Severing economic ties at whose expense? Christians in China? Poor people in the US? It’s easy to claim moral superiority if someone else has to foot the bill.

What is even more dangerous is to link religion freedom to the ongoing trade war. It makes good people who are fighting for a just cause look like pawns of the US.

You may have underestimated the value of engagement. The spread of Christianity in China could not happen without the economic ties with China in the past forty years.

Re: China Cracks Down on Churches

#108
post #4

This is why we need to sever economic ties with China. The more we support this the worse this type of thing will intensify, including beyond China's borders....and it won't stop at just Christianity, they have targeted Islam and, Buddhists etc. as well.

I used to listen to people like Ron Paul, and he would say something like... The stronger our economic ties and dependencies, the less likely we are to commit aggression against each other. I believe he supports the non-intervention policy. [0]

[0]: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_non-interventi...

Re: China Cracks Down on Churches

#109

Earlier quoted context omitted.

>This is why it's frustrating when some make it seem that Christians are incapable of facing persecution, Literally no one does this. Western Christians are incapable of facing persecution in the current social and economic climate. This is because Christians by and large make up every pillar of Western society. It has nothing to do with someone being a Christian else where in the world. The sentiment you are attempt…

> Christians by and large make up every pillar of Western society ... except Hollywood, academia, Silicon Valley, Wall Street, K Street, much of the publishing industry, and the mainstream media. Fixed that for you. And Merry Christmas!

Pretty sure they're in all of those.

I'd say Merry Christmas back, but you said it in bad faith, and I really don't appreciate that. You really ought to be ashamed.

Re: China Cracks Down on Churches

#110
post #18

> ...Christianity, which by some estimates is China’s fastest-growing religion, promotes Western values and ideals like human rights that conflict with the aims of China’s authoritarian government and Mr. Xi’s embrace of traditional Chinese culture and Confucian teachings that emphasize obedience and order. > But the government’s heavy-handed efforts to obliterate several high-profile churches have been met with resi…

> ...Christianity, which by some estimates is China’s fastest-growing religion, promotes Western values and ideals like human rights that conflict with the aims of China’s authoritarian government This is the part that confuses me. I'm not sure what Christianity intrinsically promotes (ask 12 Christians and I suspect you'll receive 13 conflicting opinions). But practically speaking , governments and ruling classes ha…

China has party-authorized Christian churches with exactly your goal in mind. This crackdown is on unauthorized churches.

For an example of how they frame it in propaganda: http://en.people.cn/n/2014/0807/c90882-8766262.html

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