Is a “religious revolution” underway in China?
As reported by The Atlantic, just in the past few years, there are now at least 60 million Protestant Christians in China, two-thirds of whom do not attend government-approved churches ( https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2017/04/china-unregistered-churches-driving-religious-revolution/521544/?utm_source=feed ). This is not counting non-Protestant or Roman Catholic Christians.
Says a former human rights lawyer–a profession not encouraged by the Chinese government–who now pastors a growing Christian church, Christianity in China is coming out of the shadows. Despite years of persecution, “unregistered churches”–also known as house churches–have continued to grow.
The pastor says his congregation has left behind “that old underground church mentality” and now worships openly. But it’s not quite like America. The local police officer “comes every week to get the list of those who attended church.” The church has complied. “We’re not challenging them,” he says.
But of course they are. Christ is always a challenge to Caesar. The Atlantic reporter perceives that the church of Jesus Christ is “a parallel realm outside of the party’s control.” Bull’s eye! In fact, that’s almost exactly the language that the German government, since the early days of the Third Reich, uses to outlaw Christian homeschooling–they don’t want those Christians inhabiting a “parallel culture.”
And that’s precisely why American liberals hate Christianity, too.
Maybe someday missionaries will come from China and help America get back on track.