Nowadays, churches are mushrooming all over China and "more people go to church on Sunday in China than in the whole of Europe"... which might make us smile. This is proof of open-mindedness on the part of the Chinese and is mainly due to the end of the authoritarian regime led by Mao Zedong until the 1970s. This dictatorship prevented Chinese people from thinking for themselves; they were only allowed to read the Little Red Book.
China is slowly adopting Western society's values; globalization is also cultural. A Chinese professor said "The worship of Mammon… has become many people's life purpose", which means that materialism is also appearing in China. That's why people talk about a "spiritual crisis" but, in fact, the crisis is not only spiritual...
Lucas makes an interesting point, but I believe he has failed to address an important aspect of the subject. There is, in my opinion, another reason explaining the increase of Chinese converted to Christianity; it is because they are not free. Many aspects of their lives are controlled by the State, such as the number of children per couple. There is no real freedom of the press and human rights are not respected. Today, with internet and globalisation, Chinese people find out about other cultures and religions. I think that taking up a religion is a way, consciously or not, of expressing their disenchantment with living under an authoritarian regime. It is a kind of non-violent contestation. Religious practice cannot easily be controlled by the authorities. It is a means to feel free.
Nowadays, churches are mushrooming all over China and "more people go to church on Sunday in China than in the whole of Europe"... which might make us smile. This is proof of open-mindedness on the part of the Chinese and is mainly due to the end of the authoritarian regime led by Mao Zedong until the 1970s. This dictatorship prevented Chinese people from thinking for themselves; they were only allowed to read the Little Red Book.
ReplyDeleteChina is slowly adopting Western society's values; globalization is also cultural. A Chinese professor said "The worship of Mammon… has become many people's life purpose", which means that materialism is also appearing in China. That's why people talk about a "spiritual crisis" but, in fact, the crisis is not only spiritual...
Lucas Coudert
Lucas makes an interesting point, but I believe he has failed to address an important aspect of the subject. There is, in my opinion, another reason explaining the increase of Chinese converted to Christianity; it is because they are not free. Many aspects of their lives are controlled by the State, such as the number of children per couple. There is no real freedom of the press and human rights are not respected. Today, with internet and globalisation, Chinese people find out about other cultures and religions. I think that taking up a religion is a way, consciously or not, of expressing their disenchantment with living under an authoritarian regime. It is a kind of non-violent contestation. Religious practice cannot easily be controlled by the authorities. It is a means to feel free.
ReplyDeleteThibaud BERARD