Christianity has been growing in China, as well as parts of Southeast Asia, for many decades. When the Chinese Communist Party came to power in China, in 1949, its atheistic posture was opposed to all religion. Yet Christian missionaries, especially Presbyterians, had previously had a profound impact on the nation. Billy Graham’s father-in-law, Nelson Bell, had been a medical missionary in China for 25 years and then departed in 1941 due to the instability of the nation.
China’s Repression of Christianity Isn’t Working
When China’s President Mao Zedong (1893-1976) became Chairman of the atheistic Chinese Communist Party, in 1949, he thereafter tried to stamp out Christianity but failed. Mao alleged that all religion is “poison.” The Party immediately expelled all foreign Christian missionaries and required churches to be government-sanctioned. Mao instituted the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and early 1970s in part to eradicate all religion. But it seems such repression caused the opposite—growth.
In the 198os, the Chinese government relented and allowed the practice of religious belief. Today, churches in China are either government-sanctioned, thus “official,” or “underground,” thus “unofficial.” The latter are unapproved by the government, which of course is operated by the Chinese Communist Party. Christians who attend official churches are not allowed to practice their religion anywhere but in churches. There are both official and unofficial (underground) Protestant and Catholic churches in China. This underground church movement meets mostly in homes.
More Chinese Go To Church than Europeans
Experts say that today, there are more Christians in China than there are members of the Chinese Communist Party. The government has said there are 43 million Christians in China: 25 million Protestants and 18 million Roman Catholics. But the government has not said if these figures includes underground church members. Independent estimates claim there are at least 60 million Christians in China.
In 2011, BBC reported (“Christians in China: Is the country in spiritual crisis?”) that there were more Chinese people in China who attended church on Sunday than there were Christians who did so in all of Europe. BBC also said that in China, the Protestant Church was growing faster than the Catholic Church was.
Government-sanctioned churches in China must report to the State Administration for Religious Affairs. The state promotes atheism in schools and forbids the teaching of religion therein. The official posture of the Chinese government toward religion is one of restricted toleration—”to protect and respect religion until such time as religion itself disappears.” But the opposite is what is happening. Atheism does not sooth the soul, but truly spiritual religion does.
The Success of the Gospel in China and SE Asia
It makes me feel good to read about the growth of Christianity in China and Southeast Asia. Why? For over fifty years, I’ve been a donor of the Christian missionary organization Far East Broadcasting Corporation. They have been faithfully preaching the good news about the risen and heavenly-exalted Jesus Christ over the radio airwaves since 1945. It appears to have been doing much good, bringing Asians the message of salvation that soothes their souls, which atheism can never do.
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