While this is definitely a “what could go wrong” story what with an atheist government creating a theology fit for its population, there’s definitely a sign of hope here.
Atheist China, worried about the rapidly growing number of Christians, is constructing a “theology” in order to attempt to control this whole Christian thing. Funny, I think the Romans tried to control Christianity as well. How’d that work out?
China will construct a “Chinese Christian theology” suitable for the country, state media reported on Thursday, as both the number of believers and tensions with the authorities are on the rise.
China has between 23 million and 40 million Protestants, accounting for 1.7 to 2.9 per cent of the total population, the state-run China Daily said, citing figures given at a seminar in Shanghai.
About 500,000 people are baptised as Protestants every year, it added.
“Over the past decades, the Protestant churches in China have developed very quickly with the implementation of the country’s religious policy,” the paper quoted Wang Zuoan, director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs, as saying.
“The construction of Chinese Christian theology should adapt to China’s national condition and integrate with Chinese culture.”…
It did not include a number for Catholics in China, who must also worship only in officially sanctioned churches which reject the Vatican’s authority, though an “underground” church loyal to the Holy See also exists.
Experts estimate that there are as many as 12 million Catholics in China, split roughly evenly between the two churches.
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