China is planning to introduce its own brand of Christian theology. This is no doubt of great concern–not only to Chinese Christians–but to Christians all around the world.
According to a report from Christian Today, the state backed website shared word of the forthcoming announcement.
“The construction of Chinese Christian theology should adapt to China’s national condition and integrate with Chinese culture,” Wang Zuoan, director of the State Administration for Religious Affairs.
The comments were made at a seminar on the sinicization of Christianity in Shanghai, part of an event to celebrate the 60th anniversary of the founding of the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), China’s state-run protestant church.
The article announcing the move included information about a five-year campaign to promote Christian theology in China that began back in 2013. The campaign “will provide theological guidance for church rostrums in China and will promote the positive and correct theological thinking with a range of publications, exchanges, discussions and evangelism.”
“This will encourage more believers to make contributions to the country’s harmonious social progress, cultural prosperity and economic development,” said Gu Mengfei, deputy secretary-general of the National Committee of the TSPM in the same article.
Donations of money don’t make people Christians. This sounds like an attempt on behalf of China to create their own ‘breed’ of Christians. It sounds like this Chinese Christian theology might be a far cry from what the Bible describes as believers in Christ.
Sadly this not only creates a falsehood for those new to Christianity, it also deprives those who are new to their faith from knowing the true love and grace of what it means to be a true Christian.
How do you expect Chinese people will take to this new Christian theology? Will this merely serve to create even more persecution?
Original Report by Kimberly Ripley | christiannewsandwire.com