Media reports that Christmas is being celebrated in communist China are certainly surprising. Markets appear full with Christmas goodies. Has China suddenly turned liberal, giving its citizens the right to practice their respective religions?
Far from it. Truth is that China still remains repressive. What it allows is Christianity approved by the Communist Party. The clergymen of the Beijing approved Church do not bear allegiance to the Pope. What we see in the media is the state allowed version of Christianity. Followers and preachers of the secret underground Church are brutally treated.
Two questions spring to mind. Why does the communist party allow even the approved Churches? The answer is that humans need to pray, someone to ask for help, to look after them. Mao or Lenin would hardly fit the requirement and here comes Jesus, Buddha, etc. If the authorities were to ban religion totally, people would pray secretly. The Chinese state would rather have Churches it can control and monitor (it appoints the priests).
Second question which comes to mind is why are so many Chinese taking to Christianity (or other religions)? The rise of unhindered capitalism has had people seeking peace and solace in religion. The communists nearly destroyed the influence of Confucius after they came to power, so the common citizen could not turn towards it.
Some observers say that the rise of Christianity in China will lead to a liberal democratic political set-up in the country in the future. This is unlikely because many of the sects of Christianity that have sprung up are not of the liberal type, but are headed by priests who are egocentric and are giving rise to personality cults. Such Churches are spreading authoritarianism.
Moreover, most of the priests in china are very conservative who are not interested in spreading freedom and democracy.
Image Credit: EpochTimes
