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Jillian Melchior on China's relationship with Christianity and how Communism affects religion
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Well the if there -- the country.
It is a country of one point three billion people and officially atheist.
But there's a rapidly growing number of converts to christianity.
Both Catholic and Protestant.
Opinion writer -- Meltzer expanded on the phenomenon in a piece for the Wall Street Journal.
Highlighting also the growth they're -- tension of the faithful created for the Communist government.
-- joins me on set it -- come up with is fascinating because you are spending a great deal quality time in China so you really have.
A hands on approach to what is going on in China.
Why is bitter at this growth that christianity in China.
Well I think there are several reasons and one of them is the government has basically made a compromise that said look -- capitalism -- let you create -- But in exchange you gotta support the Communist government but the wealth that's been created in the past thirty years hasn't made people happy.
And I think you see that in that China has one of the highest since state -- rates in the world.
Alcoholism is on their eyes there's a divorce epidemic and people are looking for something more.
Get it now and so good why the -- and -- -- catholicism -- -- -- of christianity in any sense and I'm I think it's good to.
Catholicism and you know protestantism and things is that right -- it's both it's protestantism is going about 60% in the last fifteen years according to government numbers.
Catholicism that's when he 5% and government numbers are inherently -- and I think people are gravitating toward christianity.
In part because of the history of China.
It's always been sort of a collective guilt the culture -- -- was the best embodiment of that.
Men and christianity preaches individualism.
At the same time -- pretty -- peaches grapes.
And I think people who are used to having.
Anything they do have such massive repercussions are really -- practices -- that principle in christianity.
Now we have some numbers I think.
A round of the eve of the numbers we have we have.
Estimated Christian revelation in China is 67 million.
A little more than 67 million how accurate are those figures because -- give various numbers they're incredibly hard to counts and that's because the government -- statistics.
I think they say there's about 23 million prostitutes Arab -- you're doing a good.
You know I thought I was there are absolutely and we don't know about prostitutes actually there are he had no idea I am just unattractive -- -- since China.
They're about 23 million Protestants in China and -- nine million Catholics then ends I think Aaron.
Many acts outside experts say that there are considerably more because the government only counts those were in the official charts and there are a lot of little a lot of Christians that are worshipping in house churches that I understand that's crafts and it's called underground community here and you acts.
And I think that's because we we have the connotation of the Roman church and -- -- something -- a lot of persecution in time.
Underground is a little bit of a misnomer for example I visited Catholics are excellent -- under concerts it's five stories high.
And it's right next to state run hot spot this -- they know it's going -- going on but there's this official Catholic.
Trainees be strict Catholic association.
And so this is something of that -- Chinese Government has created what sort of control.
Christianity absolute.
I think they realized throughout the -- -- -- they chanted get rid of christianity altogether and it didn't work as any kind of tends to drive under wraps.
And so they decided that the best next alternative would be to manage -- and they've done expect creating a very elaborate.
Villages -- -- -- -- it would be the equivalents and if the US had.
Europe religious affairs.
And chances are required to register and that means that the government has influence over everything from appointments and pastors or priests.
To what has -- in sermons and a lot of people think that's unacceptable I think that that's putting.
The state before god and sneezes maybe you see -- a lot of people -- gonna take.
I would think they have more problem with.
Catholicism than -- isn't because of the influence of the Pope -- -- -- a sort of a foreign power I think so and I think.
That catholicism and so organized really works to its detriment in their oppression field.
Protestants are completely to certain points so they're able to.
I guess -- -- more because they're harder to watch it's it's small sort of grassroots things and it's much more difficult to control.
Isn't it how extension is there between christianity and the government's policies especially the one child policy.
-- tell policy and you know that's been one of the things that's kind of surprised me I don't think you can assume anything about it.
-- -- believers think about things like one child policy I've heard some some say that this is an abomination it's not acceptable.
I've heard others say that the quality of life is so bad that.
They want on sound policy.
But one of the big issues that I think has.
Really resonated with the community over there and here is forced abortions.
And you see some of the bravest rights defenders are actually -- Industry also.
Is christianity starting to influence the government -- influencing you in the culture and over there is trying to I think it is.
And just you see this a lot in the business world so a lot of men and up converting because they're so attracted to affix that Christians -- -- And -- so the government kind of acknowledge that and I know that sometimes there have been seminars where people from the registered church should have given speeches on business business -- and at the same time after the Sichuan earthquake in 2000 -- The government.
-- has kind of come around to the idea of religious charities because the government wasn't able to cope with the disaster that scale.
Christian charities responded extremely bravely as did many other charities and and they're seeing the value and patenting a couple steps to expand it.
Now even though there is this sort of opened miss about christianity.
Even though it's kind of below ground is there are still.
A prosecuting a persecuting -- going on.
Among Chinese -- the Chinese Government to the Christians there absolutely is and I think you see that in organizations like China aid.
Which is based out of Texas monitors religious freedom.
And they said that in the last several years persecution is really spike it's now I think what's shifted and are.
Is that the government is going after church leaders and anyone who who comes up as an example leader and they're more focused on cracking down on that then.
Average practitioners.
Until those practitioners get.
To open and in their -- of it.
-- -- thank you so much Julian -- the article is on the Wall Street Journal and -- being -- writer in the Dalia.
And the daily Robert Novak fellow Phillips foundation -- -- -- that -- is thank you so much of it check coming out about this is really interesting.
Phenomenon that's happening is -- being reported or an hour you know but we've heard the last of this yet no I don't think I think it was only right.
