Posted on 07/01/2007 12:33:53 AM PDT by MarcoPolo
ping.
What the Chinese authorities don't seem to realize is that the United States has a representative form of government; one which allows for dissent and voting to change legislation.
Christians are exhorted to obey their governments, whether that government is totalitarian Communist, a federal republic, or imperial/republic (Rome). Christians here go about pushing for change because it is their legal right to do so. They follow the laws of the land--which permits them to try to get their opinions and advice heard and followed.
Christians in China should not be any more a threat to the Communist government than a Communist member there. They are to obey their government's laws so long as they aren't contrary to the Bible (so for China--Christians will continue to spread the Gospel and oppose abortion and the one-child policy's endorsement of abortion). They won't stage an uprising against the establishment. That isn't the Christian way. All government rule by God's mandate. God chose for China to currently be ruled by the Communists. Thus Christians in China are supposed to obey the Communist government.
Fascinating. Very appreciative of these insights, MP.
Ah, the joys of a China!
What utter nonsense. Jesus Christ challenged spiritual and secular authority time and again.
Good point. Otherwise, an eye-opening read...
Agreed. We always taught our Christian brothers and sisters that in China. We always told them to be obedient to their government except in cases where for moral or spiritual or scriptural reasons they could not.
What we here have to keep in mind though in terms of how the government looks at and deals with churches in China, is that there are some groups calling themselves Christian in China which are actually very violent and dangerous and therefore muddy up the waters for other more truly Christian groups.
There is a group in China which is called Eastern Lightning. From what I heard from Chinese Christians they preach that Christ is on earth right now in the person of a woman, and in the name of their religion they have actually committed abductions of people, used mind-control tactics, and other extremely cultish and dangerous activities. Some religions in China have actually been involved in murders. (I got this particular piece of info from the political dissident I mentioned.) So it's not surprising that the Chinese government in its current changing situation is having some difficulty being able to distinguish who is who in the underground religious world of China.
What about rendering to Caesar?
Or about Philemon returning to his master?
Or Christians being called to not uprise against the Roman government although they were persecuting them?
Or, extra-Biblically, Martin Luther supporting a reformation, but adherence to the secular governments?
(all rhetorical).
It is extremely clear that Christians are supposed to obey their governments.
Other more versed Christian freepers could point you to specific verses.
Some of you people act as if this is some sort of new thing....
Jesus did challenge the authorities at times, but never about the actual form of government that they chose or their economic choices or any such thing. It was always over spiritual, moral or scriptural issues. This is the same example we’re supposed to follow in every corner of this globe today. While individual Christians in free societies such as America may and I would say should feel free to involve themselves in the political system, churches as a group should never do so in any country other than to exercise church discipline over its own members who support moral evils (such as abortion) either politically or otherwise. To make the church to become a political entity is to seriously damage its ability to reach the souls of all men everywhere under every type of system (i.e. foreign mission work).
"They won't stage an uprising against the establishment. That isn't the Christian way."
What's the communists way?
Who authorized Christ's death? What was his crime?
No.
It's just that once a month your busybody village vicar mannerisms require a response.
Marco Polo, sorry. This is getting a bit off topic from your thread, but trying to set things straight.
Lucky for you that the Founding Fathers didn't follow suit.
Are you referring to sound, Bible-based standpoints?
And did you read the verses?
If yelling to a crowd gets you slapped down you don’t get long to get the message out. A message is usually still valid though spoken softly and with conviction. The power is in the message, not in the volume.
Marketing shows a great message repeated multiple times will have a longer more powerful effect than one shouted just once. The message is great and so it will be repeated over and over.
Congrats and thanks for a great post.
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