Chinese universities urged to fight back against foreign religion

[parijataka]

Chinese universities urged to fight back against foreign religion

Chinese leaders have urged universities to fight back against a foreign "plot" to use religion to "westernise and divide" their country.

In an official directive, apparently distributed last year by officials from China's powerful Central Committee and leaked to a US-based Christian group, the government compares foreigners preaching religion in China to a "disease" that must be treated.

Universities must give "absolutely no opportunity for foreign use of religion to infiltrate" their campuses, it says.

"With China's rapid economic and social development and the steady growth of China's comprehensive national strength, the US-led Western countries are ceaselessly increasing the intensity of their containment of China," reads one section of the 16-page document in a translation published by the Washington Post.

"Foreign hostile forces have put even greater emphasis [on] using religion to infiltrate China to carry out their political plot to westernise and divide China." Chinese students are being "lured into taking part" in religious activities and "forceful measures" are required to counter this "plot", the document claims.

The notice, apparently issued in May 2011 by the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China, suggests ongoing misgivings among senior leaders that religion, and in particular Christianity, poses a direct challenge to the ruling party.

Bob Fu, the founder of ChinaAid, the group which obtained and published the document, said the directive was proof China's central government was "directing a national crackdown against religious freedom especially targeting Christianity [in universities]".

Mr Fu claimed the document also indicated "panic" among Chinese intellectuals about the "rapid" growth of [China's] underground Christian population".

An official from the propaganda department of the State Council said they were unable to immediately comment on whether the document was genuine. But posts on the websites of several Chinese universities appear to confirm the leaked document's existence.

An entry on the website of the Chongqing College of Electronic Engineering which referred to a directive with the same title said a "leadership team" had been set up to "do a good job of resisting foreign use of religion to infiltrate higher education institutes." A similar post on the website of Heihe University outlined a series of measures to "better carry out defence and prevention work" against the "foreign use of religion." The Hohhot University of Nationalities website said "relevant departments are required to do a serious job" to prevent foreign infiltration and "campus evangelism." Officially China is an atheist country where proselytising is outlawed. Buddhism and Taosim receive some backing from Beijing but Christianity is still tightly controlled.

The Catholic church in China is overseen by the Catholic Patriotic Association while official Protestant churches are controlled by the Three-Self Patriotic Movement. Both answer to China's Religious Affairs Bureau.

Last week it emerged that a Chinese bishop, Thaddeus Ma Daqin, had been stripped of his title after speaking out against state meddling in the church earlier this year.

Yet despite government controls, the number of Christians in China has rocketed since the 1980s with many worshipping in illegal "house churches" which are subject to sporadic crackdowns. Some estimates suggest there are now as many as 130 million practicing Christians in China.

But the leaked document suggests senior leaders take a dim view of foreigners they believe are helping to drive Christianity's rapid advance.

The document says China's border control agency should "resolutely prevent from entering China foreigners who will use religion to endanger state security." Controls should also be strengthened on university internet networks, "to strictly prevent evangelism" and offending staff members should be dismissed.

"For those stubborn people who insist on proselytising, they should be fired or expelled from the school."

 

[JBH22]

Even Chinese realised that missionaries are a disease.

 

[Tianshan]

abrahamics already have more than enough followers in the world to last several lifetimes.

it must be strongly resisted.

if chinese need religion we already have buddhism/confucianism/taoism.

 

[asianobserve]

abrahamics already have more than enough followers in the world to last several lifetimes.

it must be strongly resisted.

But can it be resisted? Asians, especially Chinese, are naturally religious, and Christianity I think holds special allure to Chinese as it not only fulfills their natural religious tendencies but also their natural yearning for Western values (Christmas shopping? Christmas trees?)...

 

[nimo_cn]

I was approached by the same girl three times in the campus, asking me if I was interested in God.

 

[asianobserve]

As I always said the most powerful weapon of the West is not in their military, it's their enormous cultural offerings from religion, values to pop culture. This cannot be matched by the mullahs or the CCP... The CCP cannot hold on forever.

 

[KS]

I was approached by the same girl three times in the campus, asking me if I was interested in God.

Well they stand outside my school too canvassing with their bibles..I not only say no, but I make it a point to say on their face I dont want to be approached once again, that I dont believe in what they teach and that I'm already a practising Hindu.

 

[Drona]

^^^
I faced this Christian salesmen in Britain too, they actually came in morning and knocked by door to tell me meaning of life !! my life. But I was in heavy hangover. I asked him how old he is , but instead answering my question he just started talking... after listening , I politely said " no thanks , I am satisfied with my religion and enjoy it !"

 

[niharjhatn]

The Chinese I've met in Malaysia, North America and Australia as part of my post-grad education have all struck me as being deeply religious. They have their own Chinese churches and everything.

As I always said the most powerful weapon of the West is not in their military, it's their enormous cultural offerings from religion, values to pop culture. This cannot be matched by the mullahs or the CCP... The CCP cannot hold on forever.

It's kinda sad, but despite the deep cultural heritage of almost all Asian countries we have instead turned into a bloody market for western entrepreneurs.

 

[asianobserve]

I know some who have 2 set of religious figures in their houses, 1 Buddha figure and another Christian figures. They really know how to maximise benefits... :thumb:

 

[Ray]

China has always considered their Han identity and culture paramount and have assimilated all non Han culture and influences and converted them to Han.

This is basically to ensure that there is a single identity, culture et al and that there is no instability caused by power centres, egged on by foreign centres of power and dividing the country, if not physically, at least psychologically and leading to unrest.

Historical Examples of Sinicization

Turkic Peoples

Descendants of Uyghurs who migrated to Taoyuan County, Hunan have largely assimilated into the Han Chinese and Hui population and practice Chinese customs, speaking Chinese as their language.

Tang dynasty

During the 8th and 9th centuries in the Tang dynasty, Chinese soldiers moved into Guizhou (Kweichow) and married native women, their descendants are known as Lao-han-jen (original Chinese), in contrast to new Chinese who colonized Guizhou at later times. They still speak an archaic dialect. Many immigrants to Guizhou were descended from these soldiers in garrisons who married non-Chinese women.

Ming Dynasty

Massive military campaigns were launched by the Ming dynasty during the Miao Rebellions (Ming Dynasty) against the southern aboriginal Miao, Yao, and other tribes, settling thousands of Han and Hui in their land after crushing and killing the aboriginals.

During the Ming conquest of Yunnan Chinese military colonists were settled in Yunnan, and married the native women.

Qing dynasty

The Manchu people started sinicizing during the Qing dynasty. They originally had their own separate style of naming from the Han chinese, but eventually adopted Han chinese naming practices.

Manchu names consisted of more than the two or one syllable Chinese names, and when phonetically translited into Chinese, they made no sense at all.[3] The meaning of the names that Manchus used were also very different from the meanings of Chinese names. The Manchus also gave numbers as personal names.

They gave their children Chinese names which were separate from the Manchu names, and even adopted the Chinese practice of generation names, although its usage was inconsistent and error ridden, eventually they stopped using Manchu names.

The Niohuru family of the Manchu changed their family name to Lang, which sounded like "wolf" in Chinese, since wolf in Manchu was Niohuru.

Although the Manchus replaced their Manchu names with Chinese personal names, the Manchu bannermen followed their tradtional practice in typically used their first/personal name to address themselves and not their last name, while Han Chinese bannermen used their last name and first in normal Chinese style.

Usage of surnames was not traditional to the Manchu while it was to the Han Chinese.

Modern Examples of Sinicization

Xinjiang

The Chinese Muslim 36th Division (National Revolutionary Army) governed southern Xinjiang in 1934–1937. The administration which was set up was colonial in nature, the Chinese Muslims started putting up street signs and names in Chinese, which used to be in only Uighur language. They wanted to live as much of a life like Chinese, importing Chinese cooks and baths. The Chinese Muslims also switched carpet patterns from Uyghur to Chinese in state owned carpet factories.

Taiwan

After the Republic of China took control of Taiwan in 1945 and relocated its capital to Taipei in 1949, the intention of Chiang Kai-shek was to eventually go back to mainland China and retake control of it. Chiang believed that to retake mainland China, it would be necessary to sinicize Taiwan's inhabitants. Examples of this policy included the renaming of streets, use of Mandarin Chinese in schools and punishments for using other languages, and teaching students to revere Confucian ethics, develop Han Chinese nationalism, and believe Taiwan is part of China. Other reasons for the policy were to combat the Japanese influences on the culture that had occurred in the previous 50 years, and to help unite the recent immigrants from mainland China that had come to Taiwan with the KMT and among whom there was a tendency to be more loyal to one's city, country or province than to China as a nation.

Tibet

The sinicization of Tibet is the change of Tibetan society to Han Chinese standards, by means of cultural assimilation, immigration, and political reform.

In popular culture

In some forms of fiction, due to China's communist statehood, Soviet-themed characters are de-Sovietized and switched over to become Chinese to fit modern (post-Cold War) times. The original cut of Red Dawn depicted a Chinese invasion before having said information leaked to the Global Times, sparking controversy in China and threatening its airing in the country. In 2006, Chinese versions of the Crimson Dynamo and the Abomination were created and made members of the Liberators in Marvel Comics.

While this type of Sinicisation may appear similar to ethnic cleansing, yet, it has held China in good stead and given China one identity that has generated a spontaneous one-ness and ultra nationalism.

This has been feasible because successive regimes in China has 'encouraged' the Han identity to overcome all foreign influences and loyalty to any aspect that is non Han.

The current diktat is another step towards prevention of dilution of the Han identity and its supremacy over all aspect of Chinese lifestyle and governance.

It is understandable since religions controlled by foreign centres of power and with foreign ideas, ideologies, imposing foreign culture and habits can divide societies as is seen all over the world.

China does not want such an unfortunate situation in their country and so they are very averse to any influences that can lead to the violent divisions of the population and lead to instability and chaos.

Clinically observed, China is correct in its approach, even if morally it may not appear correct.

 

[A chauhan]

My family was approached by some missionaries when I was a kid, they distributed Christ's story on pamphlets to our family members, which I used to read as comics nothing else, my family said No to them, but they kept sending pamphlets and books to my family for 2-3 years. These missionaries target kids to brainwash them and offer money and medical facilities to poor families. Smart people can utilize this money

 

[Tianshan]

india has an advantage here, because most indians already have their own native religion.

for a chinese without a religion, sometimes they will ask, well why not?

 

[civfanatic]

abrahamics already have more than enough followers in the world to last several lifetimes.

it must be strongly resisted.

if chinese need religion we already have buddhism/confucianism/taoism.

China doesn't need religion, in fact no one in the world does.

China has always been less religious and more materialistic and rationalistic compared to other peoples, and because of this China has consistently been at the forefront of human civilization, for all but the last ~400 years. Now, the Chinese are rising once again thanks to their materialism and down-to-earth values. I think the rest of Asia can learn a lot from the Chinese. Many Asians are steeped in religious superstition and backwards beliefs, including Indians.

 

[Ray]

China doesn't need religion, in fact no one in the world does.

China has always been less religious and more materialistic and rationalistic compared to other peoples, and because of this China has consistently been at the forefront of human civilization, for all but the last ~400 years. Now, the Chinese are rising once again thanks to their materialism and down-to-earth values. I think the rest of Asia can learn a lot from the Chinese. Many Asians are steeped in religious superstition and backwards beliefs, including Indians.

Because Jesus was born, lived, died and rose from the dead in the Holy Land, that small portion of Western Asia became a land of promise and hope for all mankind. Jesus knew and loved this land. He made his own the history, the sufferings and the hopes of its people. He loved its people and embraced their Jewish traditions and heritage. God in fact had long before chosen this people and revealed himself to them in preparation for the Saviour's coming. And from this land, through the preaching of the Gospel in the power of the Holy Spirit, the Church went forth to make "disciples of all nations" (Mt 28:19). With the Church throughout the world, the Church in Asia will cross the threshold of the Third Christian Millennium marvelling at all that God has worked from those beginnings until now, and strong in the knowledge that "just as in the first millennium the Cross was planted on the soil of Europe, and in the second on that of the Americas and Africa, we can pray that in the Third Christian Millennium a great harvest of faith will be reaped in this vast and vital continent".1..........

Asia is also the cradle of the world's major religions—Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Hinduism. It is the birthplace of many other spiritual traditions such as Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Zoroastrianism, Jainism, Sikhism and Shintoism. Millions also espouse traditional or tribal religions, with varying degrees of structured ritual and formal religious teaching. The Church has the deepest respect for these traditions and seeks to engage in sincere dialogue with their followers. The religious values they teach await their fulfilment in Jesus Christ.

Ecclesia in Asia - John Paul II - Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation (November 6, 1999)

Therefore, it is not merely economical reasons that all eyes are on China.

It is to ensure that the population is more amenable and hold the foreign power centres as being above their own values and people.

Ideal examples of holding the western power centres above national interest is the proclamation of the Indian Cardinal in Rome and also the local clergy wherein they have kept the interest of the Vatican above the interest of the Nation (India) and even their flock (Christian fishermen killed).

China is unlike India.

They will not allow foreign interests to override their national interest.

They had recently removed a Bishop in South China for adopting an independent style of functioning.

That is why China soars ahead of India since they keep their national interest first.

 

[blank_quest]

Those people who equate Dogma == Religion and say names to other for being religious are indeed in some deep slumber.

Religion is the symptom of philosophy. Without knowing the Philosophical depth people tend to criticize and defend ( both ways ) the religion and its philosophy.

Try to rationalize the essence of any Philosophy and you will realize materialism and Idealism have been always in discourse and in post-kantian era more in confluence.

Happiness is NOT pure materialism and Bliss too isn't in Ignorance.

Sadchittananda ( Sad+Chitta+Ananda == > Eternal + Conscious + Bliss ) is some times used to refer to the Ultimate Being. Being means Some thing Beyond Description ( often Known by Neti ,Neti ,Neti i.e. Not This Not This Not This ..... because there is no means of description) .Those who read in books and do no practice of Yoga will not know what Ananda (Bliss) does it gives -as it needs practice.

People must read about Dialectical Materialism and its Critique. Coming to the practical world view everything -like Power -is NOT flowing from Barrel of the Gun. The present case of Delhi rape is the best example to illustrate. Mentally retard people need not to be the under the deficiency of Materialistic Bliss. They gain much and loose much more from ONLY Materialistic Bliss. Best about 'why' one behaves 'how' one behaves can be understood from the Kantian Morality/Ethics.

Please Just Don't criticize on basis of one sided view.

 

[Ray]

When the spiritual changes to temporal, then religion and its scriptures loses its meaning and value.

 

[asianobserve]

China has always been less religious and more materialistic and rationalistic compared to other peoples,

This contradicts with my personal experiences with ethnic Chinese. They're very religious and superstitious.

 

[civfanatic]

This contradicts with my personal experiences with ethnic Chinese. They're very religious and superstitious.

I know enough Chinese to safely say that they are not, especially when compared to South Asians. Their religiosity, if it exists at all, is very superficial in comparison.

Maybe socioeconomic class plays a role. I have not met any poor, working-class Chinese.

 

[blank_quest]

When the spiritual changes to temporal, then religion and its scriptures loses its meaning and value.

ONLY Materialism is also not 'The' Solution to problems of Value and Ethics deficiency of the People. sirji