World church leader asks about religion and numbers in China
-24/11/06
How many Christ
World church leader asks about religion and numbers in China
-24/11/06
How many Christians and believers from other faith communities are there in China? This was the question raised by World Council of Churches general secretary the Rev Dr Samuel Kobia and members of a WCC delegation towards the end of their recent team visit on Wednesday.
The long-disputed statistics issue was raised at a meeting with China’s Minister of Religious Affairs, Mr Ye Xiaowen, and other senior officials of the State Administration for Religious Affairs ñ which has governmental responsibility in this area.
Dr Kobia pointed to the difficulty of obtaining accurate statistics on the number of people of faith in China. He expressed concern about the official policies that contribute to this situation, and especially about the fact that figures of believers quoted are often low.
In response, Mr Ye told the WCC delegation that the government will carry out a census according to international standards in the near future.
Dr Kobia welcomed this proposal and suggested that the criteria by which churches in China are registered could be clarified via the process of conducting such a census, and the number of people of other faiths in the country be documented.
Registration is a hugely controversial issue. The government says it affords protection to religious groups. Critics say it is an instrument of control and incursion. There are many small congregations who refuse ëofficialí status, numbering millions of Christian believers, according to informed observers. They often face fines and imprisonment if caught.
China has widened the scope of religious freedom over the last 15 years, and the TSPM and CCC stress this. But serious concerns remain about the way local officials police and restrict faith groups.
The WCC-SAR meeting also addressed the country’s rapid economic growth and resulting societal challenges as the gap between rich and poor increases significantly and pressures are brought to bear on China’s natural environment.
Though a nominally socialist society, China has pursued ruthless market economics alongside its national concerns.
Mr Ye affirmed that the priorities of his ministry are “to promote good relationships between followers of different religions” as well as communicating to the rest of the world “the positive role religion plays in building up China’s project of an harmonious society”. In response, Dr Kobia offered WCC support to facilitate interreligious dialogue in the country.
The WCC delegation was accompanied by Rev Cao Shengjie, president of the China Christian Council, and Presbyter Ji Jianhong, chairperson of the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China.
On the afternoon of the same day, the delegation met with leaders of China’s other main religions: Mr Chen, president of the China Islam Council; Mr Liu Bai Nian, Catholic Patriotic Association, chair of the Catholic Council of China; Mr Huang, vice president of the China Taoist Association; and Mr Chuan-Yin, from the Beijing Buddhist Association.
The encounter was hosted by the Beijing Christian Council, and national, regional and local representatives of the China Christian Council and Three-Self Patriotic Movement also participated.
Catholicism and Protestantism are treated as two religions by the Chinese government, not two expressions of one faith. When a British and Irish ecumenical delegation from CTBI visited China in late 2004 it met both Catholics and Protestants, causing both interest and some anxiety.
“No one particular religion has full monopoly on the truth. It is important to hold on to the truth we know while also respecting the truth in others. In this way we can avoid extremism of any kind,” Dr Kobia said in his remarks to the other religious representatives.
“In the 21st century,” he continued, “religious dialogue must address the fact that religion can easily be used as a source, or intensifier, of conflict. But the more we get to know each other, the more we recognize the common values we share – such as peace, care for creation, justice for all people, seeking quality of life for the more vulnerable in our societies.”
Some stories of collaboration and mutual support were shared at the meeting. Buddhists are helping Christians to build churches, and the Islamic community has provided office space to the Catholic Christian Council.
When places of worship were reopened after the Cultural Revolution, a leader in the Protestant Christian community traveled to his home province to purchase and donate special wood required for the restoration of a famous Buddhist temple.
In describing what he had witnessed in the meeting, Dr Kobia said he had been struck by “the testimonies of the religious leaders and the way they relate with one another. Not only do they have shared values in searching for justice and peace, but they support each other materially.” There are not so many places where “religions work so well together,” he concluded.
However many experienced China watchers point out that the degree of active cooperation across religious boundaries on the ground is very small in practice.
The Chinese government wishes to have religious harmony, but it also wishes to avoid the consolidation of faith groups into any kind of bloc which might be seen as challenging the privileged role of the Communist Party or constituting a major element of civil society.
World church leader asks about religion and numbers in China
-24/11/06
How many Christians and believers from other faith communities are there in China? This was the question raised by World Council of Churches general secretary the Rev Dr Samuel Kobia and members of a WCC delegation towards the end of their recent team visit on Wednesday.
The long-disputed statistics issue was raised at a meeting with China’s Minister of Religious Affairs, Mr Ye Xiaowen, and other senior officials of the State Administration for Religious Affairs ñ which has governmental responsibility in this area.
Dr Kobia pointed to the difficulty of obtaining accurate statistics on the number of people of faith in China. He expressed concern about the official policies that contribute to this situation, and especially about the fact that figures of believers quoted are often low.
In response, Mr Ye told the WCC delegation that the government will carry out a census according to international standards in the near future.
Dr Kobia welcomed this proposal and suggested that the criteria by which churches in China are registered could be clarified via the process of conducting such a census, and the number of people of other faiths in the country be documented.
Registration is a hugely controversial issue. The government says it affords protection to religious groups. Critics say it is an instrument of control and incursion. There are many small congregations who refuse ëofficialí status, numbering millions of Christian believers, according to informed observers. They often face fines and imprisonment if caught.
China has widened the scope of religious freedom over the last 15 years, and the TSPM and CCC stress this. But serious concerns remain about the way local officials police and restrict faith groups.
The WCC-SAR meeting also addressed the country’s rapid economic growth and resulting societal challenges as the gap between rich and poor increases significantly and pressures are brought to bear on China’s natural environment.
Though a nominally socialist society, China has pursued ruthless market economics alongside its national concerns.
Mr Ye affirmed that the priorities of his ministry are “to promote good relationships between followers of different religions” as well as communicating to the rest of the world “the positive role religion plays in building up China’s project of an harmonious society”. In response, Dr Kobia offered WCC support to facilitate interreligious dialogue in the country.
The WCC delegation was accompanied by Rev Cao Shengjie, president of the China Christian Council, and Presbyter Ji Jianhong, chairperson of the National Committee of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of the Protestant Churches in China.
On the afternoon of the same day, the delegation met with leaders of China’s other main religions: Mr Chen, president of the China Islam Council; Mr Liu Bai Nian, Catholic Patriotic Association, chair of the Catholic Council of China; Mr Huang, vice president of the China Taoist Association; and Mr Chuan-Yin, from the Beijing Buddhist Association.
The encounter was hosted by the Beijing Christian Council, and national, regional and local representatives of the China Christian Council and Three-Self Patriotic Movement also participated.
Catholicism and Protestantism are treated as two religions by the Chinese government, not two expressions of one faith. When a British and Irish ecumenical delegation from CTBI visited China in late 2004 it met both Catholics and Protestants, causing both interest and some anxiety.
“No one particular religion has full monopoly on the truth. It is important to hold on to the truth we know while also respecting the truth in others. In this way we can avoid extremism of any kind,” Dr Kobia said in his remarks to the other religious representatives.
“In the 21st century,” he continued, “religious dialogue must address the fact that religion can easily be used as a source, or intensifier, of conflict. But the more we get to know each other, the more we recognize the common values we share – such as peace, care for creation, justice for all people, seeking quality of life for the more vulnerable in our societies.”
Some stories of collaboration and mutual support were shared at the meeting. Buddhists are helping Christians to build churches, and the Islamic community has provided office space to the Catholic Christian Council.
When places of worship were reopened after the Cultural Revolution, a leader in the Protestant Christian community traveled to his home province to purchase and donate special wood required for the restoration of a famous Buddhist temple.
In describing what he had witnessed in the meeting, Dr Kobia said he had been struck by “the testimonies of the religious leaders and the way they relate with one another. Not only do they have shared values in searching for justice and peace, but they support each other materially.” There are not so many places where “religions work so well together,” he concluded.
However many experienced China watchers point out that the degree of active cooperation across religious boundaries on the ground is very small in practice.
The Chinese government wishes to have religious harmony, but it also wishes to avoid the consolidation of faith groups into any kind of bloc which might be seen as challenging the privileged role of the Communist Party or constituting a major element of civil society.