07/14/2022 China (International Christian Concern) – On June 25, in celebration of its 30th year as a state-vetted church in China, Guangdong province’s Shamian Church invited Reverend Xu Jieping to give a speech.
The president of Guangdong Union Theological Seminary centered his speech on meditation, arguing that “believers [can] meditate on Chinese philosophy and socialist core values [in conjunction with] the Bible.” The combining of CCP ideology and religion is referred to as Sinicization.
To meditate properly, the pastor advised members to admire God’s creation by looking at Chinese paintings, writing Bible verses in Chinese calligraphy, and making food while meditating on God’s power and the Chinese proverb, “food is the heaven for the people,” and meditating during the practice of Chinese medicine.
In addition, Reverend Xu encouraged members to listen to hymns and traditional Chinese songs while avoiding spending long hours on one’s phones. Limiting the amount of time spent online reduces the amount of religious content posted, thereby supporting government censorship of online religious content.
Reverend Xu’s recommendations align with the CCP’s orders to maintain Chinese characteristics within religion. Adhering to government measures implies heavier restrictions on Christians outside state-vetted churches.
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