Chinese Christians

There was an extensive article in the Toronto Star recently on the persecution of Christians in China. For a time it appeared that the Chinese government was becoming more tolerant of Christians after decades of persecution. More recently there has been growing harassment of believers and incarceration of priests and pastors. Why?

Part of the answer may come from the rapid growth of Christianity in China. Government estimates are that there are 20 million Christians in the country, a "drop in the bucket" of a population of 1.2 billion. There is a wildly optimistic estimate of 200 million. The challenge is that many Chinese Christians worship in unregistered house churches and lots don't want to publically declare their faith for fear of difficulties with authorities.

Philip Jenkins offers this in the latest Christian Century magazine:

Even viewed in these somewhat reduced terms, though, the Chinese number still inspires awe. Those 65 or 70 million Christians outnumber the total population of major nations like France, Britain or Italy. Put another way, China has almost as many Christians as it does members of the Communist Party. Moreover, the Christian figure represents a phenomenal growth from the 5 or so million who witnessed the communist takeover in 1949 and from the subsequent decades of massacre and persecution. If not quite a miracle, this is a profoundly impressive story.

Isn't it strange and sad that Christianity often flourishes in the midst of persecution, as it did in the first centuries, and often struggles in the midst of affluence. Who needs God or Jesus when they are comfortable? Or so we are inclined to think.

Any comments about this growth of the Chinese church? What about our culture?