Friday, July 28, 2006
Christian Mission Has Political Agenda?
Reply shanhuang #61
I am still trying to get used to this forum - certain posts in this thread are not accessible at one time, and some other posts are not accessible at other time.
Christian Zionism is the belief among some Christians that the return of the Jews to the Greater Israel, in their eyes, is a necessary prerequisite for the return of Jesus to reign on Earth, even if this meant bloody wars.
even if this meant bloody wars - If this is it, then I must agree with you it is evil.
This belief is commonly, though not exclusively, associated with evangelical Protestants around the world.
According to an expert on Christian Zionism, the US Christian population is about 1/3 Catholics, 1/3 mainline Protestants, and 1/3 Evangelicals.
Christian Zionism is the branch of Pre-millennial Dispensationalism, which is the theology adopted by most of the Protestant Fundamentalists. And Fundamentalism is a branch within the larger Evangelicals group. It is not as big and as you fear. Though no doubt there are many in the Bush administration who are staunchly pro-Israel, and some of them may be Christian Zionists.
This "Back to Jerusalem" movement is one of the Christian zionist movements
So far, I see no evidence of this. Back to Jerusalem is a Chinese Christian vision, not an organization.
it's evil because they have a clear goal to get 400 millions of Chinese converted
To get someone converted to Christianity in itself is no evil.
and to use Chinese to fight muslims
I see no evidence of this. They are just wanting to complete the missionary work in the stretch of land from Myanmar/Thailand/China to Central/South Asia to Middle East to Jerusalem where Christianity started. They see Christianity as starting from Jerusalem, spreading in a general Westward direction to Europe, then to US, then to China; Back to Jerusalem is to continue this Westward advance.
the so called "Chinese Christian crusade" -- bloody religious war
You may have misunderstood what you read. The term crusade in Christian circles is frequently used to mean mission work, not religious war. There is not single Christian organization I know of today that advocate religious war. American Christians who supported the Iraq War believed that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction and feared that Saddam Hussein would deliver them to terrorists. It is not religious war.
to change China's political landscape in the name of "democracy", "freedom" and "peace"
That may be true -- these are Western political ideals, and Chinese Christians may be influenced into accepting these ideals when they come into contact with Westerners (not just Christians). These are not evil things in themselves.
use Christianity to change China's political landscape in the name of "democracy", "freedom" and "peace"
Please do not confuse Christianity with Western political ideals. Democracy and freedom are practiced in many non-Christian countries. At least Hong Kong, Taiwan Korea, Japan, India, Thailand believe in these.
so to dominate the world by Christiniaty.
Christians seek to preach the Gospel to the entire world and to baptize as many people as possible into the Christian faith. This is in obedience to the Great Commission given by Jesus Christ. In so doing, Christians do not seek to dominate the world. We do not believe that the majority of the worlds population will become Christians. Of course, certain Christian individuals may have political aspirations and ambitions, and they may organized themselves as political bodies to achieve certain political or social goals. But this is not the mission of the Christian Church.
You can't deny this is an ORGANIZED POLITICAL MOVEMENT IN RELIGIOUS NAME.
I deny the assertions that Christians seek to dominate the world, and to make Chinese fight the Muslims in religious war. I can only agree that most Christians are in favour of democracy and freedom. But these are separate things.
Who wouldnt you want to see China evolve in its own way into democratic form of Government and enjoying more political and religious freedom? This is just a political ideal with no time table. Let China decide on its own time table.
Talk about world domination.
Actually, most Christian groups (including the Christian Zionists, Fundamentalists and Evangelicals, Catholics, mainline Protestant denominations) believe that the world will one day be under the rule of an anti-Christ.
Why US is so unconditionally support Isreal? 1) The zionist Christians' grass root support has largely controlled US congress, 2) the zionist elites have controlled the Whitehouse and Pentagon (see the picture). Plus, the overwhelming financial and media power in Jewish hands
I dispute this analysis. The Christian Zionists have very limited influence, as a Christian theology and as well as a political ideology.
By the term Christian Zionists, I refer to your own definition above.
Why US is so unconditionally support Isreal?
I propose the following reasons:
1. the overwhelming financial and media power in Jewish hands
2. Israel shares the same political values as the US - democracy, freedom, human rights
3. US sympathy for Israel as a consequence of the Holocaust and anti-Semitism throughout the centuries
4. Christian belief from the Bible that God will bless those who bless Abraham (and his descendants, i.e. Israel), and curse those who curse Abraham (and Israel). To bless does not mean to support evil things done by Israel. Christians who wish to to bless Israel are no Christian Zionists if they do not support the evil things done by Israel. Unfortunately, there are some who are the so-called Christian Zionists who support evil things done by Israel.
5. US perception that Israel was constantly under threat from Arab nations who did not want to recognise Israels existence as a nation (in 1948, when Israel declared independence, it was attacked by all the surrounding Arab nations, including Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, etc.)
6.US perception that Israel was constantly under threat from Arab terrorist groups today (Hamas, Hizbollah, Iran - these groups call for Israel to be wiped out of the map).
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