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 Transcripts: |
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A Report on Christianity in China
A Conversation with David Aikman
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Thursday, September 26, 2002
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Thursday, September 26, 2002
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David Aikman, a recent senior fellow at the EPPC and formerly a veteran foreign correspondent for Time magazine, has just returned from a three-month visit to China to investigate the overall status of Christianity in the country. He traveled several thousand miles, met representatives of both the "official" church—Catholic and Protestant—and spent many days with leaders and others in the house churches (some of which are basically underground). Aikman also spoke to several Chinese Christians who had been kidnapped by cultists from the Eastern Lightning.
Good News from China
"What is happening to Christianity in China, and what is happening to China because of Christianity?" At a September 26 seminar, Sinologist and journalist David Aikman reported that the search for answers to these two questions is what prompted his recent three-month journey "criss-crossing" China. During the trip, Aikman said, he had the advantage of special access to all sorts of underground Christian groups.
"Underground" has a variety of meanings in China, Aikman explained. While a few such groups are indeed unknown to the government, most simply lack official sanction. He described visiting some secret seminaries and a secret Christian music conservatory, but said that authorities were largely aware and often tolerant of "unrecognized" Christian groups. Despite the continuing persecution of Christian in some localities, Aikman expressed considerable optimism about the general climate: "there is no freedom of religion in China but a lot of tolerance."
China's religious landscape is changing dramatically, Aikman concluded. In the past few years, the growth of Christianity has spread from rural to urban areas; more Christians are willing to "go public"; young Christian seem particularly dedicated; and many Chinese universities have instituted courses in the Christian history of the West. China's leaders, moreover, espouse Christianity and have come to recognize its importance to the West's dynamism. No longer advocates of communist ideology, these leaders may soon admit that Christianity might also serve China well.
Center vice president Michael Cromartie moderated the conversation that followed. Several participants challenged Aikman about "the lack of horror stories."
Speakers:
Participants List:
George Archibald, Washington Times Kelli Arena, CNN Bryan Atchison, CatholicUniversity Chris Billing, Congressional-Executive Commission on China Jim Nelson Black, Sentinel Research Paul Borchers, Department of Labor Diane Bryhn, Office of Congressman Darrell Issa Kami Butt Leslie Carbone, freelance writer Keith Cox, Ravi Zacharias International Ministries Janice Shaw Crouse, Beverly LaHaye Institute Thomas Crowe, Center for Print and Broadcast Media Martin Davis, Philanthropy Roundtable Melody Divine, Burns, Figa, & Will, p.c. Timothy Dolch, Ethics and PublicPolicyCenter Julia Duin, Washington Times JoshEarl, Washington Times Terry Eastland, Weekly Standard Karin Finkler, Office of Congressman Joseph Pitts Hillel Fradkin, Ethics and PublicPolicyCenter Steve Garber, American Studies Program Joshua Good, Department of Labor Joshua Graham, Hands Along the Nile Leon Hadar, Cato Institute, Business Times (Singapore) Greg Headington Jeanne Heffernan, Ethics and PublicPolicyCenter Amy Hybels Peggy Jackson Paul Jensen, Office of Senator Gordon Smith David Jetter, Republican Policy Committee Bob Jones, World Grace Lee, Curtain Call Productions Rose Lemire, Office of Congressman Hostettler Alyn Levin-Hadar, Office of Senator Barbara Boxer Joe Loconte, Heritage Foundation Alan Mairson, National Geographic Paul Marshall, Freedom House Pierre Matchouda Phillip McCombs, Washington Post Amanda McCullough, Office of Congressman Hostettler Steven McFarland, Prison Fellowship International Neena Moorjani, Office of Congressman Kolbe Bill Newcott, Modern Maturity Sarah Pentz, Ethics and PublicPolicyCenter Judy Person, Washington Times Shannon Royce, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission Mark O’Keefe, Newhouse News Service Glenn Oeland, National Geographic Bruce Overton, Office of Administration Julia Overton Mary Lynn Qurnell, Office of Senator Helms Joanne Schmoll Leslie Sillars, PatrickHenryCollege Stephen Smith, DOE, Office of General Council Lisa D. Smith Dorothy Taft, Commission on Security and Cooperation in Europe John Tai, U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom John J. Tkacik, Jr., Heritage Foundation Mark Tooley, Institute on Religion and Democracy Kevin Vettraino, Center for Print and Broadcast Media Loredana Vuoto, Office of Senator Santorum Jen Waters, Washington Times William Wehrly Sarah Weltz, Concerned Women for America Rich Westfall, Center for Print and Broadcast Media Kathy Whitt, Bridges International Bill Wichterman, Office of Congressman Pitts Jonathan Winters, Department of Labor
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Blogging on the Courts
EPPC President Edward Whelan, the director of the program on The Constitution, the Courts, and the Culture, is a leading contributor to Bench Memos, National Review Online's award-winning blog on judicial nominations and constitutional law. You can read a list of all of his postings here. Paul Mirengoff of the influential Power Line blog has said, "Blogs like NRO’s Bench Memos … enable legal super-stars like Ed Whelan to shoot down bad arguments against nominees within hours."
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Dr. Peter Berger spoke at EPPC's most recent 
EPPC Distinguished Senior Fellow George Weigel's latest book,