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President Xi’s ‘Sinicization’ Plan

sun rise

The world is on fire
Premium Member
Thanks to Wikipedia... this which I think illustrates who Xi is emulating

Emphasizing his ability to steer China's future, Mao was referred to as "the great leader Chairman Mao" (伟大领袖毛主席) in public and he was entitled "the great leader, the great supreme commander, the great teacher and the great helmsman" (伟大的领袖、伟大的统帅、伟大的导师、伟大的舵手) during the Cultural Revolution. This could also be influenced by the role Mao played in guiding the Red Army on the Long March to escape the Chinese Nationalist Party. The accounts by Mao and his followers during this time painted him as innovative, inspirational and strategically brilliant, as assessment at odds with the views of several historians.[29]
 

Audie

Veteran Member
Considering the efforts made by westerners
to christianize us, and otherwise civilize the
heathen celestial, I'd say fair about is turn play.
 

Father Heathen

Veteran Member
How will they "sinicize" a church whose leadership is seen as divinely appointed and located outside their sphere of power and influence?
 

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
Leaders From China’s State-Run Catholic Church Brief Hong Kong Clergy on President Xi’s ‘Sinicization’ Plan
Critics see this conference, held in mid-November, as a precursor to a further crackdown on religious freedom.


Sinicize - make Chinese in character or form.

I understand why further crackdowns on religious freedoms are predicted, but that seems based more on prior experience across a range of areas (not just religion) than particular to anything 'new' in the article, right?

Or I'm misreading it?
 

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
How will they "sinicize" a church whose leadership is seen as divinely appointed and located outside their sphere of power and influence?

Seen by who?

The Church is earthly, and can be impacted by earthly actions, no matters your views on its divine status.
They have impacted on the Church structure, and organisational hierarchy, for example. They can also use laws to arrest or otherwise block actions they don't see as meeting their cultural objectives.

They won't effect the Pope, but they can effect his representatives in China.
 

lewisnotmiller

Grand Hat
Staff member
Premium Member
I was under the impression that Catholics view their church, the pope, etc. as god's official representative?

So many ways to answer that...lol.

Let's frame it in a modern American lens. It's fair to say there is a strong subculture within the U.S. Conference Of Bishops. This has often been outspoken of the central papacy, and been critical at times of Francis.
There is also clear political jockeying at times, including on the appointment of Francis and in the positioning of his successor.

This is largely without any deliberately agitating external party being involved. Replace the US government with a totalitarian regime traditionally hostile to Christianity, and with the ability to censure and punish within their borders as they see fit.

Do you think that regime could have an earthly impact on the Church in their region? Do you think over time such impacts can have an effect on belief, even if only an adjustment in whether communism is seen as more or less compatible with Jesus' teachings?

I do, in both cases.
 

Brian2

Veteran Member
Considering the efforts made by westerners
to christianize us, and otherwise civilize the
heathen celestial, I'd say fair about is turn play.

"Turn about is fair play" sounds like "revenge is a good thing" but "fair about is turn play" is something I'm not sure of. It must be a Chinese saying.
 
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