Communism's Greatest Threat

[Philip]

In regimes like North Korea and China, here is what their leaders fear most!
https://www.foxnews.com/world/north-kor ... ion-gospel

[Fliegender]

The DPRK (Democratic Peoples Republic of Korea) isn’t communist in the sense that the USSR and Maoist China were. Or in the sense that Cuba still is. North Korea is closer to an absolute monarchy along the lines of Saudi Arabia - politically - than it is to classical socialism...but an absolute monarchy without the financial wherewithal of Saudi or Brunei, to name these two. Also, the DPRK is a functional necrocracy where the founder of the nation, the long-dead Kim il-sung is known as the Eternal Leader. The country has aptly copied Christian theology where the Kim rulers occupy the analogous positions of God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. If your interested in more information, look up Juche ideology.

So...the title of this thread is somewhat misleading. The DPRK is communist in name only. The country doesn’t allow its citizens freedom of religion because the Kim family is quasi divine. The Kim dynasty is the state and Juche ideology is the religion... just as Muslim kings and sultans rule in the last absolute monarchies in the world. Missionary work is not allowed in such places.

[edwardmurphy]

The Chinese aren't especially communist, either. Sure, the "Chinese Communist Party" is in control, but these days those party apparatchiks are mostly tasked with finding innovative ways to increase profits, form international business partnerships, gain control of external natural resources, and the like. China is basically a totalitarian capitalist-communist hybrid state.

As far as Christianity being the biggest threat, or any threat at all, to the rulers of either of those countries, I just don't see it. Christians are just one of many groups of boat rockers that totalitarian governments routinely curb stomp. If anything China, with its massive population and willingness to play hardball, is a threat to Christianity. Isn't the Chinese government ghostwriting a new version of the Bible? And didn't the Roman Catholic Church cave a bit ago and allow the Chinese government to appoint bishops? It wouldn't be the first time that Christianity has been revised to fit the needs of the ruling elite.

[Fliegender]

The Chinese aren't especially communist, either. Sure, the "Chinese Communist Party" is in control, but these days those party apparatchiks are mostly tasked with finding innovative ways to increase profits, form international business partnerships, gain control of external natural resources, and the like. China is basically a totalitarian capitalist-communist hybrid state.

As far as Christianity being the biggest threat, or any threat at all, to the rulers of either of those countries, I just don't see it. Christians are just one of many groups of boat rockers that totalitarian governments routinely curb stomp. If anything China, with its massive population and willingness to play hardball, is a threat to Christianity. Isn't the Chinese government ghostwriting a new version of the Bible? And didn't the Roman Catholic Church cave a bit ago and allow the Chinese government to appoint bishops? It wouldn't be the first time that Christianity has been revised to fit the needs of the ruling elite.

Yeah, China isn’t isn’t communist anymore. That’s why I wrote "Maoist China" in my post, above. Today’s China has millionaires and billionaires and a growing middle class. I really cannot think of any classically socialist countries anymore apart from Cuba and, maybe, Belarus. I’ve been to Cuba several times but not to Belarus. (Entering Belarus is a lengthy process and rental car companies in Poland require very expensive insurance for those wishing to cross into that country.) There are operating churches in Cuba where worshippers meet on Sunday. So "communism" doesn’t necessarily equal religious repression. This was true in the USSR and its satellite republics but official state atheism never did kill the Russian Orthodox Church.

Christianity, Islam and Falun Gong are controlled in many Asian countries. Another topic on these forums is about Israel not allowing proselytizing. None of these places are communist. The communist bogeyman is still alive for many in the USA but he is long dead. Move into the year 2020. I just wanted to set things straight.

[Philip]

How pure whatever dictatorship or a government's communist / Marxist origins, no, it's not just Christianity, but it's the idea that anything that threatens their total control is what they desire to snuff out. But spiritual beliefs are a particular challenge to such as that they can't necessarily see or control what is in people's hearts and minds. The Roman Empire, with all its bloodlust and brutality against Christianity could not stop it! You just can't stop the Holy Spirit that lives within people!

[Fliegender]

How pure whatever dictatorship or a government's communist / Marxist origins, no, it's not just Christianity, but it's the idea that anything that threatens their total control is what they desire to snuff out. But spiritual beliefs are a particular challenge to such as that they can't necessarily see or control what is in people's hearts and minds. The Roman Empire, with all its bloodlust and brutality against Christianity could not stop it! You just can't stop the Holy Spirit that lives within people!

Well, yes and no. Many governments feel a need to preserve their culture - or nation - against foreign ideas, foreign culture or foreigners. These countries will enact laws to this effect and they see this as protecting their culture/way of life/their society. It isn’t a communist thing. It isn’t a dictatorship thing either. Many countries have enacted laws designed to curb foreign influence and maintain their nation’s identity: Canada, Israel, Switzerland, France, Slovakia, Poland... none of these are dictatorships. The list is actually quite long and dictatorships are a minority. Christianity and other faiths may be seen as undesirable foreign influences depending on where you live.

The Cold War has been over for 30 years already. it’s time to change the Black & White vision many people still have of the world.



A correction: There are wealthy people in Belarus now and their citizens are able to travel overseas, so the country is only nominally “communist”. That would leave Cuba as the only truly Marxist nation left on earth...and even in Cuba, things are changing as joint ventures with foreign privately-owned companies are quite common, especially in the tourism industry.

[edwardmurphy]

How pure whatever dictatorship or a government's communist / Marxist origins, no, it's not just Christianity, but it's the idea that anything that threatens their total control is what they desire to snuff out.

Exactly.

But spiritual beliefs are a particular challenge to such as that they can't necessarily see or control what is in people's hearts and minds. The Roman Empire, with all its bloodlust and brutality against Christianity could not stop it! You just can't stop the Holy Spirit that lives within people!

Rome didn't stop Christianity, but Rome did change Christianity. China could repress Christianity, or they could allow Christianity to enter China but also change it to fit the needs of the State, just like the Romans did. That's why I said that China is as big a threat to the Church as the Church is to China.