Isn’t it time for our churches to remove the beam from our eye, be proper examples by re-establishing focus on Christ and fearlessly purge political correctness from the pulpit?
China openly changes Christianity while America does it covertly
China has reportedly instituted a five-year plan over which it has declared its intention to rewrite and edit the Bible, revising New Testament commentaries to suit Chinese culture and current social order.
Of note is that the to-be-revised Bibles and Qurans, both are included in this directive, will reflect Chinese culture, writing communist values into the texts. However, PRC’s communists claim “Marxism” that is not related to homegrown Confucianism or even imported Buddhism, which this plan is said to incorporate as native culture. Communism is as foreign to the ancient Chinese social order as Christianity, more so in fact.
Plodding metamorphosis of churches in America to conform to contemporary culture that has gone mostly unnoticed
Nevermind Chinese hypocrisy, outrage at the People’s Republic of China’s temerity is rising among Christians in the West and around the world. Christian commentators are ostracizing the audacity of Xi Jin Ping. Amid the umbrage, there is an irony to be realized in how there’s been a plodding metamorphosis of churches in America to conform to contemporary culture that has gone mostly unnoticed.
For those who haven’t been paying attention, the change in the West has been practically accomplished, occurring over decades and hundreds of years of other ideologies infiltrating the church through cultural pressures. Some of it has come via re-interpreting and even excising scripture to reflect the humanism of secular culture. This isn’t anything new. Gnosticism was branded as heretical by Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon, in the 2nd Century A.D. in his writings, Against Heresies, yet some of it remains in the Church to this day.
When it comes to condemning the Chinese government for deliberately stepping in to frame and control church operations, look around, that has already happened here. Most American churches have submitted to government authority by subtlety, being conditioned to believe they must incorporate as non-profits in order to welcome worshippers and their tithes. The change has been so piecemeal that clergy and members haven’t recognized the alterations as they took place.
The Lord didn't ask or tell Christians to be non-profits. He told Christians to disciple believers to follow His Law written on their hearts
In the United States, compliance was engineered by deception so churches would voluntarily put themselves under government jurisdiction, which they did at the behest of lawyers working the lucrative angle of creating corporate entities for organizations that didn’t need them. Over time, church leaders have been convinced that they must organize under Internal Revenue Code §501(c)(3) to receive government approval to operate as a non-profit, supplied by an official letter from the IRS. The legislation became law in 1954 as a means to lessen the influence of Christian ethics that founded this nation, diminishing free religious expression as guaranteed by the First Amendment.
501s have changed the Church into government subjects, asking permission from bureaucrats to bestow their ‘blessing’ to open the doors for believers to gather and honor God. Once a church has submitted itself to IRS tax-exempt guidelines they function under threat of losing their non-profit status.
The Lord didn't ask or tell Christians to be non-profits. He told Christians to disciple believers to follow His Law written on their hearts (Jeremiah 31:33). Matthew 2237 “Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38 This is the first and great commandment. 39 And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. 40 On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” AKJV
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Western churches now primarily embody western culture
As the communist Chinese are determined to overtly change the Bible to suit their government protocols and social order instead of Christ's, the West has done it incrementally. Western churches now primarily embody western culture, not the culture of Christ. Arguably, neither is the Church anointed by God once it loses its focus on Christ. So what is the answer for Christians in America?
Commentators and church leaders should continue to direct attention toward governments, forces or powers that don’t hide their animosity to Christ and His followers. They also need to re-examine how the American Church (all denominations) can redirect their service back to the their namesake instead of being concerned about appeasing bureaucracies. The pertinent solutions are found first in the unadulterated Word of God. Regarding government intrusion, relief for religious organizations from overreaching bureaucracies is buried in 26 USC §508.
Isn’t it time for our churches to remove the beam from our eye, be proper examples by re-establishing focus on Christ and fearlessly purge political correctness from the pulpit?
Former newspaper publisher, A. Dru Kristenev, grew up in the publishing industry working every angle of a paper, from ad composition and sales, to personnel management, copy writing, and overseeing all editorial content. During her tenure as a news professional, Kristenev traveled internationally as a representative of the paper and, on separate occasions, non-profit organizations. Since 2007, Kristenev has authored five fact-filled political suspense novels, the Baron Series, and two non-fiction books, all available on Amazon. Carrying an M.S. degree and having taught at premier northwest universities, she is the trustee of Scribes’ College of Journalism, which mission is to train a new generation of journalists in biblical standards of reporting. More information about the college and how to support it can be obtained by contacting Kristenev at cw.o@earthlink.net.
ChangingWind (changingwind.org) is a solutions-centered Christian ministry.
China has reportedly instituted a five-year plan over which it has declared its intention to rewrite and edit the Bible, revising New Testament commentaries to suit Chinese culture and current social order.
Of note is that the to-be-revised Bibles and Qurans, both are included in this directive, will reflect Chinese culture, writing communist values into the texts. However, PRC’s communists claim “Marxism” that is not related to homegrown Confucianism or even imported Buddhism, which this plan is said to incorporate as native culture. Communism is as foreign to the ancient Chinese social order as Christianity, more so in fact.
