Message from @Deleted User
Discord ID: 461993044603043840
This is on my bucket list
It's usually referred to in the west as a Buddhist pagoda
Yeah it looks like it.
But it's well known in China for what it really is
Old catholic place?
It faces east. Buddhist and Taoist temples only face north or south
I know Christianity spread to the east.
Interesting.
Actually it's Nestorian
Not familiar with that term.
There's a painting of the nativity on the walls inside
I've been to two Buddhist temples. They don't have nativity scenes.
Yeah. Wouldn’t make sense to have one.
Nestorians believed that there was a distinction between the human nature and divine nature of Jesus
Nestorius who came up with the idea was the Patriarch of Constantinople in the 5th century
So it was deemed heresy, and his followers moved eastward, as far as China, and built the church in the photo in 640 AD
Oh that’s cool.
The Tang Dynasty was cool with Christianity, but later dynasties persecuted it severely
Still do, don’t they?
Chinese that is.
It's a foregone conclusion to them that God exists, just like gravity
Always has been
Meaning they believe God exists?
Dunno if you could necessarily call them Christian, but the existence of God, Jesus, and Heaven are just as accepted as the rotation of the earth
Church however, isn't a big thing. The only legal churches are government agencies basically
Interesting. I thought I had read recent government persecution of Christian churches in China.
Three Self Patriotic Movement for Protestants, and Chinese Patriotic Catholic Church for us
The problem is that the government doesn't see any difference in church and nonchurch
It doesn't get a special respect or status
Ah
Officially to join the party you must be atheist. And party membership is required for any higher government position or "elected" office
Interesting that their society accepts God as real, but also accepts that their rulers renounce God.
To non-believers there, or even just people who don't practice Christianity, being Christian is something of a novelty to them. When I met my wife's family and she told them I'm Catholic, they automatically assumed I must be a good guy
Because in their view, every Christian follows Christian principles. Don't lie or steal etc
Oh
Interesting.
Their lack of church worship comes from antiquity. The early Chinese followed the exact same religion as pre-Mosaic Hebrews. This is accepted as simple historical fact to them
And of course Abraham didn't go to church
So the act of Sunday worship and going to church never became important to them, since they lacked a Bible and basically just learned about God by oral tradition
"God is in heaven and can see what you do, so be good, don't make him mad or your life is gonna suck" is pretty much their whole religion for centuries