Making religious comments without thinking
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Anonymous
From Wikipedia, re Irreligion in China: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irreligion_in_China ... Since 1978, the constitution provides for religious freedom: "No state organ, public organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens because they do, or do not believe in religion" (article 36). The Chinese state officially recognizes five religions: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism.[12] |
Anonymous
https://www.hrw.org/legacy/campaigns/china-98/religion.htm Human rights are severely restricted in China. Anyone who pretends otherwise (especially with a single wikipedia link lol) is either a fool or is spreading ridiculous misinformation willfully and trying to cover over extreme and dangerous human rights abuses. Which are you, pp? |
Anonymous
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As interest in religion has increased, so have efforts by the state to control it, in part because the government is convinced that religion breeds instability, separatism, and subversion, with Christianity and Islam in particular seen as vehicles for foreign influence and infiltration.
The Chinese government is wary of religion for several reasons. China is officially an atheist state and Communist Party members are banned from believing in or practicing any faith; there is concern that religion can function as an alternative to Communism and thus undermine loyalty to the government. The lessons from Eastern Europe and the role of the church, particularly in Poland, in generating opposition to Communist governments are still fresh. In addition, China's leaders view with suspicion the role of religion in ethnic minority areas., which they see as furthering pro-independence, or so-called "splittist" or separatist movements, especially in Tibet and Xinjiang. (See briefing papers on Tibet and Xinjiang.) Article 36 of China's constitution guarantees freedom of religious belief, but that freedom is seriously limited by the requirement that congregations adapt their "theology, conception, and organization" to socialist principles. There are other limitations as well, including the following: 1. The government defines what constitutes a religion. Five religions are officially recognized, Buddhism, Daoism, Islam, Catholicism, and Protestantism. Everything else is considered to be superstition. By this definition, "popular religion," a syncretic blend of Daoism, Buddhism, and polytheistic elements, that attracts the vast majority of Chinese believers is not a religion at all, and therefore people are not authorized to practice it. 2. The government defines what is orthodox. Even within acknowledged religions, the government can deem a particular group's practices or belief structure heterodox. The group in question then becomes labeled a "cult" or "sect" and can be banned accordingly. 3. The government insists that all religious practice take place under the auspices of official, state- and Party-sanctioned religious bodies. Congregations formed apart from these bodies, such as those associated with the Protestant "house church" movement, are illegal. Their meeting sites may be closed down or even demolished. Members are often fined and harassed, and sometimes detained. Unofficial gatherings, such as the traditional celebration of religious holidays by Catholics on a hill in Jiangxi province on feast days, are absolutely forbidden, and many participants in these gatherings have been detained. 4. The government uses the registration process to control all aspects of legal religious practice and to separate legal worship sites from illegal ones. Legally registered sites are bound by a host of regulations including those mentioned above, selection of leaders, restrictions on publication, supervision of finances, and regulation of foreign contacts. No religious structures may be built without authorization including "temples, churches, Daoist temples, shrines, open-air statues of gods or of the Buddha." The government not only has refused to issues permits but has demolished many structures because, officials say, the number of worship sites already exceeds the needs of the population. Applications in advance are required in order to hold "non-regular" religious activities. Proselytization is proscribed by restrictions on travel for would be evangelists. Religious debates are banned. In Shanghai and Guangzhou, organizations can be fined as much as 50,000 renminbi (approximately US$7,000) for a breach of the regulations. 5. In addition to religious regulations, the government uses other regulations and laws to restrict religious practice. Urban building and land use codes are used to stop construction of religious sites, the Law on Assembly and Demonstrations eliminates large-scale meetings and training classes; laws governing printing and publishing restrict dissemination of religious material. According to the government, no one is punished for religious practice but for breaking the law as defined in China's Criminal Code. 6. Chinese authorities use campaigns -- intensive efforts involving education and force organized either locally or from Beijing -- to break up large concentrations of unofficial sites, as in Hebei province (where underground Catholic churches are concentrated) or Tibet. Tactics include arrests, fines, forced confessional statements of illegal worship practices, destruction of monasteries and convents, school expulsions, and job loss. Respected local figures with followings are particular campaign targets. They may be placed under heavy surveillance and isolated from their followers and from foreign contacts.. The arrest and sentencing of Xu Yongze, the influential leader of the large and well-organized Born Again Christian movement, is a telling example of China's efforts to suppress the activities of religious leaders who refuse to be subject to state control and whose religious practices fall outside the pale of orthodoxy. The Born Again movement requires a person wishing to be saved to cry for three days. One highly-placed Chinese religious official said that since Xu Yongze believed that to be true, he was not really a Christian. The official said Xu "poisoned people's minds" by spreading the view that the end of the world was coming and by gathering people illegally to do nothing but cry. "The normal life and production of local people were seriously affected," the official said. Xu Yongze was arrested in March 1997 and received a sentence variously reported as three years or as four years reduced to three. https://www.hrw.org/legacy/campaigns/china-98/religion.htm |
Anonymous
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“2. The government defines what is orthodox. Even within acknowledged religions, the government can deem a particular group's practices or belief structure heterodox. The group in question then becomes labeled a "cult" or "sect" and can be banned accordingly.”
Shades of dcum atheists labeling all religion as a “cult.” |
Anonymous
Yeah it's kind of gone off the rails with all of the "blame the athiests" posts. |
Anonymous
Selection Bias. Do you think atheists hang out in Religion forum? |
Anonymous
| Who cares? Why are you even wasting your time with this? It is not important enough for me to think about this beyond my curiosity for reading this post. |
Anonymous
Out of curiosity, what do you suggest someone say in response to someone telling you their parent is ailing, or some other problem rather than I'll pray for you? I struggle with that too. I tried, "I'll be thinking of you and your family" but really, what does that mean? "I wish you and your family well" sounds dismissive. Anyone have any suggestions? |
Anonymous
This is a very good point. The "live and let live" atheists, and the atheists who are secure and happy with their choices, don't bother to spend their lives on a mom's religion forum. |
Anonymous
You shouldn't say "I'll pray for you" unless you know the person is religious and you are, too, and you actually then pray for them. You can say you're very sorry -- ask what you can do, maybe offer and provide some specific help, if feasible, e.g., a ride to a dr's appointment, some legitimate health advice (for instance, the name of a doctor who specializes in the person's malady). Sometimes I wonder if believers who say "I'll pray for you" actually do, or if it's more of an automatic response like saying "God bless you" after a sneeze. |
Anonymous
Do not give people health advice. Even if you are a medical professional. It’s actually advised against as a medical professional to walk around telling friends, family, and acquaintances how to manage their health. Don’t take the pp’s advice. plz. It’s bad advice. |
Anonymous
Yes they should keep their beliefs to themselves so we can express ours without criticism. |
Anonymous
Nope, and this seems to be your silly, go-to victimhood. You’re absolutely welcome to express your beliefs where they’re relevant or even requested. Just don’t hijack threads to insert your beliefs where the OP is, say, specifically addressing people of faith. |
Anonymous
well, that's not this thread because the OP specifically said: "Any other examples or ideas on how to handle it? Hope to hear from both religious and non-religious people." |
Anonymous
Please don’t let the facts of the original post conflict with the narrative. Atheists must be quiet regardless. |