The National Day offered to the government-controlled Protestant Church the opportunity to call Christians to unconditionally obey the CCP.
by Zhang Chunhua
If you believe you know what the Trinity is in Christian theology, you may be surprised by some new Chinese interpretations. Pastor Xu Xiaohong, Chairman of the Chinese Christian Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee, i.e., the government-controlled unified Protestant Church in China, ventured into a very risky comparison, and argued that the Three-Self Church, the Chinese Communist Party, and the government of the People’s Republic of China also form a “Trinity” Christians should honor and follow.
Pastor Xu was inspired by the National Day, the 72nd anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China, on September 30 last, and the fact that it was Holy Trinity Church in Shanghai where he raised the national flag for the special occasion and delivered his speech.
Pastor Xu and the devotees he had assembled sang with gusto the “March of the Volunteers,” which serves a China’s national anthem: “Stand up! Those who refuse to be slaves! With our flesh and blood, let’s build our newest Great Wall!
The Chinese Nation is at its greatest peril, Each one is forced to let out one last roar. Stand up! Stand up! Stand up! We are billions of one heart. Braving the enemies’ fire, March on! Braving the enemies’ fire, March on! March on! March on! on!”
Indeed, Pastor Xu marched on, paid homage to President Xi Jinping, and stated that “in the past 100 years, the party led the people of the whole country in hard work, which helped the Chinese people stand up, become rich and become strong, and make China stand tall among the nations of the world.”
Pastor Xu reminded his audience that “Shanghai is the birthplace of the Communist Party of China and the birthplace of the original intention of the Chinese Communist Party. It is also the birthplace of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement of Christianity in China.”
Xu guaranteed that Chinese (Three-Self) Christians “work with the party with one heart and one mind and walk in the same direction. There are many beautiful testimonies, like clouds surrounding us. I hope that we will continue to unite around the party, love the country and love the religion, and do our best.” When the Party asks a question, Xu said, Christians should “give an answer that truly satisfies the Party.”
Prophetically, Xu saw “a triumphant song for the new era” emerge from Chinese Christians. But it does not seem to be a Christian song.
