Economic Growth in China Aids Religion, Visiting Clerics Say

Pursuit of money, often portrayed as a distraction to faith, appears to be helping it in China.

Moreover, religion and the economy seem on the upswing there.

These impressions were brought back last week from a 12-day visit to China by a delegation of the interfaith Appeal of Conscience Foundation.

Its president, Rabbi Arthur Schneier, said China’s new openness to investment has had a “positive impact on the religious communities.”

“Reform economically leads to societal reform and to more freedom of religion,” he said.

He said the government’s emphasis on economic growth and maintaining its stability has resulted in a pragmatic approach of “greater responsiveness to all religions.”

They are all growing, he and two other members of the delegation told a news conference.

Roman Catholic Archbishop Theodore E. McCarrick of Newark, N.J., said that despite sporadic difficulties, “religion is developing in China,” with a “new spirit of growth” and “new progress.”

Although Asia Watch, a Washington-based human-rights monitoring agency, recently reported tightening controls over religion in China, foundation delegates said that tendency seemed to be easing.

Also, the government interference was described as directed mainly at the unregistered “house churches” of which there reportedly are thousands. They reject government oversight.

“The government is not happy with them,” McCarrick said. “Many of their leaders are in prison.” But he said the underground churches also are growing, despite harassment.

He said that if the Chinese continue to reform the economy, the present indications are it will result in increased freedom of conscience.

A hopeful sign was seen in meetings held in January by Communist Party Secretary General Jing Zemin with leaders of all five officially recognized religious groups--Muslims, Buddhists, Catholics, Taoists and Protestants.

The Rev. Carl E. Flemister, regional minister of the American Baptist Churches of Metropolitan New York, said that “along with the vitality of the churches,” he noticed an increased number of younger leaders.

Like the government, he said, “the church has been run by a lot of old men. But they’re now bringing in younger men and women.”

“We’ve not seen the conflict there about women ministers,” such as occurred in the United States, he said.

He said 45 new Protestant ministers were ordained in January, and many seminaries include faculty members from abroad. There are 13 Protestant seminaries and 20 Catholic seminaries, members of the delegation said.

They said government officials with whom they met and church leaders agree that religious participation and facilities are increasing. According to government figures, Buddhists number 100 million, Muslims 20 million, Protestants 5.6 million, Catholics in the “Patriotic Catholic Church,” which rejects links to the Vatican and the Pope, 3.6 million, and Taoists 1 million.

McCarrick said estimates of Catholics in unregistered underground churches, which still identify with Rome, may be five to 10 times the number in the officially approved Catholic Church--up to 36 million.