ARTICLE: "Religious Surge in Once-Atheist China Surprises Leaders," by Howard W. French, New York Times, 4 March 2007, p. A3.
I like French's work a lot.
Near the end of BFA, I think in "Headlines from the future," I talk about how surprisingly religious China will end up being.
This was a gut call on my part (what Art Cebrowski liked to call "data free research"), based on conversations I had with younger Chinese professionals during our adoption trip in 04. Everyone said they were raised godless and now pretty much worshiped success, and stated rather confidently that China would remain that way. My response was, wait until you get a kid and that kid grows up a bit and starts asking questions you can't answer, like the always favorite "why?" At that point, I said, "you'll be surprised how much you start turning to religion."
This story starts with a mother converting to Buddhism and then steering her daughter in that direction.
Not a particularly visionary prediction on my part, just noticing the dynamic unfolding.
This process just begins. It's why the Vatican wants in so bad.
Everyone likes an emerging market.
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Comments (1)
"It's why the Vatican wants in so bad."
Indeed, that's why the Vatican is in so heavily: stronger by far than the weak and twice-subverted Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association.
The central requirements of the Vatican-Beijing accord are well known by all sides: mutual approval of Bishops, as currently exists in Vietnam. The stumbling blocks are doubtless over Rome's ability to proselityze and condemn abortion, as well as the ability for someone to hold dual membership in the Chinese Communist Party and the Latin Rite. As much evangelizing can be down in the grey information market, and Rome has a long history of condemning policies without attacking leaders, there are no major stumbling blocks. Merely the typical "politics" that can put of any deal of any size.
Posted by Dan tdaxp | March 16, 2007 9:16 AM