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The Chinese government is supervising a 5-year plan to make Christianity more compatible with socialism---including Buddhist "scripture" and Confucian teachings, and new commentaries for the New Testament.
America's religious Left is also re-writing the Bible. When not discrediting evangelicals, Jim Wallis' so-called "religious Left" or "Christian Left" is finding ways to use reinterpreted sacred Scripture to justify their liberal, leftist, socialist, progressive beliefs.
The Rev. Bob Fu, a former Chinese house church leader who immigrated to the United States in 1997 and founded a watchdog organization, gave great detail during a House hearing a couple of weeks ago. He talked about China's plan to re-write the Bible, re-educate the public regarding the Christian faith and create an organization of state-approved "Christian" churches.
A while back, Media Research Center analyzed the various ways liberals and the media have teamed up to misuse and abuse the Bible to mock biblical Christians and conservatives.
China and biblical Christianity
Rev. Fu says China's goal is to "Sincize" Christianity. He says, "Religious freedom in China has reached the worst level that has not been seen since the beginning of the Cultural Revolution by Chairman Mao in the late 1960s."
There are thousands---perhaps millions of "house churches" across China, with millions of biblical Christians meeting in private because of China's escalating persecution against biblical Christians.
Here's what's happening as we speak.
The government version of Christianity and the Bible will "retranslate" the Old Testament and provide new commentary to the New Testament to make "socialist ideals and Chinese culture seem more divine."
The pastor says, "There are outlines that the new Bible should not look westernized and should look Chinese and reflect Chinese ethics of Confucianism and socialism."
He says the "Old Testament will be messed up, and the New Testament will have new commentary to interpret it."
Fu says the revision of Christianity includes encouraging churches to blend in style with Chinese architecture.
And he says, "In the beginning of every church worship service, the choir of the church has to sing a few revolutionary songs praising the communist party before they can sing the Christian worship songs."
This is not an idea that is being discussed, it's a policy that is well underway.
Fu says that there have already been 4,000 to 6,000 crosses of state-sanctioned churches torn down and that "churches that have crucifixes on the inside must put up pictures of Chairman Mao and Chairman Xi [Jinping] on both sides of the cross."
In some provinces, he says, they have already banned children from going to church.
I'm reminded that Mao said, "To read too many books is harmful."
Clearly, they don't want children learning what the Bible teaches.
Rev. Fu says, "When Bibles are burned, when a simple prayer over a meal in public may be an illegal religious gathering"...and when religious people are interned in "re-education camps and forced to renounce their faith," the dream of the Chinese leadership becomes a nightmare.
Mao also said, "Communism is not love. Communism is a hammer which we use to crush the enemy."
Biblical Christianity seems to be China's number one enemy at this time.
America and biblical Christianity
From the time of our Founding, Christianity has held a prominent place in American culture. Our Founders often quoted it, used its teaching to frame our legal system, and even our political structure of the branches of government---providing checks and balances on elected officials.
Several years ago, then MSNBC anchor Melissa Harris-Perry, wrote a book that sums up how the Left has found religion---particularly Christianity, to be a useful weapon to bludgeon those who believe differently.
To accomplish transforming the Bible into a useful tool, they have consistently "re-written and revised" what it actually says.
Harris-Perry's book was about "re-imagining the Bible."
Media Research Center wrote an in-depth article on how that is playing out before our eyes. And how the notion of "re-imagining the Bible" has advanced over the past few years.
President Obama personified the evolution of re-imagining God's Truth. When running for his first term as president, he declared that "marriage is only between one man and one woman," and added that marriage was particularly import to him and Michele because of their Christian faith.
Four years later at Vice Present Biden's urging, President Obama came out in support of same-sex "marriage."
As Obama took actions that undermined the institution of traditional marriage---like destroying DOMA, Joe Biden---with a smirk--said Obama had supported homosexual "marriage" for a long time, but didn't think it would be smart politically to come out until now.
In recent years, we have seen the same kind of revisionism in the United States that China is undertaking to re-write and re-interpret the Bible and biblical Christian beliefs.
MRC notes that Washington Post contributor Anthony Stevens-Arroyo has written that the Bible was Karl Marx's inspiration to write his dictum. The Huffington Post has published articles claiming "Jesus Christ was homosexual, Christ lives in every individual of every shade of sexual orientation and gender identity---therefore He affirms the behavior and lifestyle."
Writer Nynia Chance has written that the Bible supported abortion, and claims are regularly made that Jesus was married.
I strongly encourage you to read the MRC article
William Shakespeare wrote: "The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose."
And so can the religious Left.
In the "Merchant of Venice," Shakespeare wrote, "The devil can cite Scripture for his purpose. An evil soul producing holy witness is like a villain with a smiling cheek, A goodly apple rotten at heart, O' what a goodly outside falsehood hath."
Shakespeare got it right. In Matthew 4 and Genesis 3, the devil is doing just that---quoting Scripture for his own destructive purposes.
Pray for the Christians in China. Their battle is with the powers that be.
The battle in America is more seductive---but both are a battle for the mind and heart of individuals.
Thankfully, President Trump has taken a number of steps to strengthen and protect our religious freedom in America, but the Left, in media, entertainment and education, are saluting both Marx and Mao in their long march through American institutions---while attempting to re-write the Truth of God's Word.
Consider this from Martin Luther:
A mighty Fortress is our God,
A Bulwark never failing;
Our Helper He amid the flood
Of mortal ills prevailing:
For still our ancient foe
Doth seek to work us woe;
His craft and power are great,
And, armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
Did we in our own strength confide,
Our striving would be losing;
Were not the right Man on our side,
The Man of God’s own choosing:
Dost ask who that may be?
Christ Jesus, it is He;
Lord Sabaoth His Name,
From age to age the same,
And He must win the battle.
And though this world, with devils filled,
Should threaten to undo us,
We will not fear, for God hath willed
His truth to triumph through us:
The Prince of Darkness grim,
We tremble not for him;
His rage we can endure,
For lo! his doom is sure,
One little word shall fell him.
That word above all earthly powers,
No thanks to them, abideth;
The Spirit and the gifts are ours
Through Him who with us sideth:
Let goods and kindred go,
This mortal life also;
The body they may kill:
God’s truth abideth still,
His Kingdom is forever.