IS CHINA THE NEXT BIG FIELD FOR JWS?

by badboy 31 Replies latest jw friends

• 

  Inquisitor

  I think our repsonse to this question depends on individual interpretations of what "big field" means.

  If one supposed that the question was asking whether we might see the 1.3 billion Chinese converting to the JW religion, the answer is blatantly obvious. NO! That is impossible. JWs will always be the minority in ANY country, let alone the most populous in the world.

  But I interpreted that the question was asking if JW evangelism will thrive in China. And my answer to that is "Yes".

  A government's hostility to a religious sect does not necessarily kill it. JWs thrive in Singapore where they are banned. They thrived in Indonesia too (the ban was lifted not too long ago). Need I mention the countries that were formerly the USSR?

  And look at Falun Gong indeed! Have they been wiped out yet? NO! Sure you can decimate a good chunk of their members, but the greatest threat to religious zeal is not the edge of a sword, it is information. And that is another reason I am confident that China would be a good land for expansion: little is known about JWs. The same factors that drive the people to embrace Catholicism and the Protestant groups will aid the WTS in making inroads within the Chinese people.

  INQ
• 

  beautifulisfree

  I don't think so....I always thought that in China the families were very close-knit. So perhaps if an older one got disfellowshipped or became an 'apostate' the others would be more open to listening...since I think they respect the older ones or family members more then they would respect their 'church'
• 

  DannyBloem

  the "problem" is that in the eyes of budhists all regilions are respectable, and all thoughts about God are ok. (no some extend)

  this will make them friendly and willingly to listen but not willingly start to believe that they have now found the only religion and all others are bad.

  but then in Japan, there are many followers...

  but in thailand etc it can be preached without restrains. It isn't growing fast. Also not in India.

  DB
• 

  eyeslice

  DannyBloem
  I think the Japan comparission is slightly misleading. Following WWII, Japan experience a very rapid 'westernisation', which was really the 'in' that the Society used to get dozens of missionaries in. The same is not likely to be true of China and India.
• 

  startingover

  Only if the WTS is allowed to own property there.
• 

  DannyBloem

  eyeslice,

  I agree with you. (not to mention the loss of the war, which was a starting point for radical changes in feelings and believes)
  maybe more comparable with thailand, cambodia etc....

  DB
• 

  skeptic2

  "And look at Falun Gong indeed! Have they been wiped out yet? NO! "
  I think it is safe to assume they are being kept at a controlled level, being persecuted and kept at a controlled level would not seem to agree with the implication of the question 'is China the next big field for JWs?'. It's maybe a small field, a very small field.
• 

  skeptic2

  Having thought about it I've changed my mind. I think they would do ok, if they caught on, the kind of 'success' Falun Gong sees would be at the upper end of the 'whats possible' range I think.
  This raises an interesting question: how does the process of spreading Jehooberism to a new country work?
• 

  skeptic2

  It seems there is a small number of J-dubbers in China.

  Adherents of the Baha'i faith, of Mormonism, and of Jehovah's Witnesses exist in China in small numbers but are not allowed any legal existence. http://www.forum18.org/Archive.php?article_id=740

  Seems they are just not catching on there.

  Interesting comment by the Watchtower:

  Many people in China flock to the churches in hopes of finding something to fill the spiritual void that has resulted as capitalistic aspirations gradually displace Communist ideology. Every year, millions of copies of the Bible are printed and distributed in China, and people seem to be reading it the way they did Mao's little red book. http://www.watchtower.org/library/w/2003/12/1/article_01.htm >

  If we optimisticly assume 'millions' means 10 million. Population estimated by the CIA at 1,313,973,713. That's would be 1 bible for every 131 Chinese people.

  If we pessimisticly assume 'millions' means 2 million. Population estimated by the CIA at 1,313,973,713. That's would be 1 bible for every 657 Chinese people.
• 

  serendipity

  HI Ivy and welcome!