Is Christianity becoming an Eastern Religion?

[Smalcald]

There seems to be a misunderstanding here. I have taken the meaning of Eastern Religion as from India, China, Japan and other far Eastern places. This would include religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism, Sikhism, Jainism, Parsis (Zoroastrianism), Taoism, Confucianism, Shintoism and other Eastern cults. These are the roots of the New Age movement that I mentioned in an earlier post. Maybe, the term "Eastern" should be explained.

Your Brother In Christ,

OneLight

I took the op to mean Christianity alone, which has been in the East since the resurrection. I find it fascinating that places like Ethiopia, North Africa, India, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey to name only a few have had believers living there and worshipping for centuries, withstanding wave after wave of persecution yet surviving.

I think the point simply is that there a whole whole bunch of Christians living in India, China and the Far East in general. This has I think some implications for us, and I also think it is a very good thing!

Couldn't it be a little of both?

We're seeing the Gospel spreading out into areas that was once dominated by these other religions, while at the same time the doctrines of these other religions are slowly starting to merge with the Gospel in our own country.

We are becoming more and more accepting of things that we shouldn't.

But the Gospel started in the East, not the West. Christian congregations in Turkey, Syria. Israel, Egypt and Ethiopia have been believers many centuries longer than anybody living in the US or Western Europe has been. Certainly those areas are no longer dominated by Christians, but Christians are still there and always have been.

We in the West particularly in the US have got to get over this idea that we are the center of Christianity, we are not, and we are one small slice of a much larger Body of Christ. I don't know why that would bother us. What is going on in China is great, read Yod's post, it is very inspiring. I would not be surprised if the US will soon be getting evangelized by Christians from the East!

As far as accepting things I would agree that we cannot mix religious faiths, nor should we. But I don

[OneLight]

But the Gospel started in the East, not the West. Christian congregations in Turkey, Syria. Israel, Egypt and Ethiopia have been believers many centuries longer than anybody living in the US or Western Europe has been. Certainly those areas are no longer dominated by Christians, but Christians are still there and always have been.

We in the West particularly in the US have got to get over this idea that we are the center of Christianity, we are not, and we are one small slice of a much larger Body of Christ. I don't know why that would bother us. What is going on in China is great, read Yod's post, it is very inspiring. I would not be surprised if the US will soon be getting evangelized by Christians from the East!

As far as accepting things I would agree that we cannot mix religious faiths, nor should we. But I don

[Smalcald]

Yes, I am being confusing no doubt.

I always think about the "East" as divided at the border between Europe and Turkey, which divided the Eastern and Western Roman Empire, and I think of the "Far East" as places like China and Japan.

But anyway that is just me and I often conflate the two!

For me this whole area of worldwide Christianity and global Christian growth is fascinating and interesting and of course a fulfillment of prophesy. I also feel that our Arab and Persian brothers and sisters in Christ have often been ignored by Christians living in the West.

China is indeed new to Christian faith and I think you are on to something with how we feel when we are first convert to faith in Christ. India is an interesting case. Although dominated as a percentage by Hindu's, they have had a Christian population there for a long time. Many believe that Thomas first evangelized India.

Anyway it is all for the glory of Christ and for me very inspiring to see the fulfillment of prophesy right before our eyes.

[Guest man]

As for the OP, no matter which way you take it, Christianity is for everyone, no matter where you live. Do they seek God more? Maybe, because it is new to them, as it once was for each of us. Remember what Jesus said about our "first love"? Our first love was when we were first saved, how we could not stop talking and thinking about Him. How we were excited about the changes HE made in our lives. How living for God was the most important. Today, we may still claim it is, and I am no judge of anyone's heart, but we have become complacent in our walk. We are not as excited as we once were. Something to really think about.

OneLight

I would say that their faith is a bit stronger than the faith of many here in the U.S. and other parts of the world where freedom isn't an issue. We don't live under the constant fear of being locked or even killed because of our beliefs. I think their faith is a more genuine faith because of the obstacles they face on a daily basis.

I'm not questioning anyones faith here at Worthy, but how many people do you and I know that are "christian" in name only. I know quite a few. Our freedom to worship here in the U.S. has made us lazy. How many people do you think would cut and run when faced with the decision of life or death?

[stacey c]

I used to attend a church a few years back that the pastors felt called here from South Africa that felt the Lord telling them that America was losing there first love and needed to be evanglized. People from the areas around their church in S Africa would walk for hours and miles just to go to church and many were so poor they didn't even have shoes! But these people were so hungr for the Word they didn't care, and after hours of awesome church they would walk back. And they did this week after week. I have seen videos of these people at that church and their faith was awe inspiring. It made me realize how complacent we really have becom here in America we have taken our freedom of worship for granted. Heck for the most part we don't even want to drive ten minutes for a bible believing church, it's too long a trip!