In October, China traditionally honored the Shang Dynasty, whose emperors ruled in the second millennium BCE. Shang celebrations were wiped away by the Cultural Revolution
(文化大革命 or文革). A movement promoted by the CCP between 1966 and 1976 to liquidate what remained of traditional Chinese culture, society and religion, regarded as incompatible with Communism. All religions were prohibited, including those in the red market. As the CCP itself later admitted, the movement caused incommensurable suffering to the Chinese population and ended in disgrace and failure.
“>Cultural Revolution but have been revived since, and connected to a peculiar economic historical myth revamped by the CCP
It stands for Chinese Communist Party, which from 1949 controls all social and political life in China. Members of CCP should in principle be self-proclaimed atheists. The ultimate goal of CCP is suppression of religion. However, how this goal is achieved has varied during time, and after Chairman Mao’s death the CCP has acknowledged that, notwithstanding its efforts, religions may survive in China for a long time.
“>CCP for its own purposes. Now, Christian pastors of the government-controlled Three-Self Church
See Three Self Church.
“>Three-Self Church are told that they should preach the same myth in their sermons.
On October 26, Three-Self pastors and teachers gathered in Shangqiu, a city in Henan that was a center of the Shang Dynasty, for a “Sinicization
(漢化 or中國化). A word used at least since the 17th century to indicate the assimilation of minorities in the Chinese empire into Chinese culture and language, it was adopted by Nationalist China to signify the effort to replace the foreigners who managed business, religions and civil society organizations with Chinese. The CCP, however, gives to the word “sinicization” a different meaning. It is not enough that organizations operating in China, including religions and churches, have Chinese leaders. In order to be accepted as “sinicized,” they should have leaders selected by the CCP and operate within a framework of strategies and objectives indicated by the CCP. In Tibet and Xinjiang, however, the CCP pursues a politics of “sinicization” in the traditional sense of the word, trying to assimilate Uyghurs and Tibetan Buddhists into Chinese culture.
“>Sinicization Seminary and Exchange Conference.” Besides raising the national flag and singing patriotic songs, participants were told that Christian social teaching should be “Sinicized” as well, and that a “Research Office of Sinicization
(漢化 or中國化). A word used at least since the 17th century to indicate the assimilation of minorities in the Chinese empire into Chinese culture and language, it was adopted by Nationalist China to signify the effort to replace the foreigners who managed business, religions and civil society organizations with Chinese. The CCP, however, gives to the word “sinicization” a different meaning. It is not enough that organizations operating in China, including religions and churches, have Chinese leaders. In order to be accepted as “sinicized,” they should have leaders selected by the CCP and operate within a framework of strategies and objectives indicated by the CCP. In Tibet and Xinjiang, however, the CCP pursues a politics of “sinicization” in the traditional sense of the word, trying to assimilate Uyghurs and Tibetan Buddhists into Chinese culture.
“>Sinicization of Christianity” will be established in Shangqiu.
They were told that sermons should be preached on “the origin of Chinese businessmen” (华商之源). The seminar proposed model sermons on this theme for urban and rural areas, and competitions where awards were given to those preaching the best sermons on the subject.
“The origin of Chinese businessmen” (businesswomen were not considered) has become a key theme of the CCP
It stands for Chinese Communist Party, which from 1949 controls all social and political life in China. Members of CCP should in principle be self-proclaimed atheists. The ultimate goal of CCP is suppression of religion. However, how this goal is achieved has varied during time, and after Chairman Mao’s death the CCP has acknowledged that, notwithstanding its efforts, religions may survive in China for a long time.
“>CCP’s rewriting of history, combining nationalist mythology and Socialist ideology.
Traditionally, it was argued in China that in 商人 (shangren, businessman), the character 商 (shang), which is also the name of the Shang Dynasty and part of the name of the city of Shangqiu, derived from the Shang Emperors, which were the first in the world to invent “business.” The theories advanced by modern Western scholars that in fact the word shangren, “businessman,” originally derived from Thai or Tibetan terms for “merchants” are anathema to Chinese nationalists and to the CCP
supplemented the nationalist theory with the idea, which corresponds to Marxist ideology, that business was not invented as a private enterprise but as something strictly controlled by the state. The state was embodied in the Shang Emperors. It is said that a man named Nanbo invented agriculture, and one Wang Hai was the first to tame wild oxen. He invented ox carts and commerce, and became “the ancestor of Chinese businessmen.”
Statue of Wang Hai, the mythical inventor of ox carts and commerce, Shangqiu, Henan. From Weibo.
The two lessons derived from this myth and taught to Chinese children in schools are that business was invented in China, not in the West, and that just as Marx and Engels said, commerce and agriculture were originally state-controlled rather than private activities.
Shangqiu has been put on the tourism map by the promotion of “the origin of Chinese businessmen” story, and festivities are held every year. Now, the story and its implications should be preached also in Christian churches. It is the new Christian social teaching, CCP
Date published: 14/12/2021 Feature image: Image for illustrative purposes only. www.flickr.com
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