http://english.peopledaily.com.cn/200503/15/eng20050315_176966.html
UPDATED: 16:22, March 15, 2005
I'm full of confidence in China's religious development
On March 13, the China Religion and Peace Committee held in Beijing the Second
Plenary Session of the Second Committee. During the meeting in an exclusive
interview by People's Daily,Ting Kuang-hsun, vice-chairman of the CPPCC
National Committee, chairman of the "China Religion and Peace Committee", and
honorary president of the China Christianity Association, said that he is full
of confidence in China's religious development.
Reporter: Please make an evaluation on the present state of China's religious
development.
Ting Kuang-hsun: The Chinese religious circles are making their own
contribution to world peace and the motherland's prosperity, the international
community also pays special attention to our existence and contribution. At
present, more and more Chinese and foreigners recognize the fact that there is
freedom of religious belief in China. Those who groundlessly censure us find
decreasing words to say.
Let me give an example, last night I read a book on the status quo of China's
religions, the book was written by a foreigner who censured us, because I
wanted to know how the author said about China's religions, so I carefully read
this book about 2 cm-thick.. After reading it, I found what is accounted in the
book is full of mistakes, compared with another book this writer wrote before,
the present book lacks any new contents and new views, very nonsense indeed.
China's religions are undergoing all-round construction, various social circles
are exerting themselves, regardless of what attacks from outside, we will never
waver.
Reporter: In which aspects China is carrying out religious construction?
Ting: I cherish high expectations of China's religious development. In recent
years, the religious work has received high attention from the Party and
government, the present situation regarding religious work is in the best
period in Chinese history, various religions are having the most favorable
opportunity for their construction and development, the government is
increasing input to help build sites for religious activities which are
welcomed by religious believers.
Take Christianity for example. Currently, nearly 10 localities nationwide are
building new churches. I often received invitations, which expressed the hope
that we could send people to participate in the inauguration ceremony for the
new churches. In the past, foreign designs were fully copied for churches built
in China, today, Chinese religious believers feel that churches should have
Chinese characteristics and can, to some extent, show the characteristics of
Chinese culture. In addition, we are carrying out large amounts of other
construction work, take the construction of seminaries for instance. The
Jinling Union Seminary in Nanjing concentrates a large batch of teachers with a
very high theological level, they are engaged in theological education and
research, so that graduates from the seminary can reach a fairly high
theological level.
So far as I know, other Chinese religions are also exerting themselves in
self-construction.
Reporter: Please say something about the status quo of Chinese religious unity.
Ting: Speaking in a traditional sense, there is not much for talks about
religious unity, various religions were disunited in the past, each religion
regarded itself as representative of the truth, but today this situation has
changed a lot.
I myself placed the statue of Avalokitesvara, or Goddess of Mercy, right in the
middle on the upper side of the fireplace in my own sitting room. Why did I do
so? I am the president of Jinling Union Seminary, my colleagues and students
often come as quests to my home, by means of which I want to observe their
religious thinking. Each time I asked them this question: Is it right to place
the statue of the Goddess of Mercy in the home of the president of a seminary?
So far I've asked dozens of them, but no one said it was unsuitable. Why is it
so? Because Chinese Christianity is carrying out construction of theological
thinking, having received education and nurture, these colleagues and students
have learned to treat the difference among different religions with an attitude
of respect and learned the need for mutual respect and unity. This fact shows
that the younger Chinese religious personages have become increasingly
enlightened.
Reporter: What's your view on international religious exchanges?
Ting: I've noticed that in the "Regulations on Religious Affairs" effective on
March 1, there is this clause: National religious organizations may send and
accept personnel for religious studies in light of their needs and in
accordance with regulations. I'm very happy about this, because in the past
many international religious personages expressed their intentions to send
students to study at Jinling Union Seminary, but I never promised, now with
this set of regulations, I feel that the Chinese religious door has been opened
wider to the outside.
We welcome the internationalization of theological education, such mutual
visits and exchanges are active and necessary. For example, there are not only
Chinese teachers, but also teachers from the United States, Canada and Finland
teaching in Jinling Union Seminary. This is of great help to promoting
exchanges and enhancing understanding, I not only favor, but also try my best
to promote this practice.
Published on the fourth page of People's Daily (Overseas Edition) on March 14,
the text of this interview is translated by People's Daily Online.
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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