Jesus reigns: China's atheism is rapidly being overtaken by Christianity

Article By Angela Watson // EEW Magazine // Faith & Culture

Jesus is the answer. And now, people in China, officially an atheist nation, are discovering and accepting that.

In a place where the government shuts down some Christian churches, China is on pace to become home to more Christians than any country in the world by 2030.

According to a Houston Chronicle report, Christianity isn't just growing rapidly in China. But other Asian nations and sub-Saharan Africa are quickly finding hope in the Son of God -- a shocking turn of events.

Provost of North Park University in Chicago, Michael Emerson, whose core focus is the sociology of religion, notes that, in China, most people identify as atheists. Historically, that wall of aversion to faith was built up by communist party teachings about religion. Further, religious activities were banned in China from 1966-1979.

Now that the Communist Party has eased up on its policies about religion, Christianity has grown.

Here's a remarkable thing. Revival has broken out and Christianity is spreading despite the government's refusal to promote faith, its successful efforts to close churches, and aggressive tactics of jailing some believers. 

"You can't evangelize or proselytize," said Emerson.  "So some churches go underground. The Chinese government can't control the growth of Christianity."

For centuries, it has been documented in historical records that governments have tried and failed to stop the multiplication of disciples of Christ in the earth. No principalities or powers have been able to achieve it to date.

And it won't stop.

In China, it's hard to know the exact numbers of Christians, since, reportedly, some Chinese will not reveal that they are Christians for fear of being chastised by the government.

Surveys, however, reveal that, currently, about 3 percent of Chinese say they are Christian. But the number may be more like at least 5 percent of the population.