Mormons hope to be officially ‘regularized’ just like other ‘imported’ faiths in China
Filed under: China
Topics covered : Crazy Christians, Evil Governments
They may be Christianity’s retarded uncle who shows up at family reunions wearing brown shoes, blue slacks and a tinfoil hat, but the Mormons are everywhere — thanks in no small part to the church’s mission program. Young Mormons aren’t technically required to leave the safety of Salt Lake City to spread the wacky word of Joseph Smith, but it’s strongly encouraged.
According to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS): “Missionaries are not paid for their service and, in fact, pay all expenses incurred during their missions, often with the assistance of their families and/or members of the church where they live. Young men (between the ages of 19 and 27, but mostly 19-21 years old) serve for two years; young women (usually 21-24 years old) serve for a year and a half.” Throughout the church’s history, more than one million missionaries have gone out; there are roughly 50,000 wandering the world at any given time. Know them by their tidy but uninspired suits, fresh pink faces and cows-at-a-Hindu-BBQ smiles.
They’re everywhere. And everywhere includes China. Not just missionaries, but honest-to-god Mormons. But they’re only allowed to worship in Hong Kong (which retains some of its pre-Return/Handover autonomy). The church’s leaders would like to change that, which is why they’re lobbying to be “regularized” by the Chinese government. But even if the SLC-based faith is recognized as the real thing, the path to public worship is still thorny.
From the Seattle Times:
There is no hint of a Mormon presence in the high-rise where the Beijing LDS branches meet. Visitors must pass through a lobby featuring several boutiques, including a liquor store, find their way to the elevator, take it to the fourth floor and then stroll down a long hallway. No familiar logo above the door. No church name or meeting times on the directories.
And every Sunday as expatriates gather for their weekly services, the branch (congregation) president reads an official statement from the pulpit, explaining to any new members or visitors that proselytizing is forbidden. So is distributing LDS literature or mingling with Mormons who are Chinese nationals and meet separately.
None of that is likely to change with this week’s announcement that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has held “high-level” talks that are “expected to lead to ‘regularized’ (church) operations” in China…
“It is important to understand what the term regularizing means, and what it does not mean,” LDS Church spokesman Michael Otterson said in a news release. “It does not mean that we anticipate sending missionaries to China. That issue is not even under consideration.”
What exactly is “regularizing”? China recognizes just five religious groups: Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, Muslims and Taoists. Since Mormonism doesn’t identify itself as an offshoot of either Catholicism or Protestantism, they’re shit outta luck. (I can’t help but wonder about Orthodox Christians, too, who sure as fuck aren’t Catholic or Protestant — and run rampant in nearby Russia.) The Mormons would like to have their own category.
It’s not all about the right to worship publicly. The Church wants to open bank accounts in China. Currently, according to the Seattle Times, Mormon expats living in China are forced to tithe back to the U.S. office; ideally, they would be allowed to drop their yuans into local coffers.
In fact, says Brigham Young University’s political scientist, Eric Hyer, the LDS probably wouldn’t mind if the Chinese government would just “help facilitate the church’s activities, financially and legally, without recognizing it.” Praise Jesus!
—Mormons aim to “regularize” their churches in China | Seattle Times Newspaper
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