Once it was said that the way the devil causes a person to accept his philosophy is for him not to necessarily say it is true, but more academic, practical, and contemporary. Satan will not argue that his way (materialism) is true, but that it is courageous, strong, and the philosophy of the future. And this is exactly what has happened with the reasoning of atheism.
The word ‘atheist’ literally means ‘no God,’ explaining in one word what an atheist is. A form of government that heavily depends on atheism is communism, which teaches there is no God and man must determine his own destiny. Since they are so interconnected, this post will be about both.
Communism, and therefore atheism, has been and still is one of the most anti-religious movements ever invented. It has done serious damage to Christianity and has taken the lives of thousands of followers of Christ. It has caused some of the greatest hindrances to the spread of the Gospel since it has taken control of various governments, such as North Korea, the USSR, etc. One present day example of Communism’s hindrance to the spread of the Gospel is in China.
Since 1949, China has been in the grip of Communism, with the majority of the population being non-religious or atheists. This has caused Christians to come under heavy persecution, and thousands have been martyred for their faith. Since 1900, more Christians have been killed in China than all the other countries of the world combined. Communism is not tolerant of any religion that may be a threat; therefore, any opposition must be stopped. Even today, Christians are still not allowed certain rights. Arrests for their beliefs are still taking place. One house-church leader said that “all the brothers and sisters who travel to spread the gospel risk their lives. They can be arrested at any moment.” In 2002, a Christian woman was dragged from her house one night. Ten officers ransacked the house, and then took her to the local police station. She was “charged with believing in God without permission.” She was then tortured by electrocution. Other Christians arrested that year were “told that believing in God was against the law,” and that “today the world belongs to the Communist Party. Believing in God is forbidden.” In 2004, a Christian couple was arrested simply because they had downloaded material from a Christian website and had shared it with people. They were both sent to a labor camp for their ‘crimes.’ The wife was not released until 20 months later, in March of 2006.
But our God is greater than any government that man can ever invent, and even under Communism, the Church has grown. He is still working no matter what the devil does to hinder the spread of the Gospel. However, it is not easy for Christians in Communist countries and thousands have paid the ultimate price for their faith. Pray that God will continue to work and that our brothers and sisters will be strong. Consider helping the missionaries in these nations through financial means, or even by going yourself.
-Reagan Schrock, GOA blog manager
Quotations are taken from Henan: The Galilee of China, by Paul Hattaway (Piquant Editions, 2009), pages 124, 203-205, and 210.
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