How can a Chinese Christian explain to nonbelievers, Christianity is not just a superstition?

[☦Marius☦]

This may be incorrect, but I've heard that Christ perfectly fulfilled the Tao. Maybe you could look into that? As well as the fact that every culture in the world has a flood story in their mythology.

As for hardest evidence for Christ, I would say the Apostles and Church martyrs. Their writings and subsequent martyrdoms without gain are quite a statement. We absolutely know the church fathers existed, and they write about the Apostles. There is a consistent train of writers all the way back to Christ.

 

[NeedyFollower]

I asked in my last thread about Christians being superstitious and got lots of answers about some Christians being superstitious. That was not what I was needing.

I teach open minded highly interested non-Christian Chinese college students, who will most likely return to Communist China, Bible Lessons each week. They along with all their friends and family have been taught: “All religions are just superstitions”, but they are not buying into that, but how can they simply explain to their friends, the difference between a superstition and Christianity. Lots of people in China have crosses and even Bibles, but use them as good luck charms and they are not Christians.

Their friends have not been given logical support showing Christianity is a superstition, but have not heard any support to show Christianity is not a superstition.

What I am looking for is some one-minute thought provoking statement or question my students, who will become Christians, can give to their friend back in China that will open a dialog on Christianity.

How about the fulfillment of prophecies ? Not the prophecies of Christ per se but the prophecies in the New Testament ...2nd Timothy chapter 3 which describes an overwhelming covetous church body in the last days . A " what's in it for me " type of Christianity . They may be better positioned to see that happening . Have them compare that with Micah 3 . Let them know about the persecutions of christains throughout history and the counsel of Jesus that if any man follow Him , let them first count the cost . That may prepare those who God calls when they return to China .

 

[Charles Kanyuga]

Those who are in Christ do follow God by FAITH not superstition!
May be you could help the Chinese understand Faith against superstition.
In Christianity we understand that our Faith is marked by how we relate to one another principally over how we relate to the supernatural. (God to us is natural in that he relates to us in the most natural way as opposed to mysticism that marks superstitious believes.
Our God refers to us us sons that means we believe in God who relates to us in every way... Read Isaiah 53. 4.. Christ identifies with our weaknesses.
The difference between superstitious religions and Christ is that He is natural as we are.... and John wrote that, "as He is so are we in the world" 1 John 4:17. We are not superstitious because we have a person of reference in Christ who is from God... and Faith expects us to be as he is in every way... so according to Hebrews 11:1, our actions and ways actualizes the invisible God.

 

[Hawkins]

The problem of secular education is that they have the false perception to think that they know the future. So the first thing is future is beyond humans' reach. Second what could possibly happen after our physical death is unknown to humans. It's beyond the reach of our science.

So humans have to make a choice out of the 2 options. With secular education one tends to assume that our life ends with the physical death. This is the application of the fallacy "absence of evidence being the evidence of absence". It's actually a double fallacy. People try to equate this to the encounter of red unicorns. It's pretty safe to assume the absence of unicorns due to the lack of valid human encounters. However this doesn't apply to physical death. Unlike meeting the unicorns, everyone has to encounter death, "no evidence" simply because whoever encountered (which is each and every single human) death cannot come back to tell the still living what's lying ahead.

The 2 options are either to assume that nothing happens or something happens (this is thus a explicit religion). The significance of a religion is to provide an explanation of after life or after death. Assuming nothing happens (worse) is actually a belief of faith but without one's own awareness.

Now if it's true that something is lying after death, then how can humans know? Humans can't possibly know. We know only when a God exists that He knows then He let humans know in a way. In what way, either He tells us directly, or by means of human witnessing. The Christianity God has a covenant with humans that humans need to be saved by faith. Thus He can't show up to tell humans. All left is for God to convey this truth by means of human witnessing.

What is human witnessing? Chinese should understand human witnessing is the same process of how history is written. The difference between history and Christianity is that history is the recording of human activities delivered ultimately from eyewitness accounts. Christianity is the recording of God's deeds from the supposed eyewitness accounts (from God's dedicated prophets).

We can assume that nothing happens, thus we don't need to worry about what lying ahead (heaven or hell). But if we assume that there is still truth lying beyond our physical life, the only way to reach this piece of truth is by believing with faith. In the end, both assumptions are faith based, with one based on human accounts of testimonies and the other based on the fallacy that the absence of evidence being the evidence of absence.

 

[bling]

My statement in the last thread was "superstition is deep in Chinese culture". So, I know that does not help but if bibles are used as good luck charms then the problem is entrenched in tradition and not easily removed by human power, only the power of the Holy Spirit. The best thing to do is NOT debate the issue of superstition in Christianity or other religions but approach superstition in good luck charms, numbers, colors, days,where your furniture should go, where mirrors can not be etc, etc. etc. A charm has no power, the Holy Spirit does. Where is the power? In God's Spirit that dwells in us.
Blessings

OK

 

[bling]

God is personal with every one of us.

But a superstition often is a general idea with no individual consideration; it is dictating what has to be done during certain specific circumstances. But God is creative and personal with each of us, not dealing with us always in some one-size-fits-all way.

A superstition often is used to get us to be concerned about some thing, and it dictates what we have to do. It can have us mainly worried about our own selves, so that we do what the superstition dictates.

But Christianity is about first pleasing God. And we are not being threatened to do certain sets things in certain set ways. And we are not first about getting what we would like for our own selves.

Some good ideas here.

 

[bling]

Hi bling,

Well, these people may not be ready, or may never be. We do need to consider that when Jesus, the Son of the living God that Israel claimed to believe in got to the day of the cross, the evidence shows that although he and his disciples had spent some 3 years criss-crossing all of Isreal, there were very few who believed in him. The picture we are given is that the great crowd assembled before Pilate cried out for Barabbas. Except for maybe a few Roman centurions, that great crowd was Jewish.

We also need to remember that Jesus' own words were that few there be that find the way to eternal life. The Scriptures even paint a picture that a lot of christians are going to be turned back also. So, keep up in prayer and always seeking the Holy Spirit to be with you when you share God's word with them, but be careful that you don't let a small harvest disappoint and discourage you.

God is real and God is good. For the born again believer all that we know about God comes to us through the Jewish Scriptures. That's why still today, Israel is known as God's people. God has rebuked them and disciplined them, but God has never wholly turned aside from being their God. Similarly, we do need to understand that sharing the gospel is not always successful, and many times bears fruit at some later date. You are planting and someone else may come along and water, but it is God that makes our faith grow.

When you say that you talked about that, how deep did you go? Did you cover the prophecy that God gave to Daniel? Did you cover the prophecy given to Hezekiah? There are some prophecies that are much more forceful than others, and often times more specific so that someone doesn't say, "Well, that may or may not be a prophecy in how it was fulfilled". I've often found the prophecy of Daniel to be a powerful prophecy and it is very specific in even mentioning that it is regarding the Messiah.

I've told people before of the prophecy that the virgin shall be with child, and sometimes the response to me is, "Oh, in those days in Israel every woman wanted to be a virgin with a child and somebody finally pulled the wool over the people's eyes". Are you familiar with the prophecy given to Daniel and how best to explain it?

Here are some sites that you might want to read over to hone your skills in presenting this prophecy:
The Messianic Time Table According to Daniel the Prophet • Jews for Jesus

Daniel's Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks

I also find it appealing to look up the prophecy in Isaiah that Jesus spoke of in his first adult visit to the temple. It's also a powerful prophecy and is even more so because Jesus declared to all those in attendance that he was fulfilling the prophecy right now before their very eyes. Then, as the gospel accounts unfold...Jesus did! He did heal the sick and bind up the lame. He did give sight to the blind and spent some three years proclaiming the day of the Lord.

So, as I say, I would think that the greatest argument against the faith of the Jewish Scriptures being some sort of superstition, is to show how the prophecies seem to have been fulfilled and that's not likely to happen for some superstitious belief. A black cat crossing one's path is a superstitious belief and if we had a couple of dozen prophecies that declared before a black cat crossed someone's path and a written account before the event that what turned out bad was foretold to turn out bad, we likely wouldn't think of black cats crossing our paths as just superstition.

God bless,
In Christ, ted

I have come up with some quick responses which I share below.

 

[bling]

Hi Bling. Keep planting seeds for that is your duty before the Lord, but remind them there is no other religion in the world that teaches how God, Himself, died for us, in the flesh. Your job is then done; remember, we plant the seeds, but it is GOD who does the increase.

OK

 

[bling]

Try this

ancient chinese symbols christian history - Bing images

it includes boat = vessel 8 people
To Create = speak dust, walk, life,

Not sure what you are presenting?

 

[bling]

Show them how communism is rip off copy of Christianity. All the enemy has to offer to people is a counterfeit of what is real. Then show them human nature compared to what it means to be born again and a new creation in Christ. Because in China sooner or later the rich and the powerful end up going to jail because their power has corrupted them.

not sure I can show that happening 100% of the time.

 

[bling]

You can explain to them that they don't need to convince anyone that the faith is not superstition and that the only thing they need to do is thoroughly proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ.

It's on the Holy Spirit to convince and convict.

I think the Spirit is working through me and they must make a free will choice to accept or reject God's Love.

 

[bling]

Superstition is about us controlling and using spirits for our purposes. Christianity is not really about the supernatural. It's about Christ and what Christ has done. Christianity is different because of the person of Jesus Christ, not because it makes different claims on the supernatural.

There is no power in a physical reproduction of a cross that we can invoke apart from Christ. And whatever aid may come our way is due only to the will of God, not ours.

I like the first part.

 

[S.O.J.I.A.]

I think the Spirit is working through me and they must make a free will choice to accept or reject God's Love.

And the Spirit of God will need to work through them for them to hear anything you to say, regardless of how good your arguments are.

No one will be argued into the kingdom of heaven.

 

[bling]

The belief in the supernatural is not the same as being superstitious. Being superstitious is one way of behaving in response to the belief in the supernatural. People of many religions are correct in their beliefs that the supernatural exists, however the practices and specifics of their religions aren't always correct.
The ones saying Christianity is superstitious are making a claim and need to prove that claim. Christians having crosses or Bibles is not superstitious in and of itself. They need to know the story of the Bible and recognize that Christianity is not a fearful manner of behavior in response to the unknown, but is instead a way of living and responding to what has been revealed to us by God through the sacrifice and resurrection of His Son.
You and your students will not be able to make every person believe in God. Saying "it's just superstition" is not really an argument but an irrational dismissal if you have actually presented legitimate evidence for Christianity.

I like your idea of "fear" being used and drawing people to being superstitious. I added that to my list.

 

[bling]

Now that you tell us that you are sharing to Chinese who will go back to China, superstition is not the issue. Superstition is the Marxist answer to mankind believing in God. The existence of God is the issue. Design is evident in the creation, thus implying a designer. Eternity, according to Ecclesiastes, is written in every heart. Calling upon God is a universal appeal. There are no atheists in foxholes, as it is said.

If they believe there is a God, but do not know which God to believe in, then you can introduce Jesus Christ. All the other men who formed religions are dead, but Jesus is not. He is the only one to say he would rise from the dead. As such, they can know him if they want. Then address the sin issue. Perfection is the requirement to know God. Are they perfect? Of course not, but Jesus is and he gives us his perfection as though it were our own. This is why Jesus is the door to God, and that no man can come to the Father except by him.

Superstition in China goes way back before Marxist.

 

[bling]

If your friend's friends are making the assertion that Christianity is just superstition, get them to defend the assertion. What do they mean by superstition? How do they know, exactly, that Christianity is just all superstition? Just asking these questions can have a significant effect on the dynamic of the conversation, putting the onus on the attacker of Christianity to defend his assertions rather than on the Christian to defend his/her faith. A great book pertinent to the situation you've described that you might take a look at is entitled "Tactics" by Greg Koukl. The book offers a number of strategies for discussing one's Christian beliefs in a winsome but effective manner.

Here's what the back cover of the book says:

"Learn how to navigate the mine fields, stop challengers in their tracks, turn the tables and - most importantly - get people thinking about Jesus.

Koukl shows you how to:

- Skillfully manage details of the dialogue.
- Apply principles of sound reasoning and clear thinking.
- Address specific types of attacks on faith.
- Adopt an engaging, disarming style even when people raise objections.

I've distributed copies of this book among the members of my church and have received nothing but positive responses to it. Check it out!

They know almost nothing about Christianity, so they cannot defend their belief?

 

[bling]

People tortured and killed Jesus, who willingly died on a wooden plank. He came back to permanent life. How do I know that these events are historical, not superstitious fables? Because many eyewitnesses were willing to suffer many people's persecution and die rather than give up their stories that they had seen Jesus die and show them that he was alive three days later. Jesus' life, death, and rising again are history, believed by millions today because he did those events for his followers to change their lives.

OK

 

[AlexDTX]

Superstition in China goes way back before Marxist.

Duh, uh, yeah. It is a part of the fallen human nature. However, since he clarified he was dealing with communist Chinese, it is obvious he is fighting marxist propaganda which called religion the opiate of the masses.

 

[bling]

While what you say is true, but your forgetting, God had blinded the Nation to who Jesus was, that generation was cursed, they were blind and deaf to the truth of the Messiah, and Salvation passed on to the Gentiles.

The truth of God blinded them because they did not want to here it (Chinese are Gentiles), but people can change.

 

[bling]

First, I have taken the time to read every single post to your Thread.

The first thing that came to mind when I read your OP was Paul.

What did Paul say on this issue.

Here it is, you can read it to your students and then discuss what Paul did with your students, as he did also.

To these students it is the Gospel that they need to hear, just as those Paul was speaking to.

It opens the discussion, it gives them a BASE from which to begin.

Here you go.....Notice what Paul said to them in the first verse, I feel as though it directly applies to your situation.

Paul Addresses the Areopagus

Act 17:22-34
22) Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens,
I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

23) For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

24) God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25) Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
26) And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;
27) That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:
28) For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

29) Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

30) And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31) Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

32) And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

33) So Paul departed from among them.

34) Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

This is good and I will use it in my lesson sometime, but remember the people being addressed are not superstitious, but are claiming Christianity is a superstition.