I'm excited to introduce our new guest blogger, David Ore Patterson. David's first post with us here, from his rich background in representing our God to a desperate humanity, is a thought provoking and intriguing look into the conflict that exists between all governments built on the idea that humanity needs not God to...

Well... I shall allow David to speak for himself.

Welcome aboard Evangel David Ore Patterson!

xtnyoda, shalomed

THE OPIATE OF THE PEOPLE

By David Ore Patterson

Carl Marx called religion “the opiate of the people.” And to some extent I see what he was driving at. It was difficult to induce people deeply moved by Christianity to play a part in violence or anarchy. Christianity preached against class hatred and jealousy. It sometimes even caused the rich to be compassionate and generous. Worst of all, it brought an inward contentment. Even a secular historian like Lecky credits the Wesleyan revivals for saving England from something quite as bloody as the French Revolution.

Do you suppose this is the reason Communist countries persecute Christians to this day? I wonder; do they fear Churches will make society contented and passive? Do they fear they will not be able to enlist Christians in radical trade unions? All trade unions are outlawed in Communist countries. Communist Poland accused the Catholic church of encouraging, if not instigating Solidarity that broke the hold of the government on workers in Gdansk.

I suspect several motivations behind the fierce persecution of Christians in Communist countries. First is the continuation of militant atheism. Hating God has become a tradition in such countries. They taught atheism in schools, preached it from government platforms and argued for it in their state controlled news organs.

Coupled with that, communist leaders must feel condemned by certain teachings of Christianity. The Bible clearly teaches that nations will be judged by God. The state cannot be the ultimate authority if it must give an account to God. In effort to claim religious freedom, China allows worship in the state supported Three-Self Political Movement Church. But they do not allow those churches to teach or preach from the Book of Revelation or about the second coming of Jesus. That kind of teaching must make them feel very uncomfortable.

Control is another related issue. Christians and churches committed to God are difficult for the government to control. Many years ago I visited a “government controlled” church in China. And I sensed the presence of God in their worship. I went away thinking God was harder to control than they suspected. The issue with the continuing arrests and persecution of leaders in the house church movement is that the state has no control over them. That is hardly what you would expect from an “opiate.”

Interestingly, the house church leaders in China are not praying for communism to be overthrown in their country. They have a better perspective on the sovereignty of God than most believers in the west. They believe God allows persecution to prove that the Spirit of God can move and the Church can flourish where no other belief system could survive. Some 80,000 people turn to Christ every day in China. Such growth can be seen in many countries, communist and otherwise, where persecution abounds. They cannot keep God from working in the hearts of people where He chooses.

Moldova experienced riots recently after elections where the communists narrowly maintained control. Is it Christians who are trying to maintain the status quo in that former Soviet state? No, it is mostly older people steeped all their lives in dogma who fear change. Communism is the opiate of the people. Christianity is the radical force that frees people to think for themselves. If Christianity has great sway in Moldova and other countries around the world, it may prevent much bloodshed, but it will not put people to sleep.