Although the Christian movement is shrinking all over the world, China may save Christianity from disappearing.

That may seem strange to you since "the Chinese are all a bunch of Communists," according to many Christian preachers in the USA. The robed ones believe that all Communists are atheists.

But the preachers are wrong on all counts.

First, the Chinese are not all Communists. Out of about 1.3 billion people, there are only 70 million Communist Party members. That's just five percent of the people.

Second, recent surveys indicate that "37 percent of the Chinese people believe in a higher, spiritual being." That's 485 million people of faith – or seven times the number of Communists.

Third, experts believe the Communist Party is lying about the number of Christians in China. (Beijing has outlawed the word "Christianity." It only recognizes "Protestantism" and "Catholicism" as official religions.) The government says there are only 5 million Catholics and 16 million Protestants in China at this time.

But that lie is exposed by the following facts:

1. The gap between 485 million "higher power" believers and only 21 million Christians is too great to be believed.

2. While the Catholic religion is highly restricted by the government, the Protestant religious movement is not. Beijing fears any centrally organized movement and President Hu is always at odds with the Pope. Because the Protestants seem disorganized, Beijing neither fears nor limits them.

3. Although no religious meetings in excess of 25 people may be held without a permit, the Protestants have found a huge loophole in the law. The wily believers have rediscovered the growth methodology employed by Christians during the 1st and 2nd centuries in Rome. As was the case in Rome, Protestantism in China has become a "house religion" instead of a "church religion."

4. Protestants hold meetings in houses and apartments, limiting attendance and membership to 24 worshipers. When that number is reached, a new "church" springs up. House-based churches are burgeoning like the product of an enticing chain letter. Thus the Chinese government is incapable of estimating – let alone counting – the number of Protestant "churches" or "members" in the country.

5. Some experts in 2005 estimated that there were 70 million Protestants in China. But newer estimates place the number at a staggering 140 million. This means that there are now twice as many Christians as Communists in China.

Why is the Protestant movement growing so rapidly in China?

The younger, better-educated, more affluent Chinese have two great loves: capitalism and science. They love capitalism because "it eliminates idleness." They admire science "because it is the beacon into the future." But they feel that neither capitalism nor science offers moral guidance. For that, they see the role of Protestantism.

Thus, the up-and-coming leaders of China perch their telescopes on a tripod of capitalism, science and Protestantism. They see all three legs as necessary to the future of China.

In the 18th century, there were four great forces in the world: Economic, Political, Military and Religious. Europe led in all four. But economic power shifted to the USA in the latter 19th century, followed by military, political and religious leadership. During the 20th Century, economic power shifted toward Asia, followed by military and political strength. And during the 21st century, economic power has shifted to China with military and political power increasingly found in Beijing.

Is it any wonder that Christianity has migrated from post-Christian Europe to a declining Christian base in the USA to a thriving and growing movement in China? Christianity is simply following the migrating pattern of manufacturing and other great physical forces.

In ten years there may be more Christians in China than people of all stripes in the USA.

Beijing could replace Rome as the center of Christianity, just as Rome was replaced by Constantinople in the 5th century.

The Communist Party?

Many China experts feel it will disappear in six or seven years as the chasm between Party's liberal and conservative wings continues to widen.

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