Become a Christian Nation - Why?

I came across this write-up from a weekly article by Rick Joyner, Senior Pastor, Founder and Executive Director of MorningStar Ministries and Heritage International Ministries. I like the quote and the reason behind that quote, by Jiang Zemin, the retired head of state in Communist China in 2002. Here is an extract of the article for your good reading.

In Marc Nuttle’s remarkable book, Moment of Truth, he writes about one of the most important insights possibly ever stated by a leader of China. Former Time correspondent, David Aikman, interviewed the retiring head of state in Communist China in 2002, Jiang Zemin, and asked what he wished for in regard to China’s future. His response shocked Aikman and much of the world when he replied:

"I would like for my country to become a Christian nation."

When asked “Why,” Zemin’s response was an amazing revelation. He explained how a panel of Chinese scholars had spent twenty years studying why China continually lagged behind the West in science, industry, and culture. After considering every possible explanation, they concluded that it was the religious heritage of the West that had allowed it to reach such heights. The statement of these Chinese scholars was:

One of the things we were asked to do was look into what accounted for the success; in fact, the pre-eminence of the West all over the world. We studied everything we could from the historical, political, economic, and cultural perspective. At first, we thought it was because of a more powerful military. Then we thought it was because you had the best political system. Next we focused on your economic systems. But in the past twenty years we have realized that the heart of your culture is your religion: Christianity. This is why the West is powerful. The Christian moral foundation of the social and cultural life was what made possible the emergence of capitalism and then the successful transition to democratic politics. We don’t have any doubt about this. (Quoted from, Jesus in Beijing: How Christianity is Changing the Global Balance of Power, by David Aikman.)

I have not personally read any of the books by Marc Nuttle or David Aikman. Just not in my reading list. However a quick search in Google found some interesting reviews on both books.

Here is one if you are so inclined, the story behind the book Jesus in Bejing.