Christianity is a religion that believes in Jesus Christ as the savior. The branches are Catholicism, Protestantism and Orthodox Church. In Chinese, "Christianity" often refers to Protestantism. Today, the Christian church in Hohhot New Town is a Protestant church. We were lucky to arrive before the rally began. No one questioned the arrival of new faces. On the contrary, the organizers were very kind to give us bibles and hymns. According to the gourd painting, the partners quickly sang hymns and participated in prayers. Soon, the preacher came to give a lecture, but we didn't have any foundation to attend the lecture, such as falling into the clouds and fog. So we have to invite another priest to take you in.
According to missionaries, Christianity was introduced to China in the ninth year of Zhenguan in Tang Dynasty, but Nestorius, once regarded as a heresy, was banned from spreading in the fifth year of Huichang in Tang Dynasty. During the Yuan Dynasty, it was introduced to China, calling it "beneficial to warmth" ("Fumin" in Mongolian), and it was interrupted after the demise of the Yuan Dynasty. 1807 New Sect Ma Lixun spread Protestantism in China (Protestantism spread late in China). Although the basic teachings of the three major Christian sects are the same: the theory of God's creation, the theory of original sin redemption, and the theory of heaven and hell, the Protestant doctrine emphasizes:
1. "Justification by faith". That is, being justified does not require any good deeds, but only depends on faith.
Second, everyone can be a priest (preaching is a priest). For 1 Peter 2:9 says, "All priests in power belong to God, so that you may proclaim the virtue of him who called you out of darkness and into wonderful light". Catholicism needs priests, nuns and special ceremonies.
Third, only the Bible is the supreme authority, and only baptism and communion are recognized sacraments. This is completely different from the tradition of Catholicism and Orthodox Church that pays attention to sacraments.
I read the newly issued Bible devoutly, with the Christian Association and the Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee printed on the title page. The Christian Association is easy to understand, but what is the Three-Self Patriotic Movement Committee? So he hurriedly interrupted the preacher's sermon and asked about it. The missionary explained: "This is a movement of localization of Christians in China, aiming at promoting the localization of China. Therefore, it is necessary to realize autonomy, autobiography and self-reliance. It is intended to sever the affiliation with foreign Christian halls and realize the independence of Christianity in China. " It's really shocking to ask, even religion pays attention to self-reliance I quickly strike while the iron is hot, and then ask him to introduce the cross I care most about. According to reports, the cross is the main symbol of Christianity, symbolizing that Jesus Christ was crucified and sinners could not be redeemed. Therefore, the cross represents both Christ itself and Christian faith. The ceremony of the cross can show believers' faith, prayer, dedication or blessing. The cross was originally used by ancient Rome to execute slaves and people without Roman citizenship. In the west, it is a symbol of pain and shame at first, but in Christianity, the cross is mainly a gospel symbol of reconciliation between God and man.
It can be seen that in the nearly two hours of communication, the missionaries showed sympathy and preached wholeheartedly, hoping that we would join Christianity and owe it to God. But I have always believed that faith is like food, there is no right or wrong, only like it or not, accept it or not. Many years later, people today may have different beliefs and concepts, but at present, no one can shake the atheistic worldview of the past ten years in two hours. As the Bible says, "I will cross the mountain if I can't cross it", we want to know the sacred world in the parishioners' hearts, but the result of our efforts is still somewhat embarrassing. It can be said that when we entered the mysterious religious world, religion was approaching us, and we tried to accept it. When I got up and left, I suddenly found myself reluctant to part with the quiet and serene atmosphere here. Perhaps this is the so-called power of faith ... Finally, I want to end this article with a preacher's sermon and express my mixed feelings:
On the cross,
Love meets truth,
Justice and peace kiss each other,
Truth comes from the earth,
Justice fell from the sky
On the cross,
The upper horn is god's righteousness.
The lower corner is God's truth,
The corner on the left is God's love.
The corner on the right is God's peace.