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The Growth of the Christian Church

How did Christianity grow from a small jewish sect to conquer the Roman world? What made Christianity succeed when every other philosophy, cult, and religion failed?

 

Find the attached file for Growth of the Christian Church.

 

The following excerpt from Safely Home, is a modern day anecdote of Christianity and its treatment of women from a communist chinese backdrop. The role of women and the church is discussed in brief in the Growth of the Christian Church presentation.

 


An excerpt from Safely Home, a novel by Randy Alcorn (ch 30, p. 232ff)

“The presenters said Christianity teaches that men are superior and women are inferior.” Ming stared at Ben incredulously, like someone who would call him an idiot on the spot if she weren’t so kindhearted. “Perhaps they speak of Confucianism? Old proverb say when son born he should be given a piece of jade to play with. But when daughter is born she should be given only broken piece of pottery. Buddhism and Communism have same view of women. Mao Zedong said, ‘Women hold up half the sky.’ But these were only words-everyone knows men are always considered more important.”
“It must have been hard growing up with that view of women.”
She tilted her head. “I did not grow up with that view of women.”
“You grew up in China, didn’t you?”
“I grew up in Christian home. I grew up in church.” She smiled broadly. “Minghua’s father and mother gave her jade.” She laughed. “Of course we could not afford jade. But my brother and I were equal. I never felt parents loved me less. Does Ben Fielding not know that for years pregnant Chinese got a test? The tests are illegal now, but bribes still get them done. When test shows baby is a girl, parents kill her because they want boys. Believers in Yesu will not kill their daughters. They did not mention this at conference in Beijing?
(skipped several paragraphs)
… Ming smiled broadly. “In China, government has given women broken pottery. Yesu has given us jade.”