By continuing you agree to eChinacities's Privacy Policy .
Sign up with Google
Sign up with Facebook
Q: Christian missionaries and Teaching English in China
Last time my Chinese friend showed me some lesson plan during summer camp , the plan included some ESL Christian activities for kids, I asked her the kids are Christians?? , she said no but za foreign teacher from American suggested it and kids liked it. It's not my first time to see ESL teacher trying to convert students or Chinese teachers. Also this girl mobile phone is full of Christian alternative rock songs she copied them while the teacher was listening to them in the class during the break. She said she didn't know they are talking about Jesus but she liked the music. It's maybe the other reason why some teachers accept such terrible salary and job , besides of teachers many foreign students keep promoting their religious musical activities and inviting Chinese students to join them to learn about bible and Jesus.
I highly believe that missionaries in China have a big impact on universities and ESL teaching industry but schools won't talk about to avoid hassle or losing this million dollar market since it's highly illegal to promote religion in China.
Would you teach your students any religious material during your language class ?
I don't teach but I do read various other forums.
Yunnan is allegedly full of proletysing Christians "teaching English" while trying to convert the kids. I think they see it as their life's mission to convert the heathens. They should stay at home knocking on doors trying to see their copies of Watchtower
cub:
hot, what is the difference of christians what they do and what muslims hinduists catholics do in china? they ALL do this in a different way If person is spiritually lost and dont know it and is on a pth of destruction then how can they know of another path thatwill leave them away from destruction if they are not told? if shristians should do this in private then ALL faiths have to do this also Sorry but a christians trying to ''convert' unbelievers isnt forcing them. And dont send me reams of info off the net because i will ignore this BS
iWolf:
Mr cub, why is appropriate to "educate" people who don't come from a judeo-christian culture who were doing fine without an ancient middle eastern interpretation of god and never wanted it in the first place?
Hotwater:
Cub, you never hear of Muslims, Hindus & Catholics proletysing in China. The ONLY groups in aware of trying to convert people here are evangelical Christians, from the good old US of A. They should leave people to make their own choices.
cub:
@hot and wolf maybe because the muslims hindus and catholics ARE doing the same thing but the media ignores turns and they look away in a different direction. And did YOU or others who have a distain and admit it, a hatered towards christians with a attitude ask those if they don't want this taught?? By your very choosing singling out christions only u are guilty of this. Just look and read your negative comments u both have and are posting about christians. hatred starts in the heart then the mind So please dont assume these people dont want or are being ''forced'' christianity against thier will Converting isnt something a mere mortal man can do thats a heart decision also another choice they can choose with all the other faiths china has had for centuries. To tell them about Christ isnt forcing nor converting them its called another choice they can choose from among many other choices. Its puting all options to choose from. Lets see, how many Chinese come from a muslim eastern or a catholic background in china? If the chinese locals have changed faihs from hinduism confucism shintoism to become a catholic or a muslim follower then how did this occur? just by magic or happenstance or metamophis? No the catholic and muslims are also teaching thier faith to kids and parents Are they being forced to change as u accuse that only christians are doing? I think not And people ARE making thier own choices like if they want to be part of islam catholic shintoist and now a christian faith Man can burn destroy christian churches and bibles remove God from society but with Gods word in a believers heart this cant be removed or destroyed
iWolf:
Easy boy. Where did that spray come from? I just asked a question and was hardly expecting you to play the Christian victim card....lol
cub:
wolf, maybe a question asked like do chinese the parents want islam catholicism taught in ther schools to thier kids? maybe they dont want these taught there. Sorry folks but joseph smith BYU the watchtower are not the same faith or beliefs as christianity. Go research the differences between momonism and christianity maybe a few simularitiesbut its not the same
iWolf:
It may surprise you but myself and i am sure many others here are wrll versed in the various sects of Christianity as well as other religions. Now without making snide comments about other people's faith, i know they are wrong because they are not of your particular flavored faith, that's how religions roll, please answer my question. Is it appropriate to "educate" these heathens with a borrowed middle eastern god interpretation when they really couldn't care less and already have their own religion.
I don't teach but I do read various other forums.
Yunnan is allegedly full of proletysing Christians "teaching English" while trying to convert the kids. I think they see it as their life's mission to convert the heathens. They should stay at home knocking on doors trying to see their copies of Watchtower
cub:
hot, what is the difference of christians what they do and what muslims hinduists catholics do in china? they ALL do this in a different way If person is spiritually lost and dont know it and is on a pth of destruction then how can they know of another path thatwill leave them away from destruction if they are not told? if shristians should do this in private then ALL faiths have to do this also Sorry but a christians trying to ''convert' unbelievers isnt forcing them. And dont send me reams of info off the net because i will ignore this BS
iWolf:
Mr cub, why is appropriate to "educate" people who don't come from a judeo-christian culture who were doing fine without an ancient middle eastern interpretation of god and never wanted it in the first place?
Hotwater:
Cub, you never hear of Muslims, Hindus & Catholics proletysing in China. The ONLY groups in aware of trying to convert people here are evangelical Christians, from the good old US of A. They should leave people to make their own choices.
cub:
@hot and wolf maybe because the muslims hindus and catholics ARE doing the same thing but the media ignores turns and they look away in a different direction. And did YOU or others who have a distain and admit it, a hatered towards christians with a attitude ask those if they don't want this taught?? By your very choosing singling out christions only u are guilty of this. Just look and read your negative comments u both have and are posting about christians. hatred starts in the heart then the mind So please dont assume these people dont want or are being ''forced'' christianity against thier will Converting isnt something a mere mortal man can do thats a heart decision also another choice they can choose with all the other faiths china has had for centuries. To tell them about Christ isnt forcing nor converting them its called another choice they can choose from among many other choices. Its puting all options to choose from. Lets see, how many Chinese come from a muslim eastern or a catholic background in china? If the chinese locals have changed faihs from hinduism confucism shintoism to become a catholic or a muslim follower then how did this occur? just by magic or happenstance or metamophis? No the catholic and muslims are also teaching thier faith to kids and parents Are they being forced to change as u accuse that only christians are doing? I think not And people ARE making thier own choices like if they want to be part of islam catholic shintoist and now a christian faith Man can burn destroy christian churches and bibles remove God from society but with Gods word in a believers heart this cant be removed or destroyed
iWolf:
Easy boy. Where did that spray come from? I just asked a question and was hardly expecting you to play the Christian victim card....lol
cub:
wolf, maybe a question asked like do chinese the parents want islam catholicism taught in ther schools to thier kids? maybe they dont want these taught there. Sorry folks but joseph smith BYU the watchtower are not the same faith or beliefs as christianity. Go research the differences between momonism and christianity maybe a few simularitiesbut its not the same
iWolf:
It may surprise you but myself and i am sure many others here are wrll versed in the various sects of Christianity as well as other religions. Now without making snide comments about other people's faith, i know they are wrong because they are not of your particular flavored faith, that's how religions roll, please answer my question. Is it appropriate to "educate" these heathens with a borrowed middle eastern god interpretation when they really couldn't care less and already have their own religion.
I only ever taught the historical part of some religions, for example for the crusades i had to explain why Jerusalem was such a hotspot.
Actually personally I'm taoist so i can hardly see me doing any that, and i really dislike any "spreading the word" kind of activities, mentality or anything of the sort. I think this answers your question for me 
.
The mormon church sends a dozen or so new grads to a school nearby every 6 months. They receive a 2k stipend from the church, a few jaunts to the nearby sites and teach for nothing. Conversions aren't allowed in class but they are free to spread the word of joseph smith in their free time.
A few of the adventurous girls usually get into the expat bar scene. Not sure how that works out when they go home. Not too well, I assume.
retiredinchina:
I have seen Mormons that are retired working here as teachers in many provinces when I travel. I still haven't figured out how they get visas being geriatric (over 60, some over 70). It is interesting that BYU Brigham Young University takes the Gaokao for admission and does not require the SAT test. I suppose they think they get bonus points for being a gospel witness later in life when one foot is on the banana peel and the other is in the coffin. Perhaps it's supplemental insurance for a guarantee of 5 star service in heaven.
Screw missionary 'teachers'. Seriously, people like that really show the worst traits of fundamentalist/evangelical Christianity. I am usually of the 'foreign teachers should stick together' mentality, but I will rat those types out to management in a heartbeat. That is, they cheat people, but will likely justify it to themselves, and even feel moral for doing so.
Parents pay through the nose so that their kid will learn English. So, anything less than teaching the kids English is unprofessional and unacceptable. Dragging Jesus into the classroom is basically wasting the parents' money. To say nothing of the fact that they knowingly and willfully dodge getting the parental. consent prior to shoving their religion down impressionable young throats. If you want to proselytize, be the creepy/annoying guy in Starbucks and do it on your own time.
Never come across them, wouldn't be too friendly if I did. Reminds me of a guy I met who taught young kids. He thought Chinese parents weren't affectionate enough, so he used to hug the kids a lot. Now, I don't think this guy got off on it, I think he really thought it was a good thing, but I wanted to put my boot on his throat. Same goes for people teaching religion where it's not requested.
When I first starting teaching in China I was told to remember don't talk about Sex, Politics, and Religion in the classroom. One student maybe comfortable with it but another will find it deeply embarrassing or uncomfortable.
I have only met one 'missionary' type of teacher here, have to say it made me feel uncomfortable hearing about what happened in this teacher's lessons. University students here, in comparison to the west, tend to be 5-6 years behind in emotional development and are very impressionable dare I say vulnerable to the types of evangelical peddling mentioned here.
Also, I have to agree with the early post regarding informing the school about such types. While they think their work is virtuous etc it sets back the reputation of all foreign teachers, which in some cases has taken a long time to nurture, China being China, one foreigner does bad all foreigners from that country must be similar. Right?
Besides, as all teachers here know, follow the path of least resistance.
I've met missionaries in China and have heard of (but not met) a lot more, and I have issues with them.
Firstly, it's illegal.
Nobody wants foreigners doing illegal stuff and drawing unwelcome attention to everyone else just trying to work and live their life trouble free. Don't go to other people's country intending to break the law.
It's dishonest.
When they take jobs as English teachers just to get access to kids so they can try to convert them then they're not doing what they're paid to do. Parents are paying hard earned money and kids are spending their valuable time - and anyone who teaches kids knows they have no free time - so their 'English teacher' can teach them to sing hymns. They're not teaching, they're there with their own agenda and basically stealing from the locals.
It could potentially expose locals to danger and persecution.
It's no secret that the powers that be have problems with organized groups, underground churches and even legit churches sometimes. The missionary can scurry off back to the U.S if they get in trouble, locals can't.
They piss people off.
I've seen parents furious when they learned that foreigners were basically stealing their money for what they see as brainwashing their kids. Other teachers don't like them because they undercut real teachers salaries and threaten jobs.
The ones I've met are often just weirdos. Creepy, phony, arrogant and judgmental. But maybe that's just my impression of them.
