Clash of ideas takes the form of a Friendly Dialogue

When a confirmed atheist and a devout Christian meet and talk, people could be forgiven for thinking the clash of ideas could lead to verbal duels.

But this was not wholly the case when a Chinese intellectual and an American evangelist met to talk.

Between May and November last year, Zhao Qizheng, then minister of the State Council Information Office, and Luis Palau, an international religious leader, talked on three occasions in Shanghai near the Huangpu River, touching upon topics ranging from the existence of God to Chinese philosophy and social harmony.

The result is a book, "Riverside Talks, A Friendly Dialogue between an Atheist and a Christian," published both in Chinese and in English by the New World Press last week in Beijing. The American version was released yesterday by Broadman & Holman in the United States.

As shown by their collaboration on the book, the co-authors set an example that everybody, believers and non-believers, can disagree intellectually, but respect each other as humans and become friends.

"We talked very intelligently and honestly and respect each other. It is a great thing. It is also an example that two people of opposing points of view can disagree intellectually, but respect each other as people," Palau said at a press conference for the launch of the book in Beijing.

Transcripts of the dialogue were welcomed by celebrities before they came out in book form.

"The friendly dialogue probes, with depth and insight, the way values and the quality of life interact. Read and be stimulated to think and reflect," recommended former US Secretary of State George Shultz.

For Ji Xianlin, professor at Peking University and noted scholar of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the book is of great significance in helping Chinese and American people understand their own, and each other's culture.

"Its underlying spirit is imbedded precisely in the concept of harmony now being popularized throughout China," he said.

The 140-page English version consists of seven parts, arranged in the order of the various topics Zhao and Palau debated.

They talked about the Bible and God, the Creation, religion and the Holy Spirit and on religious beliefs in China.

They also debated Chinese and Western cultures, philosophy and, finally, the relations between religion, science and social harmony.

"We produced the book largely in response to readers' demands, because only a brief report about their talks was available. Readers were curious about what the dialogue was really about," Zhang Hai'ou, deputy chief of the New World Press, told China Daily yesterday.

Existence of God

In their talks, Zhao and Palau discussed serious questions with a sense of humour.

"I asked Palau to conduct a lab experiment to show that God exists. But he told me to have a lab test to show that God doesn't exist," Zhao said. "Neither of us could do it."

Anyhow, Zhao said he has discovered Palau believed the experimental verification of the existence of God lies in people's heart. Alternatively, when the heart affirms God's existence, one will be able to communicate with Him.

"I believe that this laboratory exists independent of our heart and only when we have verified the existence of God can we communicate with Him. This is the cause of the divergence of views on various important matters."

Religion and the spirit

Palau said that an atheist can be a very lonely man because, having no connection with a creator, he is very much on his own.

"I've talked with many atheists, East and West, and they're very lonely people inside. There is a certain lack of peace of mind and heart until you meet your creator," he said.

Zhao said there had been numerous atheists throughout history and there was no evidence that they were all lonely just because they did not have "that link with God."

"For example, Confucius, whom we may consider to be an atheist, has had a profound influence on the mind and spirit of Chinese people, and perhaps even on people in many other lands. He led a hard life, yet he was full of passion and happiness when he got into a discussion with his students."

In all, Zhao said atheists and believers share the same pursuit in the realm of the soul and the spirit. "This strong urge is in no way weakened in atheists just because they do not have God in their hearts."

The pair did not spare the topic of religious freedom in their discussions.

"I think the world needs to understand that in China people are free to believe, and millions upon millions do believe, for instance, in Jesus and in Christianity. I think it is good for the world to know that this is a reality," Palau said.

According to Palau, many Americans don't realize that, for instance, the Bible is published in China 40 million copies have been published already. It's available in bookstores and at a very low price.

Palau also said: "What I'm noticing is the tremendous change in the spiritual atmosphere of China. I have been impressed by the quality of the Christianity that is proclaimed by all the churches in China."

Zhao said that although exact statistics were not immediately available, he estimated that there were 16 million Christians in China, and the number of religious believers exceeds 100 million.

"It's acceptable to say we have some problems in some regions regarding religion," Zhao said. "But it is not in accordance with the facts to claim that the government has very strict limitations on religion."

Source: China Daily