I just can't figure this guy out

Benny Hinn channel character, I mean personality, Luis Palau is in the Chinese news again. Last November, when President Bush was visiting China, he went on CCTV and said, "I myself have total freedom to speak at every church and every gathering in China. Nobody told me what to say and what not to say," and "I like to encourage [the unregistered churches] to be registered to have more freedom and opportunities to enjoy the protection and blessing of the government"
Palau and former State Council Spokesman and atheist Zhao Qizheng have engaged in some private debates which has resulted in a book that is apparently only available in China. Released at the Beijing International Book Fair it is titled Riverside Talks: A Friendly Dialogue Between an Atheist and a Christian. AP has a press release.

The book is in part a public relations exercise. Palau wants to reach out to Chinese curious about religion, while Zhao is hoping to give the West a better understanding of China's culture and beliefs.

Their different agendas illustrate the complex picture of faith in China: Religion is thriving as Chinese search for answers amid tumultuous economic and social changes, but the government is trying to maintain control through restrictive religious policies.

The authors, however, warmly praised each other and insisted the point of the publication is less about politics and more about the philosophy of religion.
"The fact that two people of opposing points of view can speak clearly, intelligently, honestly and respect each other simultaneously is a great victory," Palau said at a news conference Tuesday.

snip

About 10,000 copies have been printed in Chinese and another 2,000 in English to be sold at bookstores across China, said Zhou Jun, deputy director of the distribution department of the New World Press.

The 140-page text is a dialogue between the two men consisting of seven parts, including sections on creation, spiritual beliefs in China and the relationship between religion and science. Photos of the authors, along with scenes from Chinese and Western cities, fill the pages.

In a sign of the dialogue's limits, Chinese regulations make it nearly impossible for Palau, whose Luis Palau Association is based in Portland, Ore., to hold the massive, modern evangelical meetings he is known for. The two-day festivals showcase Christian rock bands, extreme sports and food courts, and seek corporate sponsorship instead of offerings.

The officially atheistic Chinese government prohibits worship outside state-approved venues and forbids proselytizing, a rule that Christians both Chinese and foreign ignore at their risk. Christians are frequently detained and harassed by police for defying the regulations.

At Tuesday's news conference, Palau sidestepped questions about Beijing's religious policies.

It's not because "we don't have opinions about it," Palau said. "But ... let's not politicize it with details that are important but not for this dialogue."
Zhao denied that the government repressed religion.

"It's acceptable to say we do have some problems in some regions regarding religion," he said. "But if you say that the Chinese government has very strict limitations on religion, that's not in accordance with fact."

I have to give Palau some credit though. Heapparentlyy is trying to hit the right notes with the Chinese government. "Social Stability." "Harmonious Society." From Palau's own website:

Later on, Palau asserts, "Christ has a direct bearing on social stability because a true Christian will respect those in authority. Christ has much impact on intellectual pursuit and eternal life. Christ provides answers to such questions as "Who am I" "Where do I come from" "Why am I here" "Where am I heading" And, "What is the aim of my existence." Christ has an impact on our psychological balance, family harmony, social ethics, and the elimination of crime and evil."

And continuing on, Palau states in the book, "I see millions of Chinese turning their hearts over to Jesus. It's happening in the last few years. Every generation needs to have a change of heart because a harmonious society cannot come if my heart is evil and your heart is evil and we clash with each other. That's why it says in the Bible, 'If anyone is in Christ, you become a new person. The old has passed away and everything has become new.' It's a spiritual scientific experiment."

According to Palau's website, an American version of this book will be available in the coming months.

I just don't get this guy, though. I understand his mission, I think, but in the past year he has been trotted out by Chinese Officials, literally and figuratively embraced publicly, and yet......is he being used?