But, driven by curiosity, he opened the Bible. Although he never regarded himself as a perfect person, neither did he consider himself a sinner, but when he came to the Book of Romans, it suddenly struck him that he was a sinner, too. "I used to think that since I've violated no laws, no sins should be blamed on me, but on second thought, it's true that I've offended and hurt others and that is a sin."

It's a common scene in the Bible for Jesus to persuade those who have committed sins to practice introspection. Qin believes that it is through introspection that one finds his or her existence. He has already developed the habit of self-examination every day. At the same time, Qin is also active in helping those in need.

"It's known to all Christians and believers that Jesus was an active philanthropist who also demanded that his followers commit themselves to all kinds of good deeds," Qin added.

By chance, Qin met Wu Yusi, a young woman whose faith reflected the influence of her pious Christian parents. Wu recalled that her economist father used to tell her, "The 10 principles of Best Business Practices acknowledged by both governments and the business community in developed countries all originate from the 10 Commandments of the Bible."

"The first time my father got a deep understanding of the Bible was during his prison days in 1966, when the 'Cultural Revolution' stormed the whole country," Wu said. "My father was thrown behind bars due to his so-called anti-Mao Zedong Thought passages. Together with my father was a Christian who prayed every morning and never bent under political persecution. This inmate was active in helping others and said under the instructions of God, he had come to spread love among the people by enduring all these miseries."

A girl's dream

When Wu was born six years after the Cultural Revolution ended in 1976, she was baptized. "When I was a little girl, I always dreamed of having my wedding ceremony in church," she said.

Her dream of a church wedding ceremony came true when she married Qin in Beijing. Later they both went to Iowa State University to study for their doctorates. Years of love have been diluted by dull daily life, however, and even pushed them to the brink of divorce.