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Religious
freedom in China?
Recently I watched an episode of one of North America's most popular
healing evangelists.
For 30 minutes his broadcast chronicled his "breakthrough"
visit into mainline China to meet with various Government officials
including the leaders of China's Religious Affairs Department and the
China Christian Council.
The Chinese Government had invited him and his team of western Christian
leaders, to explore China's new religious freedom by discussing the
potential of broadcasting his TV program in China and also permit-ting
him to host events (rallies) throughout China.
During their visit they were treated like foreign dignitaries from a
western government. Repeatedly during the broadcast such phrases as
"this is a new day for China" and "China is now open to
the Gospel" were repeated. During their meetings various
government leaders pledged their support to this TV evangelist.
Near the end of the program the TV cameras showed the evangelist
visiting the Amity Printing Company, a government controlled company,
just outside of Nanjing, in central China, which reportedly produces
nearly 500,000 Bibles every month. The Director of the Printing Press
stated that Christians throughout China have no difficulty getting
Bibles, giving the impression that China has enough Bibles.
After viewing the program I was neither startled nor amazed by the
glowing promises made by the government officials to allow this
evangelist to broadcast his TV program and hold events throughout China
or by the apparent freedom of Christians to purchase Bibles.
After all, this tactic of inviting well-known leaders from the west to
visit China is nothing new. To the causal observer these events
seem rather contradictory when stories continue to circulate of
Christian persecution inside China and of the need for Bibles.
Bro. Ren, our China Director, travels regularly throughout China meeting
with house church leaders. He believes that China would never allow this
evangelist to minister as he does in the USA and Canada over TV and in
rallies. He emphasized that China invites well known Christian
leaders like this in order to gain a favorable impression in the western
press and influence Christians with the message that there is religious
freedom inside China. They do this so believers in the west won't
believe the accounts of persecution and the need for Bibles.
This type of public relations endeavor has been heightened as China
seeks to win it's bid for the 2008 Olympics and become a member in the
World Trade Organization. It needs to downplay as much negative press as
possible in regards to human right's violations and a lack of religious
freedom as it pursues its agenda on the world stage. It knows that these
two areas are perceived sensitive points in the west.
Another Christian ministry concerned with human right's violations
inside China recently released a stunning 20-page analysis on China's
religious freedom in December 2000.
In it, Chinese house church leaders expressed great concern over the
naive attitudes of those in the west towards China's government
controlled church and it's religious policy.
It reported that house church leaders considered the visit by this
evangelist and other western Christian leaders as a propaganda tool to
be used by the Chinese government to give the impression to the west
that there is religious freedom inside China.
These house church leaders emphasized that it would be better for this
TV evangelist and others to do nothing inside China than to work with
the government controlled church who are the very ones who are
persecuting the house church Christians.
As a Christian you need to be aware of several key issues.
The deceptiveness of the Chinese Communist Government. Though a new
millennium has arrived, China's communist government has not changed.
On January 11, 2001 China's leader, Jiang Zemen vowed to educate and
lead the Chinese people with the Marxist-Leninist teachings of Mao and
Deng Xiaoping.
China is indeed dramatically changing as it dismantles it's economy with
free market reforms. Yet, the fact re-mains, China, is a communist
controlled country, whose ideology is opposed to Christianity. It
officially states there is religious freedom while undermining those
very same freedoms.
The government controlled church, the TSPM, (Three Self-Patriotic
Movement) is restricted in its freedoms. The communist party dictates
whom it can preach to, how it can preach and where it can preach.
TSPM pastors are forbidden to teach on certain Biblical doctrines,
including the resurrection, judgement, Second Coming, creation and gifts
of the Spirit, as well as certain passages, including the entire book of
Revelation. Children under 18 years of age are prohibited from being
taught anything religious.
Recently, the leaders in a number of house churches appealed to the
Chinese government, asking for acceptance and respect. The authorities
rejected their petition. The result the persecution and harassment
of Christians has continued with undiminished force.
There has actually been more believers in prison in the last decade,
than in the 1980's. Contrary to expectations, the pressure on the house
churches is only escalating.
Several months ago a 60 year old Canadian, Chinese citizen, was arrested
in China for being a follower of the banned Falun Gong spiritual
movement, a non-Christian faith. He was arrested and sentenced to 3
years in prison.
Finally, after much pressure from the Canadian government he was
released in January 2001. Since his return to Canada he shared how one
prison officer threatened him, "If you were beaten to death we
would simply bury you and tell the outside world you had committed
suicide."
That is the true face of communism!
The most effective means of helping China is through supporting the
indigenous church that God has already established.
You can make
the greatest impact in reaching China's 1.3 billion people by:
praying
for China;
providing Bibles and Christian material;
supporting workers
and pastors so that they can work full time to reaching their nation;
training Pastors with the Word of God;
reaching China's 400 million
children with the Gospel through China's new Sunday School curriculum.
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