Chinese Persecution of Christians
The end of the Cultural Revolution, almost 40 years ago, heralded a time of more openness and tolerance of Christianity in China. Government registered churches, (called Three-Self churches) and even some non-registered churches could hold church services reasonably freely. Pastors within the state churches were allowed to proclaim the gospel, and there were claims of millions of converts being added to the Church. However, Communism is once again showing its true colours. In February 2018 new anti-religious guidelines were proposed and the Communist Party began using increasing force to persecute worshippers. House churches, previously unregistered, were ordered to register or disband and the state churches themselves came under severe attack. In the last few months of 2018 reports show that the situation has deteriorated even further with “a veritable storm of persecution unleashed” against Christians.
Christian students at schools and universities and Christian doctors and nurses in hospitals are being coerced into renouncing their faith. One province demands that Christian teachers sign a document stating, “I resolve not to believe in religion nor to attend any religious activities nor to propagate religion”. In Zhejiang province, Christians are being forced to sign statements stating “that they originally did not really understand Christianity, but now they have a more comprehensive understanding of religious belief and of their own spiritual needs, they have decided from today no longer to attend Christian activities and no longer to believe in Christianity”. This is being imposed by the Communist Party even on ordinary people in small villages. In Henan province – home to millions of professing Christians – the persecution has been extremely vicious. Hudson Taylor Ministries reported in December 2018 that nearly 200 government-run churches in Xinyang County in Henan have been reduced to three. It goes on to say, “Police patrol every village to stop house-church meetings, and believers are being forced to gather at 4.30 am to avoid discovery”.
Over the years, there has been an increased interest in the Reformed faith across parts of China and hundreds of worshippers of Calvinistic persuasion gather to worship in city house churches. These are being especially targeted, resulting in some pastors signing a statement calling on the Government to restore freedom of religion as laid down in China’s constitution. However, the danger is that their action may lead to even more brutal persecution.
One unofficial church in south-west China stated that more than 100 Protestants were snatched from their homes across Chengdu in the Sichuan province and taken into custody. These included a pastor and his wife. The pastor said, “We are willing to have 200, 300 and even 500 of us locked up”. He also called on church members to keep worshipping and meeting outdoors if places could not be found to rent. He urged them never to stop gathering to worship God. How courageous these people are in the face of such adversity! On their release, photos were leaked out showing injuries that were allegedly inflicted by police. One witness said, “Three of the released brothers and sisters told me they were violently handled by police when they were in custody, including being stomped on. One of the brothers was dragged by police with his hands and feet bound together, causing multiple injuries.” According to one source, those released are being watched around the clock at home. They have been told that their church is an illegal organisation. Other reports speak of houses being searched without a warrant, goods being confiscated and threats being made against worshippers.
The state-run churches are treated no better. In November last year Zion Church, which is a government-approved, Protestant, Three-Self church, had its building demolished by the government; the reason given was that the authorities wanted to build a road where the church was situated. This church had 1500 regular worshippers and, after repeated threats against it and its congregation, combined with repeated damage to the building, it was eventually reduced to a pile of rubble. Zion Church was built in 2009 with money donated by its members and was situated at the centre of a Christian community. It covered a large area and accommodated gatherings of more than 300 people at a time.
Another serious case is that of John Cao, who was originally taken into police custody in March 2017. He and a colleague worked as missionaries and had crossed the border between China and Myanmar many times, with the knowledge of Chinese officials, but this time he was arrested and sentenced to seven years in prison for “organising illegal border crossings”. He and his wife and two sons are US citizens, and he had pastored a Chinese church in North Carolina after coming to America. Since becoming a missionary, he has founded Christian schools for more than 2000 poor children in Myanmar and is highly regarded there for his work. At the moment, high-level officials in the USA are trying to secure his release.
The above snapshots give us some indication as to how the wind is blowing in China today. However, we believe God is working by His Spirit in that great land, where more than 1.4 billion souls live. Godly men sowed the good seed there over past centuries and the promise is, “Behold, these shall come from far . . . and these from the land of Sinim” (Is 49:12). There is also the promise of Matthew 5:10: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”. KHM
An Interesting Petition
In 2017 the UK Government set up a website through which people could petition the Government. Petitions run for six months, and those which receive more than 10 000 votes get a Government response, while those with more than 100 000 votes may be debated in Parliament. Of the 13 000 petitions so far, the most popular has been that calling for a No-Deal Brexit which has attracted 300 000 votes and is still running. Six other petitions have received more than 200 000 votes and 28 others have received over 100 000 votes.
One interesting petition is that calling for parents to have the right “to opt their child out of Relationship and Sex Education” when it becomes mandatory in England in September 2020. At the time of writing this has received 76 000 votes. We wish this petition every success, but the interesting thing about it is the places from which it is receiving support. This can be viewed on the Government website, which gives the information by parliamentary constituency. Most constituencies contribute a handful of votes (many are in single figures), but a few contribute over a thousand (which is more than any single constituency has contributed to the No-Deal Brexit petition mentioned above). These are: Blackburn, Blackley and Broughton, Bradford East, Bradford West, Birmingham (Hodge Hill), Birmingham (Hall Green), Birmingham (Ladywood), Hendon, Finchley and Golders Green, Hackney North and Stoke Newington, Ilford South, and East Ham. Several others such as Slough and two of the Leicester constituencies have contributed slightly under a thousand.
Almost all of these constituencies have strong Muslim populations, and it seems likely that there is an active Muslim campaign supporting the petition. If this is so, then it also seems likely that the Relationship and Sex Education legislation is heading for trouble when it comes to be implemented in 2020. It would not be easy to enforce it on a school where the parents were united and determined in their opposition. Much as we dread the rise of Islam in Britain, it is good to see the pro-sodomite regime running into difficulties. God often uses one part of Satan’s kingdom to oppose and hinder another part: “The children of Ammon and Moab stood up against the inhabitants of mount Seir, utterly to slay and destroy them: and when they had made an end of the inhabitants of Seir, every one helped to destroy another” (2 Chr 20:23).
DWBS
Former Church of Scotland Moderator on Burns
An article on a former Moderator of the Church of Scotland appeared in The Herald on 1 January 2019 highlighting his praise for the Scottish poet Robert Burns. Rev John Chalmers speaks highly of Burns because of his “genius for holding a mirror in front his contemporaries and exposing their sanctimonious cant and humbug”. He even compares Burns with the Saviour: “Jesus exposed the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees of his day. Burns did the same for the self-righteous of his day.”
Now there is no question about Burns’ abilities as a poet, but for a churchman to put Burns in the same category as Jesus is almost unbelievable, especially given the poet’s lifestyle. As described in The Herald article, “he was said to have fathered 14 children by six different mothers”, before he died at the age of 37, “and religion throughout his life seems to have been a humanitarian Deism”, which rejects divine revelation entirely.
Hypocrisy and cant are, to state the obvious, in no way commendable; they are condemned by the Scriptures. But not least among the spiritual needs of this generation is to hear about God’s demands for a godly life and to see holiness lived out in the consistently-godly way that many of God’s children have been enabled to follow before the world. How much Scotland needs a consistent witness in favour of scriptural morality from its national Church! But more, it needs a consistent witness to what constitutes true godliness, as was perfectly exemplified in the life of Jesus. Those who are truly godly have been delivered from hypocrisy and are looking to Christ alone for salvation from the guilt and power of sin.