Christian Message Boards: Group Seeks White House Attention on Christian Persecution

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Posted by Kindgo (Member # 2) on :

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Chad Groening
AgapePress

An Oklahoma-based Christian organization says while President Bush cares much more than Bill Clinton about Christian persecution, it is still not a high priority for the Administration.

The Voice of the Martyrs is concerned that with next month's Communist Party Congress looming, the Beijing regime will be increasingly willing to crack down on Christian activity. So spokesman Gary Lane believes President Bush and his administration need to take a more active role in holding the Chinese accountable for the continued suffering of believers.

"We were very pleased with [Bush's] last visit to China," Lane says. "He did speak out about persecution a little bit, and that's more than what I can say for his predecessor. But it's one thing to say it publicly -- it's another thing to talk about it behind closed doors."

Is Christian persecution a priority with the State Department? Lane doubts it. "I don't think Christian persecution is a priority [with the U.S. State Department] anywhere around the world," he says. "We would like to see them take a more active role in this."

Lane says while VOM believes persecution does in fact strengthen the church, it is still important that everything possible be done to limit the suffering -- and that includes getting involved politically, he says. "It's prayer combined with political action," he says. "Let's not just sit back and be apathetic about it."