Christian Message Boards: Massive, coordinated crackdown on Chinese Christians

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Posted by helpforhomeschoolers (Member # 15) on :

Massive, coordinated crackdown on Chinese Christians
June 9, 2005

The Voice of the Martyrs

On May 22, during Sunday worship time, police and Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers simultaneously raided approximately 60 house churches in Changchun, the capital city of Jilin province in northeastern China. In the days following, an additional 40 churches in the area were also raided.

More than 600 house church believers and leaders were taken into custody. Most were released after 24 to 48 hours of interrogation, but approximately 100 leaders are still being held in different detention centers.

“This is clearly a major assault on unregistered house churches in Jilin province,” said Todd Nettleton, Director of News Services for The Voice of the Martyrs. “The amount of man-power, coordination and planning involved in raiding 60 church meetings simultaneously shows this effort came from high levels of the Chinese government.”

One church pastor, Zhao Dianru, 58, was arrested May 22 and released Monday, June 6, after 15 days of “administrative detention.” Zhao’s arrest document accused him of “using other means to instigate and disturb social stability,” but did not mention religion or church activities. According to reliable contacts in that area, at least 20 boxes of Christian books were confiscated during the police raids.

VOM sources say that university students, professors and other young intellectuals make up a large portion of the raided house church groups. It's believed this is a coordinated campaign to eliminate house church influence in the university areas. At least three of the arrested church leaders work as professors at Changchun University. The three were also released after 15 days of detention, but are being watched by PSB officers.

China’s new law on religion, the Provisions on Religious Affairs, took effect March 1. Some believed the new law would lead to less restriction on unregistered churches, but these large-scale raids and arrests seem to show otherwise.

The raided house churches are not all part of the same group, and are not affiliated with any of China’s major house church networks. They are independent house churches with thousands of believers who choose not to register their Christian activities with the Communist government.

One church leader who was held for 15 days and then released told VOM contacts that he and the churches he leads had been asked three times in recent months to join the government-sanctioned Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), but had refused. The TSPM is the state-approved Protestant organization. TSPM churches must meet in a government-approved location, have a government-approved church leader, and are prohibited from allowing children under 18 to attend church meetings.

“We urge Christians around the world to protest these illegal detentions,” said Nettleton. “These Christians are NOT a threat to the Chinese government and they have NOT committed a crime. It’s time for China to live up to the commitments and treaties it has signed on religious freedom.”

Letters of protest can be sent to the Chinese Embassy in Washington DC at the following address:
Ambassador Yang Jiechi
Embassy of the People’s Republic of China
2300 Connecticut Ave NW
Washington DC 20008
Tel:(202) 328-2500 Fax:(202) 588-0032
Director of Religious Affairs: (202) 328-2512

Pray the Lord will protect and encourage these prisoners, giving them opportunities to share Christ with their persecutors. Pray the Lord will give strength, courage and hope to the families of those imprisoned. Pray God will confound the plans of the enemy regarding any further coordinated efforts to arrest house-church Christians.

Posted by MySavingGrace (Member # 4697) on :

with all these thread about persecutions etc: first it starts with a "crack down" then arreting them if they dont leave. and the ones who do, espeically the ones who really are vocally against it and spreading the word will be very tortured, probably even killed.

that stuff plus the microchis with probably the mark of the beast with three sixes. And, all the natural disastors lately (even a volcano did or will go off soon that is a big one)

It liike we got the earth (earthquakes), wind (tornadies and i count hurricanes and tropical storms), water (i even count the horrible hummidity im having this summer, the tsunami, floods, landslides in california, flooding in the UK), and fire (that volvano and many are set to errupt (the more bombing we do etc wont help same iwth heat, how horriby hot this summer has been I do consider warfare liek bombs and wars fire too. bobms exlode so its fire, though it willl create wind and affect the earth.)

if its this bad with these many topics in a day, tomorrow or later will be very scary to see. I will pray about this and pray that I dont give in even if it means death or torture cause i have to fight iwth God in these times.

Posted by helpforhomeschoolers (Member # 15) on :

We are very comfy here in America in our little "Christian" bubbles. These threads are the reality of Christianity in most of the world. It looks a lot like Christianity in the days of the Apostles. The contrasts between our lives and these ought to make us wonder a bit.

Posted by J4Jesus (Member # 1367) on :

I'm not Comfortable.

Posted by mohawk (Member # 2898) on :

I've been reading of Chinese persecution (and execution) of Christians for years now. Is this a great unspoken question? How long will it be before China decides it is powerful enough to begin a sweeping campaign against Christendom beyond its own borders?

I still believe the 200 million man army spoken of in Revelation will be Chinese. Just my spin on this.

Posted by BORN AGAIN (Member # 5) on :

mohawk writes

quote:
I still believe the 200 million man army spoken of in Revelation will be Chinese. Just my spin on this.

Unlikely. Compare the descriptions in the book of Joel. I think the 200 million man army is therefore the LORD's army, judging from Joel.

God bless, [Cross]

BORN AGAIN

Posted by TEXASGRANDMA (Member # 847) on :

mohawk

In the past I was taught that the army would be the Chinese army, simply because that is the only Country that can put together that many people. But after the rapture, and after the 7 year tribulation, it will be hard for one Country on her own to put together that many people. I am now incline to believe it will be the whole world coming together, led by the anti-christ to fight God at the Battle of Armageddon. The Church will come with Jesus on white horses. But, Praise the Lord, the Church will not have to raise a finger in battle, for Jesus will defeat the anit-christ with just the Words that come out of Jesus' mouth. What a glorious battle that will be.
betty

Posted by MySavingGrace (Member # 4697) on :

I dont know if they'll be the "bad' army but i predict china as the world superpower nexxt Every "empire" has its fall. I feel the United States is amost there (if not already)