Chinese Govt. Officials Bulldoze God's House
by Allie Martin and Jenni Parker
February 24, 2004
(AgapePress) - An international ministry to the suffering Church has obtained shocking videotape that proves the persecution of unregistered churches and house church Christians in China continues.Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) has received a videotape of an unregistered Chinese church being destroyed. The incident was secretly videotaped by a Chinese Christian and the tape was smuggled out of the country, providing evidence of government oppression of Christian churches that resist government control. "In our 36 years of ministry, we've never had a video tape like this," says Tom White, VOM's USA director. "This tape shows how the Chinese government treats Christian groups that refuse to register."
Last June 26, the police arrived at the Tu Du Sha Church at Xiaoshan District of Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province before 4 a.m., expecting the sanctuary to be empty. Instead they found 300 believers there praying. The police returned a few hours later with 200 military policemen and more than 40 vehicles and, despite members' protests, bulldozed the church to rubble.
The Tu Du Sha Church was started around 1930 by missionary Hudson Taylor's group, China Inland Mission. Over the years the congregation had grown in size to a weekly attendance of 1,500 members.
VOM spokesman Todd Nettleton says the Chinese government wants complete control of all churches in the nation. Since seizing power in 1949, that Communist government has required all Christians in China to join registered, government-sponsored churches.
Nettleton says in America, believers may think of their churches as being registered with the government, but he doubts that most have any clear concept of what that means in a Communist regime.
Since the U.S. government recognizes religious establishments and confers certain benefits upon them, Nettleton supposes most Americans church members figure, "We get a tax exemption, so isn't it the same thing?" But he says that is a far cry from the kind of government control faced by the Church in China.
"The reality is to register with the Chinese government means the government signs off on when you meet, where you meet, who can come to your meetings, and what can be discussed there," Nettleton notes. "And one of the stipulations is that the gospel should not be shared with anyone under the age of 18."
The rule restricting evangelistic sharing with young people reflects the priorities of the Communist officials in charge, Nettleton explains. He says those officials do not want Chinese children exposed to Christian beliefs that might "cloud their young minds while they're forming their opinions about Communism and about philosophy and about the way the world works."
But VOM's spokesman says ministry goes on in China's unregistered churches, despite persecution and government restrictions. And as for the Tu Du Sha congregation, even though their church building was destroyed, Nettleton says the believers are still worshipping.
Officials with the Communist Chinese government claim religious freedom is flourishing in China. However, the videotape of one church's destruction and numerous reports from members of the Christian movement in China indicate otherwise.
