Prayer, Protest Urged on Behalf of China's Persecuted Christians
by Allie Martin
August 17, 2004
(AgapePress) - The Communist Chinese government continues to crack down on Christians who refuse to compromise their beliefs.Over 100 house church leaders and other Christians were arrested in China earlier this month. The group of believers were meeting for a retreat when they were surrounded by more than 200 military police and officers with China's Public Security Bureau. In the days following the raid, many family members of those arrested have also been taken into custody, and three other Christians have also been sentenced for exposing acts of persecution by Chinese officials.
Todd Nettleton is a spokesman for Voice of the Martyrs, an international ministry that serves and advocates for persecuted Christians worldwide. He says it is a farce to believe that religious freedom is allowed in China.
"Basically the Chinese government is sending the message that no Christians are safe," Nettleton says. "If they don't register with the government, if they don't attend a registered church, they are subject to penalties -- arrest, interrogation, questioning, imprisonment."
The VOM spokesman says no arrest warrants or even official identification papers were shown by officers as they carried out the raid. And according to Chinese law, a person can be incarcerated for up to three years without being tried or even having formal charges filed against them.
"China talks about religious freedom," Nettleton says, "but where is it?" He points out that the Chinese Christians simply want to worship God according to the dictates of their conscience, but their government is doing all it can to intimidate them and suppress their religious freedom. Still, he notes, despite these harsh conditions, these oppressed believers remain steadfast.
"We have heard so many stories of Chinese Christians being a faithful witness while in prison," Nettleton says. "In fact, that's their definition of having a prison ministry -- when you're sent to prison you have a ministry there. And so we need to pray that they will have an effective ministry while they are there, and that God will sustain them through the time of labor and the time of hardship."
Voice of the Martyrs urges concerned Christians not only to pray but to take action by speaking out on behalf of their persecuted brothers and sisters in China. Nettleton encourages American Christians to e-mail, fax, or write letters to the Chinese Embassy in Washington, DC, protesting the treatment of Chinese Christians who have been imprisoned for their faith.
