The True Church Still Suffers

By Matt Costella
FOUNDATION Magazine, January-February 2000

Fundamental Evangelistic Association

From first century Smyrna to modern-day China, the true Church of Jesus Christ suffers for His cause.

NINETEEN CENTURIES AGO, Jesus Christ bestowed a small epistle of only four verses to a suffering church that found itself in the midst of great physical persecution. Speaking to the church at Smyrna in Revelation 2:8-11, Christ exhorted this loyal little flock to "fear none of those things which thou shalt suffer" but rather to "be thou faithful unto death." He never uttered a word of complaint against this suffering testimony of believers, nor did He give them advice or counsel concerning how to avoid the persecution they were called upon to endure. Rather, Christ simply commanded them to continue to be fearless and faithful.
Although today's Western church knows nothing of the persecution faced by Smyrna and other true testimonies of believers throughout the centuries, this does not mean that, even today, true believers in Jesus Christ are no longer called upon to endure similar tribulation. On the contrary, believers in India, Indonesia, Sudan, North Korea, Pakistan, Vietnam, China and many other nations are enduring physical and emotional persecution for their faith in Jesus Christ and for their refusal to succumb to godless, atheistic religious or political regimes. Some are beaten, imprisoned and fined by their own governments. Others are tortured, murdered or threatened by religious militants who declare holy war against the one, true Christian faith. In either case, many Christians refuse to renounce their faith in such situations. Certainly they have followed Christ's command to "be thou faithful" (Rev. 2:10), even to the point of death.
While many nations of the world actively persecute Christians for their faith, no nation seems to be more deceitful and dishonest concerning the atrocities it commits and the abuses of human rights it so actively perpetrates than Communist China. Sadly, many in the United States only serve to further the deceit and lies propagated by the Communist Chinese government by either believing the state sponsored news reports that flow from China or by traveling to China and returning with glowing praise of the "new-found freedom" enjoyed by all who will simply attend an official, registered Protestant church and, in reality, "bow the knee to Baal." But what is really happening in China today? Facts disclosing China's suppression of religious freedom do exist, and this article will serve to document such abuses as recorded by independent human rights organizations that know firsthand how evil and deceptive the Chinese government truly is.

Legal Churches Must Register

As one writer so aptly noted, "The Chinese Communist Party has never made any secret of its view of the place of religion within Chinese society. It is to be tolerated—but only barely—until such time as ‘socialism with Chinese characteristics' is fully realized and religion, having become irrelevant, will wither and die."1 China does claim to honor freedom of religion, but only as long as the Chinese people choose to accept one of the five official religions of the state—Buddhism, Catholicism, Protestantism, Daoism or Islam. However, each officially recognized religion is monitored by a nationalist "patriotic association" such as the Protestant Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM), and worshippers are commanded to either attend a state-sponsored church or temple or risk punishment.
Concerning China's claims of religious freedom, notice the deceptive words of one of China's primary Protestant religious leaders, Han Wenzao, as he spoke to New York Times reporter Erik Eckholm, and notice Eckholm's comments:

"From our perspective, now is the best period ever for implementing the policy of religious freedom," said Han Wenzao, who as president of the China Christian Council is the national leader of the official Protestant church and a prime link to the Communist Government. "The criterion should be, is the word of God being propagated or not? It is and it's good." Han, who is 75 and has his office in the Jinling Union Seminary of Nanjing, says he became a devout Christian at a missionary college though he was never ordained. He helped create the official, "patriotic" Protestant church here during the period after the Communist takeover in 1949, when, he says, it was politically necessary to repudiate the "imperialist" sponsorship of foreign missionaries. The willing believers joined in a generic, nondenominational church.2

Wenzao, who claims that China is now experiencing religious freedom, sold out to the Communist regime years ago as he helped "repudiate the imperialist sponsorship of foreign missionaries" and has since been responsible for the persecution of millions of true Christians who refuse to subject themselves to government propaganda in the "official" Protestant church.
Many who visit China attend state-sponsored, registered churches and find them to be quite similar to services held in mainline denominational churches in the United States. Eckholm observed:

Recent Sunday services at St. Paul's Church in Nanjing exemplified the moderate, hybrid style of Protestantism that is promoted by Government agencies. In what could have been a scene at an American Presbyterian or Lutheran church, the members shared prayers and the Apostle's Creed, and they sang hymns with the robed choir. They recited verses from Acts and Psalms, and watched as six men from an ethnic minority group in Yunan, here on an exchange, sang a hymn in thanks for the hospitality. They listened to a pleasant 20-minute sermon by the middle-aged Pastor Lin De'en, telling the story of a man who on his death bed finally appreciated the Christianity of his wife and son, and concluding with an ode to the value of personal worship: it will help you become modest, honest, patient and love one another.3

Registration of churches is vitally important to the Chinese government, for only then can it control what is taught so as to hinder any words of protest against the godless communist system. The communist government bases church registration on the "three-fix" policy which requires each church to possess a TSPM approved pastor, a fixed meeting point and a restricted area of ministry and activity.4 Yet even after a congregation becomes an official, registered church, the government still carefully scrutinizes the activities of the group and controls the "ministry" of the pastor. One human-rights researcher and author noted:

Controls are exercised over such issues as personnel selection, sermon themes, dissemination of religious publications and congregation size. Those that test the limits of government tolerance, even on matters seemingly outside the purview of religion, are subject to arbitrary procedures including the forcible removal of leaders, but their members are rarely subjected to the kind of treatment meted out to "illegal" unofficial groups.5

Despite the claims of increased "religious freedom" and "religious toleration" in China, it is evident that even the official Protestant churches in China are not free at all. Such churches are used by the government to continue to stifle the individual's understanding of Biblical truth. Because communism and true Christianity are diametrically opposed to one another, it is impossible for any true church to condone such a wicked, atheistic political system; but, of course, Communist leaders would never allow the Bible to be taught in such a manner.
Fear drives the Chinese Communist government to such measures, for communists believes that any ideology other than their own poses a threat to the security of the current Communist state.6 Those within the ranks of government are forbidden to practice any religion at all. One human rights publication noted that in January 1995, "the Chinese Communist Party circulated a document to party organizations at the provincial level ordering expulsion for party members belonging to religious organizations, open or clandestine."7 The atheistic foundation on which the philosophy of communism rests is alive and well, as evidenced in the Chinese Communist Party.

Atrocities Against the House Church

Millions of true Christians in China worship regularly in unregistered, illegal house churches, but these individuals do so at their own risk. The Chinese government often imprisons house-church leaders and congregants, beats them, forces them to pay outlandish fines or attempts to "reform" them though labor camps. Such atrocities are occurring even today, despite reports to the contrary by the Chinese government. Notice the following documented reports of housechurch leaders and worshippers who have recently suffered terribly for the cause of Christ:

Local authorities use central government regulations to extort money from unofficial church members, to forcibly break up clandestine meetings, to hold worshippers without charge until they can raise exorbitant sums to buy their releases and to orchestrate beatings severe enough to cause death ... Members of unofficial churches have had their personal and productive property confiscated or been threatened with the loss of their jobs ... Some church leaders are intermittently sent on mandatory journeys in order to disrupt their relationships with their followers; some are forced to attend long-lasting "study classes" aimed at conversion to official belief.8

China's persecution of Protestants continues as house church leader Cheng Meiying is beaten unconscious, Li Qingrui is shot, and others are detained and given exorbitant fines. Following the October 26 and November 5 (1998) crackdowns on Protestants in the Henan cities of Wugang and Nanyang, over 70 house church leaders from all parts of China remain in detention at the Fangcheng Prison and at an undisclosed location in Nanyang. While imprisoned, these church leaders have suffered a range of torture and abuse.9

In April (1998), eight Protestant house-church leaders, including Peter Xu Yongze, leader of the Zhengzhou-based "Born Again" evangelical group, were detained by police in Henan province after a meeting. On September 25, the Zhengzhou Intermediate Court reportedly sentenced Xu to a ten year term for "disturbing public order.10

Communist China gets away with violations galore of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, especially the fundamental right to freedom of religion: consider the latest outrage, the recent arrest of 40 Christian religious leaders in Hunan Province whose followers worship in private houses rather than submit to the government's registration requirements for religious groups ... Thirty million Christians worship in unregistered churches on the mainland. These religious sites are subjected to periodic crackdowns including the detention and beating of worshippers and sentencing of religious leaders to forced labor.11

Police busted up a church service at a rural home and detained all 25 worshippers in the latest raid on Protestants worshipping outside state control in China…The dozen police confiscated all the Bibles found at the home in Sui county in central Henan province. Eight days after the April 25 raid, 15 worshippers remained in detention ...

The raid in Sui county was at least the fifth police have conducted in Henan, a center of activity for the underground Protestant church, since October (1998). Police have detained 225 other Christians.12

Thirteen Protestants detained since Chinese police raided their underground church 2.5 months ago have been told to pay a fine or face forced labor ... Police arrested 40 Protestants while breaking up a Christmas service at a private home outside Shangqiu city in central Henan province. All but 13 have since been released ... The 13, kept in a city detention center, were told this week to pay fines of $240 or be sent to labor camps ... Police have the right to send suspects to labor camps for up to three years without trial. The fine is exorbitant, given that the worshippers are mostly poor farmers.13

Human Rights Watch, an independent watchdog organization that monitors human rights worldwide, issued a 1999 summary of human rights developments and accused China of continuing to control expression, association and assembly of political and religious dissidents. The report states:

Religious persecution continued, as did concern that unchecked religious practice was a threat to social stability. New regulations were adopted in Guangzhou city and Zhejiang province requiring religious communities to accept government control, restrict contact with overseas organizations, and register with authorities or face fines and other penalties ... Some religious leaders who rejected state control of their activities were detained, usually under reeducation through labor provisions.14

It is impossible for any honest individual to look at the facts concerning the persecution of the true, uncompromising Chinese believers and to claim that either communism is dead or that the Chinese are becoming more "lenient" with respect to religious freedom. Likewise, it is just as treacherous for any Christian, whether in China or elsewhere, to advise the true Chinese Christians who worship in house churches to give up their fight for freedom and righteousness and join the official Communist-approved churches.

The Western Response

The American response to religious persecution in China has been somewhat mixed. Many conservative politicians understand the plight of the Chinese people, especially those worshipping in underground house churches, and have attempted to urge the government to confront China concerning its abuse against Christians and those of other religions. On the other hand, others such as the National Council of Churches and some liberal politicians believe the United States should refrain from interfering with the rights of the Chinese people.
In 1997, the United States Congress ordered the State Department to investigate the role that 78 countries played in the religious persecution of Christians. According to a CNN report, the outcome of the State Department investigation is as follows:

The United States accused China of religious persecution with beatings and raids on private homes to "suppress unauthorized religious groups"... Chinese authorities have cracked down on Christian movements that do not register with the government, have closed hundreds of "house churches" and have detained religious practitioners."15

Another CNN report stated that both the legislative and executive branches of the United States government agree that "the maltreatment of Christians in the world is woefully underreported."16 The article noted that the State Department's report "charges that Communists in China [were] in the tenth month of a crackdown to rid the country of religious groups not registered by that party."
Six months later, another report prepared for President Clinton and Secretary of State Madeleine Albright by the Advisory Committee on Religious Freedom Abroad stated, "In China, members of the government-registered religious institutions practice their faith within the strictures of the government. Tibetan Buddhists, Muslim Uighurs, unregistered Protestants and Roman Catholics are subjected to wide spread harassment, detentions, incarceration and persecution."17
Once again, in September 1999, the U. S. State Department issued a new report on religious persecution abroad and cited China as one of the primary offenders of human rights, and particularly religious freedom, worldwide. Citing the State Department report, a September 8, 1999, Associated Press article, states: "Chinese citizens can face harassment or prolonged detention in labor camps if they practice their religious beliefs outside officially sponsored churches."18 China strongly criticized the United States for its latest report, saying that Chinese law allows religious freedom and calling on the United States to refrain from interfering with Chinese domestic affairs.19
Despite these obvious violations of human rights against Christians, the United States government continues to work with and dialogue with the Chinese government as though it were an ally and continues to aid the communist government as it attempts to enter into international organizations such as the World Trade Organization. In fact, one human rights organization insightfully reported that "Chinese President Jiang Zemin scored a huge diplomatic triumph as the first Chinese leader to be hosted for a state visit to Washington since the June 1989 crackdown" in Tiennamen Square.20
Many American religious leaders likewise bow to the demands of the Chinese government that the United States refrain from interfering with the "domestic affairs" of the Communist state. In February 1998, three American religious leaders traveled to China at the invitation of Chinese President Jiang Zemin in an effort to "improve bilateral relations" between the United States and China. The U. S. delegates included Don Argue of the National Association of Evangelicals, Roman Catholic Archbishop Theodore McCarrick and Rabbi Arthur Schneir. A CNN report noted that "the U. S. team [was] escorted by officials of the Chinese People's Institute of Foreign Affairs, who [had] arranged meetings exclusively with members of state-approved 'patriotic' religious organizations."21 Argue said he was "willing to take the risk (of being used for propaganda purposes) to open dialogue and have the opportunity to advance [the] mission."22
The American delegates reported that the trip to China did not serve as a "fact-finding" mission, but rather, as an opportunity for dialogue with the Communist government "on religious policy and practice in a spirit of mutual respect."23 In the official report of the U.S. Religious Leaders Delegation to the People's Republic of China, the delegates stated that "the reports of our delegation's activities within official circles, as well as in the Chinese press, indicated that religion is now higher on the agenda in China than ever before." The report added, "In our exchanges with high level Chinese government officials and with religious leaders-lay and clerical-of official religions, we engaged in ground-breaking discussion about religious freedom."24 While Argue, McCarrick and Schneier spoke glowingly of their attempts at "dialogue" with the communists, non-religious human rights organizations such as Human Rights Watch actually more fully understand the futility of such reasoning with lying, deceitful leaders. In its 1999 summary of human rights in China, the watchdog organization wrote:

Greater scope for scholarly discussion of reform did not mean increased tolerance of political dissent. Those who publicly challenged the Communist Party, organized petitions to senior officials on political issues, maintained links to dissidents abroad, or had contacts with the foreign media were particularly vulnerable to arrest and detention.25

The same is true for those who worship in unregistered churches or maintain contact with missionaries or other outsiders not approved by the Communist Chinese government. The Chinese government might "dialogue" with others such as Argue who are willing to be used for propaganda purposes, but such dialogue is useless and the true Chinese believers know it!

The Believer's Response

How is the Christian in the Western world to respond to the persecution of fellow believers around the world? First, he must regularly, earnestly pray for those who are suffering for the cause of Christ. Prayer not only "changes things," but it also is the believer's link to sweet fellowship with those whom he cannot see. Intercessory prayer likewise reveals one's concern for the well-being of those who are suffering, and it honors and glorifies God and calls upon His will to be done in the life of the persecuted believer. Second, he must educate himself concerning the state of the persecuted believer. Such education involves discernment and the careful delineation between fact and fiction. Many liberal religious and political voices declare that religious persecution is no longer an issue. Yet such is not the case. Information can be obtained from reliable, independent organizations that carefully document the persecution and suffering endured by millions. Third, he must not identify himself with any organization that serves to advance the cause of the believer's oppressor. Those who find themselves associated with groups such as the World Council of Churches, World Alliance of Reformed Churches and other ecumenical organizations that rally around political liberalism and communism are, in reality, traitors to the cause of Christ as they sell out their fellow brethren.
Now is an important time in history to better understand the true nature of communism in China and the repression of the people within that country. China is currently seeking to use clever rhetoric to persuade the free nation of Taiwan to accept a "one country, two systems" relationship. China is attempting to clothe itself in a facade of tolerance and change. Chinese military presence is flourishing worldwide. Every believer must not be deceived by such a godless political system. Satan has used communism to destroy churches and lives throughout this century, and he will certainly continue to do so in the next.
Suffering believers in China and throughout the world need intercessory prayer. Yuan Xiangchen, an 84-year-old leader of China's house church movement, told New York Times reporter Erik Eckholm, "The head of the church is not any agency or person. The head of the church is Christ." He added, "The official church is led by the Communists. That's why we worship at home."26 This precious believer who finds himself in the midst of persecution knows the true nature of communism. Believers in the free world must heed this man's wisdom and likewise understand the true nature of communism and of the Communist Chinese government. Pray for the persecuted church around the world. Pray for the true believers in China who are suffering for the cause of Christ.

Endnotes

  1. Micky Spiegel. "Religion in China: Regulating the Opium of the People." China Rights Forum, Spring 1995.
  2. Erik Eckholm. "China's Churches: Glad, and Bitter Tidings." New York Times, June 17, 1998.
  3. ibid.
  4. Spiegel, "Religion in China."
  5. Spiegel, "Religion in China."
  6. Human Rights Watch. China: Religious Persecution Persists. December 1995, vol. 7, no. 16(c)
  7. ibid.
  8. Spiegel, "Religion in China."
  9. Human Rights in China Press Release. "Continued Persecution of Protestants." November 24, 1998.
  10. Human Rights Watch 1998 World Report.
  11. Arnold Beichman. Free China Journal. "Stop Condoning Beijing's Violations of Human Rights." November 26, 1999.
  12. Associated Press. "25 Underground Protestants Detained in China, Report Says." May 3, 1999.
  13. Associated Press. "Chinese Protestants Face Fine or Forced Labor." March 15, 1999.
  14. Human Rights Watch. Human Rights Developments. Defending Human Rights. The Role of the International Community. 1999 Summary.
  15. CNN. "U.S. Accuses China of Religious Persecution." July 22, 1997,
  16. CNN. "Church and State: Unusual Government Report Focuses on Christian Persecution." July 23, 1997.
  17. Associated Press. "Report Cites Religious Persecution." January 23, 1998.
  18. Associated Press. "State Department Report Details Religious Persecution in China." September 8, 1999.
  19. Associated Press. "China Condemns United States for Criticizing Religious Intolerance." October 7, 1999.
  20. Human Rights Watch 1998 Summary.
  21. CNN. "U. S. Clergymen Seek Religious Dialogue with China." February 11, 1998.
  22. ibid.
  23. Don Argue, Theodore McCarrick and Arthur Schneier. "Religious Freedom: A Report of the U.S. Religious Leaders Delegation to the People's Republic of China." February 1998.
  24. ibid.
  25. Human Rights Watch 1999 Summary.
  26. Erik Eckholm. "China's Churches: Glad, and Bitter Tidings."

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