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China Aid
Taking a page from the "million hoodies" campaign in honor of shooting victim Trayvon Martin, China Aid created this show of support for Chen Guangcheng, who is blind, with hundreds of people donning sunglasses.
Updated at 9:13 a.m. ET: After the dramatic nighttime escape of Chen Guangcheng from house arrest in his Chinese village, one of the first people to know that the blind lawyer was safe in Beijing was thousands of miles away — in Midland, Texas.
Pastor Bob Fu, 44, says he knew of Chen’s escape three days before the security guards surrounding the house discovered it. He says he was among the first to receive and post a 15-minute video of Chen, made in hiding, appealing to Chinese President Wen Jiabao to bring to justice the local officials who illegally imprisoned him and his family for months. Fu says he also had a hand in preparing U.S. officials for Chen’s escape and arrival at the U.S. Embassy, while also helping lay the groundwork for alternatives, the details of which he says he cannot divulge.
Fu knows China’s security apparatus from personal experience. He made his own escape from China, arriving in the United States as a refugee with his wife and newborn son 16 years ago.
Now, through his Midland-based nonprofit China Aid, Fu is one of the leading voices on behalf of religious freedom in China, connected with activists in his home country and respected on Capitol Hill.
"Bob Fu is one of the most credible people you’ll ever find about what is going on in China," said Rep. Chris Smith, R-N.J., who chairs the Human Rights Subcommittee within the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. "He’s very well connected and knows people inside of China who are the agents of reform — people like Chen who (take action) because they want a better China."
According to tax documents, China Aid has raised several million dollars to fund legal counsel for "house church Christians," financial support for the families of jailed dissidents and publicity for human rights cases in China. In extreme cases, China Aid has helped fund "logistics" for an underground railway, Fu says.
In China, worship is allowed only in state-sanctioned churches, mosques and synagogues. Evangelizing outside those sites and worshipping in independent churches, often called "house churches," is prohibited.
China censors 'Shawshank' as Clinton heads to Beijing amid dissident drama
Fu’s activism goes back to the Tiananmen protests of 1989, when he led a group of fellow students from Liaocheng University in Shandong province to join the massive rallies in the capital. After the crackdown on demonstrators he was one of many student activists required to attend special political study sessions and write self-criticism day after day. He worried that he would be forced to leave his hard-won position at the university.
U.S. relations with China are being put to the test over the fate of Chen Guangcheng, a blind Chinese dissident who escaped from house arrest in China and is believed to be in the U.S. embassy or another safe site. NBC's Ian Williams reports.
During this time, Fu said, he read a book given to him by American missionaries who were teaching English in China. It was the story of a famous Chinese intellectual who was addicted to opium in the early 1900s, but was able to shake the drug after he converted to Christianity.
"I was really, really struck by the story," Fu said, in an interview with msnbc.com. "I came to the realization if you want to change China, the first thing you need to do is change people’s hearts. And if you want to change other people’s hearts, you first you have to change yourself."
Jerry Huang / AP
Bob Fu of the Texas-based rights group China Aid in Midland, Texas on Monday.
Fu and his wife, Heidi Cai, began holding underground worship services and Bible studies, he said. At the same time, he was teaching English at the Communist Party School in Beijing.
"I was God’s double-agent," he said, chuckling.
In 1996, they were arrested and held in jail for two months, and then placed under house arrest, Fu said. Then they received word that they soon would be jailed again, he said, in the “sweep” that preceded China’s Oct. 10 National Day.
By this time, Fu’s wife was pregnant with their first child, he said, but without the necessary permission from the government, which controls when a woman is allowed to have her one child. If she had been found out, she would be forced to have an abortion, Fu said.
So in the dark of night, Fu escaped through a second-story bathroom window and Cai left in disguise, he said. They fled to the countryside, Fu said, where they were protected by "house church brothers and sisters."
Fu said that with the shelter of this network, the help of a Christian policeman and travel documents obtained by a highly placed businessman, they were able to join a tour that went to Thailand and then Hong Kong, which was still under British control. Just three days before the territory was transferred to Chinese sovereignty, Fu and his wife were give refugee status, and flew to the United States.
NBC sources: Blind activist is under US protection
Fu and Cai lived in a suburb of Philadelphia, where he started China Aid in his garage while attending Westminster Theological Seminary. They later moved to Midland, Texas, where they are raising their three children.
What prompted Fu to set up China Aid was a 2002 crackdown on a group of Christians in a house church in Hubei province that led to many arrests, among them five people who were sentenced to death, he said.
Fu and a group of contacts in the Christian, dissident and exile communities started publicizing the case and raising money, he said. Ultimately, Fu said, they used the funds to pay for 58 lawyers to defend the accused. They contacted the media, making the front page of The New York Times and The Washington Post.
Andrea Mitchell talks with Bob Fu, founder and president of China Aid, and Christopher Johnson, former China analyst with the CIA, about Chinese dissident Chen Guangcheng's escape from house arrest under the Chinese government, and his current location in U.S. custody.
"That year, all the five death sentences were overturned," Fu said. "It was a major legal victory, and even the 'evil cult' charge was removed."
A group of activists who came of age as he did during the Tiananmen movement, are now human rights lawyers, many of them Christian, he said. Fu said he taps into this network, and links them to Washington by picking up the phone.
'Little ants'
Fu compares himself and fellow human rights activists to "little ants" forcing "one case after another into courts, moving around and mobilizing and going through all the technical procedures" in place under China’s laws, but often not observed or even taken seriously by officials.
"We want to move the pile of dirt with 1 million ants," he said.
"I had never envisioned or wanted to establish (a nonprofit) like this," he said, but now that China Aid is nearly 10 years old, Fu is gratified by some success. "We can help the persecuted, and we did advance rule of law," he said.
China Aid is doggedly following and publicizing many human rights cases around China, Fu said.
"You can write to imprisoned Christians to encourage them and to let them know that you are praying for them," through China Aid, the website says.
Video reveals blind Chinese activist's plight
Fu’s group also prints and distributes Bibles in China.
For Fu, the escape of Chen was a major triumph, but it also has generated new concerns — for the wife and daughter of Chen, and for those who helped get Chen to safety.
In an opinion piece published in the Washington Post on Monday, Fu calls out the bravery of one such supporter, He "Pearl" Peirong, who drove Chen the 300 miles to Beijing after he escaped over a compound wall in Shandong.
"I am awed by the courage of those who helped Chen escape. Pearl told me she is willing to die with Chen because he is such a 'pure-hearted courageous person'," Fu wrote. "I was talking to her last week when she said 'guobao laile,'— that state security had arrived."
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Leave a Comment:
The GOP dilemma...how to turn this into a political attack against Obama. On the downside, Fu is a born again Christian minister and lives in Midland, TX which is conservative and oil-friendly. On the plus side, he is Asian, an immigrant, and a human-rights activist...just like Obama. Show us your papers, Fu?
The Obama Dilemma... How to take credit for this incident which he had little to NO involvement in.
The Moron Dilemma...How jackasses attempt to hijack every article and turn it into something either for or against Obama.
Watching China evolve will be like watching the USA from the start of the industrial revolution. We will get to see worker's rights evolve, unions, freedom of religion, freedom of speech. We will watch the government try to suppress it and the rich Chinese fight either for or against it. They will wonder whether they should use their economic power to influence foreign governments or defend or attack smaller countries. It will be exactly like what the USA went through. Grab the popcorn - it's going to be quite a show for the next few decades.
Once again the question - why do we have economic and political ties with China and not with Cuba? Both countries are communist, but China has the worst human rights record on the planet.
but, But, BUT CHINA IS SO AWESOME! I mean, they are AWESOME at human rights and the United States is SO, SO terrible! How can this be!?
Why is the crime rate so low in China? Because if you don't report a crime, it didn't happen!
Ah yes - but we weren't exploiting China before their revolution. American companies were making so much money in Havana and paying so little to the Cuban people that they had a hissy fit when Castro siezed all their properties.
You are witnessing the world's longest spanking. From a country that claims to be Christian - the USA does not forgive when you take their toys away.
You may also want to note that Ho Chi Minh read from "The Declaration if Independence" when he defeated the French (not knowing the USA would stab him in the back)
It's all about the Benjamins!!
Pastor Fu has already a graduate from Westminister Theology Seminary and he is at least a political refugee back then but now he is at least a legal resident; possibly a citizen of U.S.A.
Pastor Fu does not need to show a paper; he just needs a passport with the U.S.A. badge on the Cover page.
Maybe Fu will run for Governor of Texas and get the current idiots to go back to corrupt business rather than corrupt politics.
The Chinese are very gullable regarding religion. They associate it with the West and modernism and science. They forget their own history and the association of Christianity with the Taiping rebellion which ended up killing 120 million people, the bloodiest conflict in history; few in the West have ever heard of it. Christian missionaries tried to suppress Buddhism when they could and both Buddhism and Christianity were suppressed at times by the Confucian emperial system. They don't recognize the current role of religion in the suppression of science here. But they can get attention and resources from American Christians who hate communism, and see China as a big pool of potential converts. I bet few of them appreciate the wisdom of separation of church and state, despite this history. I have more sympathy for the Tibetan Buddhists. For some reason many Chinese believe the lies that their government tells about the Dali Lama, yet think Christianity must be good because the government suppresses it.
@Mike4703
WWII is the bloodiest conflict of all time with around 50-80 million total death, the Taiping Rebellion is around 20-35 million. Your figures are off by a long shot, 120 million would severely reduced the Chinese population of 1850 was around 450 million people.
Morphine,
Wow, a prophecy that there will be an attack in Afghanistan (a country that currently is in a war) in the coming days and then it really comes true....why how miraculous!! This Zach Jacoby guy must be a true prophet if he can predict such a thing as an attack by the Taliban. I must say I am truly amazed.
Now here is something, I prophesize there will be another strike by the Taliban in the coming days. If I'm right then that is proof of the amazing powers that I have to predict such an unusual event in a war-torn country and everyone should bow down before me in recognition of my amazing powers. If there is no attack in the coming days then I will simply point out that the "day" I meant is the same length of time mentioned in the creation story being a "day" in God's eyes and could be thousands or millions of years in our time.
...and a broken clock is right twice a day
And as was mine communicated to me by the spirit and shared with the world to behold the great powers that be. For those who doubt my prophecy you will all be made fools in a few short (or long) days.
But I also have a new prophecy for my followers and those that deny my greatness. I bring news of a miraculous event that will occur today. For, in the square state you mortals call Why-oh-ming, there will be a miraculous and sudden rising of a steaming column of water out of the depths of the earth. This sudden and miraculous event will occur not once, not twice, but more times than there are digits on your mortal hands all to show the great power of he who is almighty!!! Now go set forth and share this joyous news with the unbelievers so that they too may share in his greatness!!!
Welp... the crazies are out in force today.
It is nice of the media to again put someone's life in danger by broadcasting to the world his where a bouts. Sometimes we forget just how porous our boarders are. Chinese, they don't need to sneak into the United States they are here on vacation and buying your neighbor's home with birth certificates from their anchor babies. Who is going to be the first to rent or be evicted from their residence because it is owned by someone that lives in China and is 2 years old?
As Sancho Panza, Don Quixote's sidekick, frequently says, "Behind the cross stands the devil".
Religion is a load of crap. But whatever gets you through the days bs is your own personal choice. Communism is another masonic pipe dream as are many religions.
Monotheism in any form is destructive. Whether it is Communism, Fascism, Nazism, Christinity, judaism or Islam. Whatever direction they may have grown, they are genetically indentity and share basic character..They are right and those who disagree with them are wrong and should be either conveerted or destroyed.
I'm fascinated that we pay tax dollars for the salary of an individual whose sub-title is chair of the Human Rights Subcommittee within the House Foreign Affairs Committee and the Congressional-Executive Commission on China. The what? In addition to being a phenomenal oxymoron, it's knowledgable leader is from Jersey? China as a nation has in no way demonstrated improvement nor values that beyond any other dictatorship that so deeply disgusts the US. It's people include the full range from starving peasants who are barely literate to billionaires growing at the fastest rate around the world. The love-hate China relationship is one of the least honest myths we propagate every day.
Welcome to PHILADELPHIA...that name is from Old World Bible eh! I still wanna know how INVASION of North America... by those with that BOOK 500plus years ago...is seen as HONORABLE & RIGHTEOUS?????? The Original People of this Continent still have NO RIGHTS and where forced into that Book's Belief SYSTEM!!!!!!!!!!!
But here in this Country you can Read and use the I-CHING too lol Now that is older then the Bible Book!
Welcome to Continent Founded & Supported by & for Terroristic BrainWa$hing(buy the)TON!!!!!!! Hang out all the dirty Laundry to AIR ... ha!
It's amazing to read the REAL ESTATE purchases in the local NewsPapers in and around Philadelphia...it's even more amazing to drive around and Read Christian Churches with characters of China Scripting below the English....but eh....William Penn came here holding a Scroll of English Scribbling too!
Search the HISTORY....*OWNING the PROMISED LAND*, oh there are some real good *DEEDS*! With all foreign countries Personal SURNAMES; CORPORATIONS; INCORPORATIONS; GOVERNMENTS; RELIGIOUS CHURCHES; INSTITUTIONS of ALL TYPES; SCHOOLS of EDUCATIONS of ALL KINDS; MUSEUMS, etc. Yep there is some REAL ESTATE HISTORICAL Wons too!
A perfect example of the blind leading the blind.
China should answer this intrusion into their countries political system by nuking Tiawan or aiding North Korea in nuking South Korea. Lets get rid of the trouble makers of the world. No bases near China no American scum.
So China should start a genocidal nuclear war that will draw the US into conflict with them... because some of their citizens are stirring up trouble agitating for democracy?
I think... yes, I'm sure of it! That is the STUPIDEST idea in the entire world!
Congrats.
NBC - May you be in Heaven a half hour before the devil knows you are dead.
That is my prayer for you on this fine morning far away from the shores of County Donegal, all of England, France, Scotland, Belgium, Germany, Switzerland and pretty much Europe with the excepcion of Italy and Greece for the record on this May 1, 2012.
Love and kisses...and hugs. Lots of hugs for you.
The guy served his time and the house arrest was unofficial. If China was smart they would just say the government was not behind the illegal house arrest and let him go free. I don't think they are smart and will make this situation much worse for them than it should be.
Fu, another right winger for the repubs. Its all about the money! Fu, with the help of the conservatives, has now become a millionaire from this so called non-proffit B.S.! Go figure?
Even if all that is true (and I don't see anything about it in the article; do you have some other source you're not sharing?), so what? None of that makes helping people secure religious freedom in an authoritarian country less noble.
"Securing religious freedom in an authoritarian country" HAS to be considered "noble." What are you, the politically correct police? I wonder if I called myself 'grand poo-bah' of the new underground Flat Earth church, and I went to China to demand my religious rights, would you consider me 'noble'? How about ben dan?
Well, you would be protesting purely for your own benefit, not those of oppressed Chinese like Fu is doing, so while I would agree with and support your cause, no, technically that would not be noble at all.
And yes, securing religious freedom is a noble effort. Why wouldn't it be?
Because you are saying 'securing religious freedom' but what you really are suggesting is 'making them think like we do.'
"Making them think like we do"? I assume you mean in terms of making them think that it's okay to be whatever religion they want?
In that case, yes. They should think like we do, insofar as thinking like we do in this case reinforces their right to think differently from everyone else. I also think that they should be "forced" to think like we do in terms of having political freedom and freedom of speech, so that they can say whatever they want without fear of persecution. Wow, I'm a real bigot, aren't I?
Yeah... cultural relativism doesn't really work when freedom of speech and religion is concerned. You can't really attack an assertion that people should be allowed to think for themselves with "you're trying to keep people from thinking for themselves!"
But you're not as noble as your last sentence, accountant. You want them to be Christian because you personally think THAT brand of supersition is 'right.' China doesn't share your view, so you become angry (that they and I don't share your view). This behavior I don't find noble. Sorry.
I don't want them to be Christian. I'm not Christian, and I don't care if anybody else is.
Fu obviously prefers they be Christian, and I don't mind that; that's the prerogative of religious pastors, and I don't begrudge them for it as long as they aren't oppressive about it (like, say, Iran or Pakistan).
They can be Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or Satanic cultists for all I care. I just think they should have that freedom to choose and worship outside of the state apparatus, free from the prying eyes and twitchy security officers of the Communist Party.
perfect......send in our own drama queen, that will certainly help............hahahahahahaha
Do not get involve into China's internal business: we have enough problems in the U.S.. In addition, the Chinese, all want to use political asylum as an excuse to come to the United States. Just checking the US immigration court record, the majority of illegal Chinese immigrants are trying to use " political asylum" as an excuse to stay in this country. If this practice continues, soon we will have billion of Chinese immigrants in this country, thousands of Chinese restaurants and countless of Buddist temples.
And no fish in the oceans because of the Sushi restaurants.
<p>You know what... I have lived in China for more than 11 years not. My first child was unpermitted. THey wanted to forcefully bort our child. We wer blackmailed, and for 9 months of pregnancy I am not going to run throught the story of running across the country, trying to protect my gf from forceful termination and sterilization. I worked for pary schools. I was a teacher.... We asked the US embassy for help. We tried to get asylum for my wife. Their answer was we would have to make it out of China to singapore where the closest UN office was. Then if we made it there my gf would be placed with other refugees and our child would be born in a refugee camp and maybe she could get into the US one day. They said that in China you have to respect chinas rules and there was nothing they could do about it. I wasnt a missionary. I did not a have a tightly knitted network that could be used by the cia and the US as needed as this guy fu. They werent going to hook my gf up with a future in Texas. We couldnt get married because she was a minuority. At one time they allowed minors older than 18 to get married from the countryside. But that was right before I arrived. They changed that and the marriage law and now you had to be 20 to get married. My wife was 19, so they had to abort the child as marriage was forbidden yuntill the woman is 20. We fought that and were on the lamb like midnight express for 9 months. Very stressfull. Since that time though,. all is well and I have 3 more children and have since remarried. I have a tatoo of my wives ID card on my arm for incase the event I was forcibally deported so I could relocate my baby and wife. It was a vary hard situation. All is well now andI like china. It has its faults as many countries do in the world, including the US. I am not a missionary. Though I have missionary friends, I can say China is opened up to allow people to practice their own religions alot. And they do not do forced abortions and sterilaisatins so bad like they did before. Do they still do it in some places in China? Maybe, I dont know. CHina is very big. But this story is bull@!$%#. Things are not as black and white as they appear. The US government is not the carring shelter giver as they apper. I have sought that shelter before in the past and have seen their true face. This is a chess game. They dont care about blind activists. This is about putting on a show. |There is an election coming.</p>
I would like everyone to consider the distinction: 'China allows state-sanctioned churches, mosques, and synogogues' (rather than so-called underground churches). Is this REALLY so different than U.S. churches filing for tax-free status on income tax forms in the U.S.? Don't you realize which 'religious groups' do NOT render onto the govt?' (in the supposed words of Jebus)? Cults. China doesn't want cults, which tend to have political leaders.
I say the U.S. should turn Fu over. His 'religion' is just superstition, you know. I mean, come on. You know it.
You should run for President of the United States. Obama got elected with his line of crap so you should be able to win also
Was that to me, Sam? Your analogy is not true, you know. The U.S. has never had an atheist president. Obama had to pretend I mean say all that non-sense Jebus stuff was so important to his life, or he wouldn't be president.
We're very different, Slim. In that the US doesn't SANCTION churches, just lets them file for an exemption. It's an economic acknowledgement of faith and all that. We don't imprison or JAIL people for practicing "non-approved" religions.
Well, not since the Salem witch trials, anyway.
And why should we "turn Fu over" (which is silly anyway, as he and his family has been here for years)? What has he done wrong? Does his worship offend you?
It's not our country and it's not our business. We want to let people believe John Smith talked to Jebus who came to Earth from a distant planet and had physical sex with Mary, after the garden of Eden was in Missouri, and caffeine is a sin, and so forth, that would be OUR business. Heck someone who pretends to believe all this might even be chosen to represent the Republican party for president. btw, Jebus really said that about 'rendering onto Ceasar' didn't he? Why doesn't Fu--in your estimation, simply register with his government ? Would it stop him from "making music in his heart"?
Slim, are you confused. It is the blind guy name Chen Guangcheng who is hiding in China and Pastor Bob Fu who lives in Texas.
thanks for correction, Yank. Everyone, please substitute 'Chen' for Fu in my post, above.
I wonder if Guangcheng means "closed wall". I would have to see the characters...
Ah, I see. Chen isn't agitating for religious rights, he's agitating for Democracy, then, and that's why he can't "register with the government". Fu is supporting Chen, nothing more.
As for it not being our business, that's a pretty poor excuse not to address obvious wrongdoing that's being literally shoved in our face. Evil triumphs when good men do nothing.
SF accountant: I think--wrong-doing is less about restrictions placed upon superstitious organizations by other governments, and more about warmongering all over the middle East (which in point of fact, hasn't been a mainstay of THEIR foreign policy of China for the past decade and more). What have YOU done, Good man, to stop THAT?
From the author: Guangcheng means "light" and "sincerity"
That can be considered wrong-doing, sure, and we can have that argument in a news story about the Middle East if you wish. Such a cheap, generic deflection, however, doesn't respond to my point.
In fact, it rather exposes your lack of one. If a country's authoritarian regime is willing to harrass and imprison its people for protesting and agitating peacefully for change, why shouldn't other countries condemn that?
Of course the U.S. harrasses and imprisons its people for protesting and agitating for change. I suspect what would please you is very 'cheap, generic' and superficial indeed. That is, if the PRC would appreciate the very very small protest--such as are framed by news organizations every day at U.S. government buildings--to hide the fact that perhaps a handful of well-fed white people are there during business hours. Then, after the feed goes to the media, they small group leaves, and almost nothing changes that is not beneficial to the entrenched powers. This is a different kettle of fish entirely, you see. These men are being funded by foreign countries, presumably, so those foreign countries (the US of A) can have more power and influence in the other country (China). You ever hear the U.S. at the U.N.? Lots of orders, but when calls come from say China to discuss limitations of nuclear proliferation or other U.S.-global war strategies, the U.S. immediately suspends that debate. Rather like you'd like to do when disagreed with.
We imprison people for agitating for change and protesting? When and where? If true, that is a serious breach of our Constitutional rights and needs to be condemned.
I have no idea what you're going on about with the bit about small protests and entrenched powers. You seem to be vaguely alluding to corruption and misconduct, but it's hard for me to appreciate or dispute it when it's not connected to any example or point.
As for your final point, it's another tiresome deflection, but at least one that I have a quick answer for: as a matter of fact, I deplore the fact that the United States isn't more active in nuclear anti-proliferation and disarmament, and have a host of other complaints about our behavior at the UN.
But that shouldn't come as a surprise to you; haven't I been pressing for more aggressive US diplomatic action from the United States since post 1? I have no problem with other countries debating our business with us, too. If we have a good reason for doing something, we should lay it out and let it be judged. If we don't, then maybe we're wrong.
What surprises me the most is that anyone on the right woud stand up against social injustice,,,,,Hey righties, what about us americans,,,,you don't fight for the poor or middle class, you have trampled on womens rights,,,,you have sold out americans for your rich leaders,,,,,It seems you care more about the rights of those in other countries, but have sold us all down the river to maintain your positions and the power that go with it,,,,talk about un-american,,,,
Hey Omega1,
You sound like a Presidental Teleprompter. A liberal spin artist. Thank God people can see right thru you to the truth.
The Election is coming so get ready for Barrack's going away Party
Well, you're probably suprised because you're using the wrong terms.
"Righties" tend not to stand up for "social injustice", but take ACTUAL injustice very seriously. This story? Oppression? Imprisonment without charge? Those things are actual injustices with a guilty party that should be addressed. So the "righties" here aren't standing up for social injustice in this case.
"Social justice" endeavors to find guilt in places where there is none (hence why it's not just justice) and correct perceived injustices due to economical inequality. There are also some race issues, which I'm less ambivalent about, but in terms of your complaints about not caring about the poor or middle class, that's it. They're not convinced the poor need justice, but rather are suffering the results of their own decisions. That's why it seems to you that they're ignoring American problems in favor of foreign ones. They simply don't share your attitude toward assisting the poor.
As for being un-American... being American is a matter of geography. There's nothing about your idea of "being American" that's more legitimate than anyone else's.
I hope that I've helped enlighten you a little bit today.
I see the nitwits making this article about the right. It is just an article about a chinese guy that escaped from prison, he just happens to be a Christian nothing more people.
If you hate Christians fine, who cares. The actually was a shortage of the atheist bigots here today but not the liberal bigots.
The guy is lucky to get out with his life. China is tough on religion, they do publish that do allow some religions but Christianity is not one of em...or muslimes. I've been there and will never go back anyone that goes over to aid them is in big danger, any of big mouths on here most likely would not have the courage to speak like you do on here...else you be resident for a long time.
Justredd64: China tolerate "sanctioned" churches with the State, which includes Christian churches. So, it is not factual to say they do not allow Christianity.
If you know your world history, when Christianity comes to your 3rd world nation, say they hoist up a giant statue of Christ on one of their hillsides, well, there's a lot of blood and hardship involved. It should not surprise you that some countries would prefer to 'opt out' on the Christianity offer.
Every country has dissidents. During colonialism converted Christians often acted against their own country falsely believing that to do so is a path of rightness. All religions have good scriptures but all religions are managed by Devil. I cringe with righteous christian who criticises China and perhaps as many converts do is critical of gays and woman 's right to choose. Religion is two way sword.
We can criticise China for lots of thing but must admire them for few things. Chinese leaders are singularly focused on uplifting their poor and lower class in economic scale. We cannot say that about USA, whether Government managed by Democrats or Republicans. When they espouse their goal in that direction, we know for last 40 years it has been in vain. All progress made was set before that.
Secondly while Chinese do not have lots of rights, our rights are often hard to practice, except when it cannot do harm to rich and big. When young I had to go to court to exercises my right to sell goods on NYC sidewalk where they are customers. Court did not rule in my favor but told the police department he does not want to see me again there. Thus we had working arrangement.
We have so many laws that even supercomputer cannot adjudicate and with corrupt Government we can see poor, less educated, darker people in prison disproportionately. If you get in trouble with laws and get caught and you are poor, you cannot get good lawyers and you are guilty. Kennedy can never be guilty. In his place you would have got a life.
USA mind your own business,this is a China affair on a man that can't live by the China rule.it is none of our business,SO stay the Heck out of it,send him back to China and let him do his time.He'll turn on USA and become the next terrorist and blow something up.If he is an activist in China,what do you think he be here,an ANGEL?
And if we ship every person fleeing persecution back to their jailers, what do you think people will think of us?
Honestly, terrorism? What a pathetic excuse. Are you so terrified of foreigners that even democracy protesters are the "next terrorist"? Disgusting.
When did xenophobia and caving to dictators become okay with people?
SF accountant, I know you are going to look down on me with this post, like you do with the people in San Francisco who do not live in the Haight/Castro/or Mission, but are you familiar at all with the cults in Japan? China reasonably wants to avoid that. How about Muslim extremists flying into buildings in the name of jihad and whatnot? China has not experienced that yet, either. I doubt that the majority of Chinese pine for enlightened white people riding in on horseback to save them in the name of tolerating more superstition than they have already. But if it makes you feel better, please sit on the street next to the Chinese consulate and deface the nearby Starbucks to show your support for something you heard Richard Gere say about Tibet.
Which cults? Shinto? What's wrong with Shinto and why would the Chinese fear it? As for Muslim extremists, China has its fair share, actually. There's been a Muslim insurgency for some time, I believe. Islam is already tolerated, and extremist violence abhorred. There's nothing bizarre about that.
I don't know what the majority of Chinese people pine for. In the absence of a democratic system, it honestly doesn't matter to me. I'm more concerned about the human rights of the minority, people who are oppressed and imprisoned for standing up for themselves, for wanting to practice whatever religion they want and are tired of corrupt officials seizing their property.
As for your assumptions as to my political views and people I look down on, I'm afraid you're quite mistaken. I don't even know who Richard Gere is.
I'm not referring to Shintoism. I think you know that.
Really, you don't know who Richard Gere is? The officer and the gentleman who freed Bai Ling to pose for Playboy? He's practically the dalai lama's best friend, I tell you what.
I don't, actually. I'm not familiar with "cults" in Japan. I know a fair bit about their culture, but if you're not talking about their mainstream religions, then I have no idea what you're talking about nor what it has to do with human rights in China.
Nope, don't know who Richard Gere is, and nothing you said about him rings any bells. Don't know who Bai Ling is either. Why does that matter anyway?
So if I were to tell you Lisa Simpson likes him a lot... okay, skip it.
If you're a really smart teenage girl who never watches TV (that device your parents watch), I'm going to have to apologize a LOT...
I am neither a teenager or a girl, though I don't watch TV.
I DO know who Lisa Simpson is, though I get the feeling we're moving further and further from any coherent point of debate.
IThink the scribes who translated and copied the bible over and over again missed some things. Maybe they couldn't do an accurate translation. Maybe one monk was sick one day and a substitute filled in a few pages. There were slackers and goof-offs back then too.
Anyone who thinks that Christianity is under attack in the USA need only look at China to understand what "Christianity under attack" really means. And then stop complaining about your lot in life.
Well, it's more like "Christianity under siege" than "under attack", but yeah.
I am confused about how China is attacking Christianity? You are allowed to worship in your church. They just don't want people with questionable sanity infecting their streets. Seems like a reasonable solution. But freedom of worship is not what Christians. they want freedom to convert and subvert. There are people who have actually read the Bible, Slick, and they understand that it is the primary objective of the Christian AND Muslim religions to either rule or destroy the world. Believe my friend, you would rather live in Communist China than theocratic Iran. Well, if Christians have their way the United States will mirror Iran, but with Biblical instead of Sharia law in place. So, MikeSpike, save the victim stance. The real history of your death cult is coming out...
I guess I just don't see the under seige thing. Maybe it's like with electing a black president after 230-something-odd years. If just once, an atheist was elected U.S. president, I might change my mind... Otherwise, really, what do Christians have to worry about in the U.S.? Who is hassling you? Atheists are like gnats pecking at your battleship, that's about all.
Christianity doesn't have any problems in the United States. Any complaints to the contrary are usually people exaggerating the challenges that any religious group should be prepared to face in a free society, or the victims of isolated incidents of legitimate religious discrimination/problems.
China is a different story. Because religion is one of the bugbears of the Communist dogma, religious practitioners (who have to be from one of the "approved" religions) have severe restraints on their right to worship. Not that I have any appreciation for street pastors or missionaries, but it's a simple free speech issue. People shouldn't have to choose to either worship under the watchful eye of the government men or fear for their safety if their religious activities are discovered.
BTW, I'm an atheist.
Bob Fu has a huge credibility problem:
- This report, as many other, failed to identify China Aid's source of funding is actually the US government. Check National Endowment for Democracy (NED) China grant publication for evidence.
- Bob Fu cited the Three Grades of Servants "house church" as being persecuted, but the reality is Three Grades cult was involved in a bloody turf war with rival cult Eastern Lightning over church membership. These groups do not even believe in the Bible. Three Grades' leader, Xu Shuangfu, actually named himeself the Messiah Reborn.
No surprise. You can find almost every west's favority Chinese dissident and trouble-making (terrorist) organizations are on the payroll of NDE.
thanks, Bobby Wong.
There's a man named Harry Wu who likely is making a video right now in front of a green screen in his basement. Later he will edit it to look like he is in China and being persecuted just for being a Christian. He will show Christian groups in the U.S. this video, and they will accept it as 100% truth, then they will get out their checkbooks.