China moves against Christian groups

[Wakka]

BEIJING (AP) – Authorities have increased arrests on Christian groups operating outside China's sole official government church following a crackdown ordered last month, an overseas monitoring group reported today.At least 15 leaders in the unofficial church have been detained in recent days across six provinces and regions, according to the China Aid Association, based in Midland, Texas.They include seven church leaders arrested during a worship service in Inner Mongolia on Tuesday and six others detained for up to 10 days in the neighboring provinces and Shandong and Jiangsu. In another case, Christian businessman Zhou Heng was arrested while picking up an order of two tons of Bibles at a bus station, the association said.Those actions follow a crackdown on unauthorized religious activity ordered July 5 as part of a drive against crime and economic chaos at the village level."Strike hard against illegal religious and evil cult activity; eliminate elements that affect the stability of village governance," said the directive.The text was derived from remarks issued by Vice Public Security Minister Liu Jinguo at a nationwide teleconference and posted on the ministry's Web site. Other crimes targeted ranged from kidnapping and gang activity to production of fake products and exploitation of the millions of children left behind in villages by parents who migrate to work in cities.The association said some of those arrested had been conducting worship services or vacation bible camps, including Kong Lingrong, who was running a Bible study class for young people on July 14 when it was interrupted by local officials.Determined to make her stop, they cut water and electricity to her home, the association said.Authorities have demanded Kong guarantee in writing that she would not conduct such classes in future, warning that until she does so, they would also cut power and water to the homes of anyone found meeting with her, it said.Calls to local governments and police stations in the areas where arrests were reported either rang unanswered or answered by people who said they had no knowledge of the arrests.China allows Christians to worship only in Communist Party-controlled churches, although millions of others risk harassment, fines and terms in prison camps by worshiping in independent congregations usually hosted in private homes.

 

[HolyWarrior]

Same persecution different country brother Wakka!!!http://theshepherdsden.invisionzone.com/in...p?showtopic=149http://theshepherdsden.invisionzone.com/in...p?showtopic=378Christian Villagers Hunted and Killed by Authorities in Laosby StaffAugust 17, 2007
(christiansunite.com) - At least thirteen Christian villagers who were falsely accused of stirring rebel dissent have been killed by authorities in Laos over the past month, according to an August 7 report from Compass Direct.The report also states that approximately 200 Christians in the village of Sai Jerern have been arrested and imprisoned. The majority of the Christians attacked were Hmong refugees that fled persecution in Vietnam. They strongly deny any association with anti-government forces.One of those killed was Neng Mua, who had been in hiding from the police. On July 7, he returned to his native village in search of food and was shot dead by a a one-time friend who suspected that he was member of the "liberation army."On July 8, Seng Wue was shot to death by police after he and other Christians suffering fatigue and hunger came out of hiding and surrendered.Authorities are reportedly searching the rice fields and mountains for Christians and shooting them on sight. On July 13, eight to ten Christians were shot by soldiers searching for leaders of the Ban Sawan church. The identities of those killed are unknown.Pray for peace for Christians in Laos in the midst of this violence. Pray that believers will be able to stand firm in their faith, despite the difficulties they face.Ask God to comfort those who have lost loved ones.
For more information on the persecution facing Christians in Laos, go to www.persecution.net/country/laos.htm.

 

[HolyWarrior]

Chinese Christians
Note: This commentary was delivered by Prison Fellowship President Mark Earley.Every week during the fall, approximately 70,000 people attend NFL games in cities like Detroit and Houston. They pay hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars for the privilege, and, if all goes well, they come away with some happy memories.Every week throughout the year in China, approximately 70,000 people do something very different: they, too, pay a price, but it’s not measured in money. And what they come away with not only changes their lives but promises to change a nation, a continent, and even the world.According to the Center for the Study of Global Christianity, 10,000 Chinese become Christians every day. That’s 70,000 a week!At the time of the Communist takeover in 1949, there were 4 million Christians in China. Today, there are an estimated 111 million, which makes China the third-largest Christian country in the world, behind the United States and Brazil. By 2050, the Center estimates that the number of Christians will have doubled.The explosive growth of Christianity in China is only part of a larger story. The ordeal of Korean missionaries at the hands of the Taliban in Afghanistan reminds us of Christianity’s growth in Korea.A happier story is the one Chuck told “BreakPoint” readers about the people called the Nagas. Little more than a century ago, these people living in the area where India and Burma meet were headhunters. Today, an estimated 90 percent of the population attends church on Sunday, and Christian leaders there have set the goal of sending 10,000 missionaries to the rest of Asia.The Asia Times columnist “Spengler” recently wrote that China may soon occupy the role that the United States has occupied for the past 200 years: “the natural ground for mass evangelization.” He adds that “if this occurs, the world will change beyond our capacity to recognize it.”He foresees Chinese Christians, like their Korean counterparts, “[turning] their attention outward.” Only, with a Christian population fifteen times the size of Korea’s, and a Chinese Diaspora all over the world, the impact will be far greater. “Spengler” uses the word “earthquake” to describe it.According to John Allen of the National Catholic Report, the most “audacious” Chinese Christians dream of taking the Gospel along the historic “Silk Road” into Muslim lands. As David Aikman has written, they believe it is their task to complete the mission of preaching the Gospel in every land. To that end, Chinese Christians are already secretly “training missionaries for deployment in Muslim countries.”This is what “Spengler” means by an “earthquake.” As he puts it, “the greatest danger to Islam” comes from Chinese Christians looking westward toward Jerusalem.What’s remarkable is this vision is taking shape even as Chinese Christians undergo persecution. Then again, Christianity’s initial explosion took place under even worse conditions. So it probably shouldn’t surprise us that there are more Chinese worshiping in “house churches” than belong to the Communist party.According to “Spengler,” the “fearless” Chinese evangelists may do more to transform their nation and the world than all the armies and diplomats combined. That would be an earthquake worth experiencing.
http://www.breakpoint.org/listingarticle.asp?ID=6955