Politburo campaign puts house-church leaders at greater risk.
The announcement by China Aid.org that the Chinese Politburo had decided to unleash a major new assault on China’s house-church community was broadly publicized after the original press release in early December.
But the organization also paid a heavy price.
Its own website was brought down by a concerted attack of hackers within hours of the December 1 starting date of the new Politburo-organized campaign. Within three and a half days, skillful Internet repair operators have restored the China Aid website to normal.
China Aid says it believes the Chinese government might well have been behind the website attack because hundreds of thousands of different computers have to be commanded to overload a website before an attack can be successful, and only a government-sized agency could mobilize such an attack, says a China Aid officer.
A China Aid representative also said that he had heard reports coming from China of close surveillance and investigation of a few Chinese Christian leaders in Beijing, and in Henan Province in the center of China.
“The leaders we spoke to said that something unusual was happening,” he said. One house church pastor from central China said that he had the impression that the authorities were collecting evidence to put him behind bars.
China Aid was especially watching the case of Dr. Fan Yafeng, the head of Christian Human Rights Lawyers of China and of the Shengshan (Holy Mountain) Research Institute. Fan had been detained for nine days, his wife had been interrogated overnight, and items had been removed by authorities from both his home and the research institute.
Although Fan was allowed to go home, he remained under house arrest. Fan was the recipient (in absentia) of the of the 2009 John Leland religious liberty award of the Southern Baptist Convention. He has represented China’s persecuted Christians and campaigned for the concept of constitutional democracy.
Other reports from China were less gloomy.
A source with frequent access to the house church situation in China, who nevertheless did not want to be identified, reported that he had not heard follow-up stories of the crackdown in the nearly three weeks since December 1, when “Operation Deterrence” was formally supposed to have begun.
“Twenty-one days is a long time. I have not been able to identify any impact or any action taken against any house church leaders of group of leaders. I am personally doubtful that any action has taken place.”
There were other reports of some of the original Chinese invitees to the Lausanne conference in Cape Town, South Africa, in October – who had been prevented from traveling to Cape Town -- having been able to travel abroad in the past few days.
China’s annoyance at the award of the Nobel Peace Prize to Liu Xiaobo, a Chinese dissident, but not apparently a Christian, might have lessened since the December 10 Oslo award ceremony.
Attention to the situation of Christians in China, however, is an important part of their ability to operate freely. China Aid credits the media response to their original press release about "Operation Deterrence" with speeding up Dr. Fan's release from police custody.
+ + +
Today, China Aid posted a statement from Fan Yafeng in which he expresses thanksgiving for the prayerful support of the global Christian community. Click here for the statement.
For more from David Aikman, formerly a columnist for Christianity Today, visit his website. -- eds.
Posted by Tim Morgan on December 22, 2010 4:27PM
Comments
I wonder how this story reconciles with the many good reports of newfound religious liberty coming out of china...particularly in Bejing.
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/world/2010/December/Underground-Chinese-Church-Goes-Public/
Posted by: jay at December 23, 2010
I live in China, and I have seen many fellow foreigners coming to China to spread the word of christ. As a result of the naivety of the chinese people about religion, they are quite successful. I doubt however if they are doing any good for these people.
First of all they get those newly converted chinese in trouble. Secondly, those chinese will have to start living in fear of a hell. Thirdly, most of these new christians have no idea what they started to believe. They are attracted by the message of love and peace, but have no clue about the deeper meaning of christianity, such as there is the complicated dogmas about sin.
The missionaries return home, full of pride (a sin) about saving many souls, unable to answer confused questions they left their victims in China with.
Posted by: Mike at December 23, 2010
We were given the Great Commission, to spread the Gospel to all the world. Paul and others travelled all over, doing just this. Jesus said that His followers would be persecuted, nobody is promised an easy road. All of Jesus' disciples were martyred except for John, who was said to have been boiled in oil, survived, and then was exiled to the island of Patmos. A little "hell" on earth, is better than suffering in the eternal lake of fire for eternity. Our time on earth is so short compared to eternity, and obeying Christ is far more important if you are truly concerned about these people. I know there are many missionaries from many churches in China to help follow through, trust in God and His Word to reach their hearts and save their souls. I think it would be a far greater sin to not trust Jesus and do as He told us to do. Would you have said those same words to Paul and the early apostles?
Posted by: Barbara at December 23, 2010
(I sense Mike is not a believer. Why? Oh, I don't know - probably something he said.) Perhaps we should ask those Chinese how they feel about converting to Christ and their subsequent sufferings. 50,000,000 all can't be wrong. God's word says this about that suffering thing:
1.Acts 5:41 Then they left the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer dishonor for the name.
2.Romans 5:3More than that, we rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance...
3.Romans 8:17 and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.
4.Romans 8:18 For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us.
5.II Corinthians 1:5 For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too.
6.Ephesians 3:13 So I ask you not to lose heart over what I am suffering for you, which is your glory.
7.Philippians 1:29 For it has been granted to you that for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in him but also suffer for his sake...
8.Philippians 3:8 Indeed, I count everything as loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things and count them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ...10 that I may know him and the power of his resurrection, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death...
9.Colossians 1:24 Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church...
10.2 Thessalonians 1:5 This is evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be considered worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you are also suffering—...
11. Timothy 1:8 Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony about our Lord, nor of me his prisoner, but share in suffering for the gospel by the power of God...
12.2 Timothy 1:12 ...which is why I suffer as I do. But I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed, and I am convinced that he is able to guard until that Day what has been entrusted to me.
13.2 Timothy 2:3 Share in suffering as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.
14.2 Timothy 4:5 As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.
15.Hebrews 2:18 For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
16.Hebrews 5:8 Although he was a son, he learned obedience through what he suffered.
17.Hebrews 10:32 But recall the former days when, after you were enlightened, you endured a hard struggle with sufferings...
18.Hebrews 11:36 Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.
19.Hebrews 13:12 So Jesus also suffered outside the gate in order to sanctify the people through his own blood.
20.James 5:10As an example of suffering and patience, brothers, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord. 11Behold, we consider those blessed who remained steadfast.
21.1 Peter 2:19 For this is a gracious thing, when, mindful of God, one endures sorrows while suffering unjustly.
22.1 Peter 2:20 For what credit is it if, when you sin and are beaten for it, you endure? But if when you do good and suffer for it you endure, this is a gracious thing in the sight of God.
23.1 Peter 2:21 For to this you have been called, because Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example, so that you might follow in his steps.
24.1 Peter 4:13 But rejoice insofar as you share Christ’s sufferings, that you may also rejoice and be glad when his glory is revealed.
25.1 Peter 4:16 Yet if anyone suffers as a Christian, let him not be ashamed, but let him glorify God in that name. 19Therefore let those who suffer according to God’s will entrust their souls to a faithful Creator while doing good.
26.1 Peter 5:9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you.
27.Revelation 2:10 Do not fear what you are about to suffer. Behold, the devil is about to throw some of you into prison, that you may be tested, and for ten days you will have tribulation. Be faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life.
And about those proud missionaries - I didn't know we were in the presence of omniscience, Mike. Merry Christmas.
Posted by: Dan at December 24, 2010
I was recently re-reading "Heavenly Man." In Ch 19 "God's Oil Station" there is a description of "Gospel Month Movement" where believers were inspired by Zhang Rongliang's charge to share the good news between Christmas and Chinese New Years Celebration.
In the first 2 years 123,000 newly baptized believers. This was around 15 years ago.
This 3-months Dec to Feb surrounds this Gospel Month Movement perfectly. Do you think this movement is still strong and this is the government's counter-attack called "Operation Deterrance"?!
Posted by: aaron at January 1, 2011
I've also just finished the book The Heavenly Man. Although I have been saved for many years and have fervently been working in Gods ministry as my husband is Pastors, I have to say that I have been renewed by the hope and power of God demonstrated through these peoples lives.
All I can say is that I would rather live 1 day with Christ and then die (on this earth) or suffer for His names sake than live 100 years without Him.
To Mike, you might not know about what happens when you accept Christ. He himself completes the work in you to perfection.
He gives you: His Word (The bible) and His Spirit lives inside you if you ask in His name. These two gifts allow you to answer many questions and build in you faith, love and a Christ like character. Unless you lean on your own understanding, but rather choose to trust and obey Him completely, He promises to be with you WHEREVER YOU GO.
Posted by: Jannine at January 29, 2011