The news about Luis Palau saying that the Chinese Christians should join the state church in China and that religious persecution in China is exaggerated is continuing to get coverage today in an article in the Washington Times.
In an article titled Christians slam evangelist's pro-Beijing remarks we see the following...
"Bob Fu, president of the Texas-based China Aid Association, said remarks made Nov. 19 by Mr. Palau at a press conference in Beijing are "irresponsible and misleading" and deserve a "rebuke."
Mr. Palau told reporters that some reports of religious persecution are unjustified, according to a transcript on www.christianpost.com, and suggested that China's unofficial churches should register to "receive greater freedom and blessings from the government."
He then compared church registration in China to American tax law."
Now I'm not sure about you, but I'm not quite sure how church registration in China compares to American tax law. That just doesn't make much sense to me.
Mr. Palau was in Beijing to speak at a government-hosted event for Chinese charity groups. He also appeared with President Bush on Nov. 20 during a visit to Gangwashi Church, one of only five approved Protestant churches in the Chinese capital of 15 million people.
Now I'm not sure about you but knowing that there are only FIVE approved Protestant churches in the Chinese capital should be a clue that religious freedom isn't really free in China. In America we have way more than five protestant churches in most capitals and so I think it's totally naive to think that anyone, including the President, can see Christians in China as being truly free.
A spokesman for Mr. Palau did not return calls Friday.
Of China's estimated 80 million to 100 million Christians, three-quarters belong to underground churches not registered with the government. China requires registered churches to have a government-selected pastor from an approved seminary. Registered churches also must agree to approved service times and locations.
Children younger than 18 cannot be baptized or attend Sunday school even in approved churches, and congregants cannot evangelize outside church walls. Churches must adhere to preaching guidelines, and some topics -- such as the Second Coming and Jesus' miracles -- are forbidden.
How can President Bush or Luis Palau think for a second that these state churches are free? I know what it is like to have a parent forbid me from getting baptized when I wanted to, and not because I didn't understand the gospel but because my parent was opposed to the gospel. How much more so the Chinese government not allowing followers of Christ to be obedient to His word.
Mr. Fu also released a statement by Zhang Mingxuan, chairman of the China House Church Alliance, who was detained Nov. 18 to 21 by police and kept him out of Beijing until Mr. Bush had left.
"We demand Rev. Palau to retract his irresponsible remarks, which deeply hurt the feelings of hundreds of house church prisoners and their families," Mr. Zhang said.
Mr. Fu also quoted "Sarah" Liu Xianzhi, a Chinese immigrant in Midland, Texas, who says she was tortured and imprisoned for six years on behalf of a denomination known as the South China Church.
"I do want to let Reverend Palau know there are still 16 pastors and evangelists from our church serving in different prisons in China now," she said. "Reverend Palau is always welcome to visit our church and pastors in prison."
You can read the full article here.
Nice to see that Mr. Palau is backing down from some of his statements to the press. See
http://www.palau.org/lpea/downloads/PalauChinaResponse.pdf. His apology is still somewhat nebulous, in my opinion. But it is a start.
Posted by: Glenn | December 01, 2005 at 04:39 PM