"CHINESE CHRISTIANS NEED REFUGE - WILL WE WELCOME THEM?" - by John Stonestreet and Roberto Rivera, Breakpoint.org, July 16, 2019; http://www.breakpoint.org/2019/07/chinese-christians-need-refuge/ [AS I SEE IT: I share the concern of this writer as to why America is not welcoming more Christian refugees who are clearly persecuted in their home countries. I too am baffled as to why the Trump administration has not welcomed more into our country. I did just watch an interview with the Secretary of State in which he explained that they are trying instead to force changes in the home countries of the persecutedd so that more will not have to be forced to leave. (Of course, when you consider that there are an estimated to be as many as 200 MILLION persecuted Christians worldwide, America could never be able to welcome even the smallest percentage of those who would want to find refuge here.)While that makes sense, I still have to wonder why we still can't welcome more Christian refugees into our country. I choose to trust that the Trump administration will one day soon find a way to welcome more such refuges. Let's all be praying toward that happening. - Stan]
Today, as we’ve discussed many times on BreakPoint, the Communist Party is cracking down on religious minorities, including Christians. Among the reasons is that Chinese leader Xi Jinping has embraced a Mao-like cult of personality.
The current crackdown includes raids and even bulldozing churches, arresting pastors, and discrimination in employment against people holding religious beliefs.
Given this increasingly hostile environment, it shouldn’t surprise anyone that, as Fox News recently reported, many Chinese Christians are fleeing the country. Included in the report was the story of Liao Qiang, a member of the Early Rain Covenant Church, which was raided in December 2018. More than 100 of its members were taken into custody. After the raid, as she told the Associated Press, Liao’s daughter had to “report her whereabouts to police using social media whenever she left her home.” And she was informed that “her safety would not be guaranteed.” This caused Liao to conclude China was no longer a safe place for him or his family. So he fled with them to Taiwan, with hope they will be allowed to enter the U.S. as refugees.
Given recent realities in China, including the mass detention of Muslim Uighurs, even more drastic forms of persecution could be in in the future for Chinese Christians. All of this means we will likely see more Christians fleeing from China as refugees. The question is: Where will they go?
Back in April, World Magazine reported that “Under [the Trump] administration, refugee admissions have plunged to historic lows, with persecuted Christians in the Middle East suffering from the fallout.”
To be clear, these “historic lows” are really low. “The number of Middle East Christians admitted into the United States in 2018 fell by a staggering 98 percent from 2016. Christians from countries that Open Doors ranked highest for religious persecution saw a 76 percent decline from 2016 to 2018.”
The numbers in 2019 will be even lower: In the first few months of this year, “30 Iranian Christians, 25 Iraqi Christians, and zero Syrian Christian refugees” had been admitted to the United States.
Absent a major change of heart and policy, there’s no reason for Chinese Christians to expect refuge in the United States. Other countries could pick up the slack, of course, but why would we expect them to when the world’s leader in protecting religious freedom has stopped leading by example? And, we have stopped.
I will repeat what I said back in April, “Christians have enjoyed nearly-unprecedented access to the White House, to administration officials and many of the promises made to us have been kept. Unfortunately, the promise to aid persecuted Christians around the world has not been kept.”
I understand we are in the midst of a nation-wide and deeply divisive struggle over how to handle illegal immigration, especially on the southern border. The issue of Christian refugees should not be conflated with that conversation. The Trump administration specifically promised to help persecuted Christians around the world and is, this week, holding its second annual ministerial on the issue of religious persecution.
We need to make it clear that, knowing what may await our Chinese brethren, we must back up any talk about religious freedom with real, tangible actions. That must include giving Christian refugees a place of refuge. If that sounds harsh, ask Liao Qiang about what harsh really looks like.
[italics and colored emphasis mine]
RESOURCES
"Christian Refugees Need a New Home" - John Stonestreet and Roberto Rivera breakpoint.org April 12, 2019; http://www.breakpoint.org/2019/04/breakpoint-christian-refugees-need-a-new-home/
"Left behind" - Harvest Prude WORLD March 28, 2019; https://world.wng.org/2019/03/left_behind
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PRAYER MATTERS:
"To clasp the hands in prayer is the beginning of an uprising against
the disorder of the world. - Karl Barth
"Prayer is inviting God into a seemingly impossible situation and trusting/resting in His love and grace to accomplish His perfect will in His perfect time and for His greatest glory. Intercession is one of the great privileges AND responsibilities for EVERY believer."- Stan
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Praying Through the Open Doors World Watch List for persecuted believers:https://www.opendoorsusa.org/take-action/pray/monthly-prayer-calendar/
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105). For thousands of believers, reading the Bible is a rare occurrence. Please pray with us this month that God’s Word would find its way into the hands and hearts of His disciples.
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path” (Psalm 119:105). For thousands of believers, reading the Bible is a rare occurrence. Please pray with us this month that God’s Word would find its way into the hands and hearts of His disciples.
July 17 | NORTH KOREA - Recently, some North Korean Christians sent some Bibles hidden so long that the ancient script is no longer used. Your support and prayers enabled our secret
workers to exchange them for new Bibles and materials.
*Names changed to protect identities
workers to exchange them for new Bibles and materials.
*Names changed to protect identities
I am surprised that admission rates for refugees for the current administration are approaching historic lows, as the article puts it. This article criticizes this trend and calls the president to accountability to keep his promise to help persecuted Christians.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the article's assertion that this discussion should not be combined with that pertaining to the southern border crisis, just because the president made a promise to one people group and not another. Whether a person's woes are religious, economic, or political, one people group is not more important or worthy than another. The same heart of compassion should be extended to all people.
-herb