China to Have More Religious Freedom

I posted the following a couple of days ago, but lost it due to a problem with Word Press (which is why the TW Christmas item and LU item are combined as I do not know how to fix them), so here is basically a repost of the great Chinese news:

China to implement fully religious freedom: President

Xinhua – Dec 19, 2007

Beijing (Xinhua) – Chinese President Hu Jintao Wednesday said the ruling Communist party would fully implement its policy of free religious belief and affairs in line with the law of the land, adding that the party recognizes religion as a constant factor in Chinese society.

‘We shall fully carry out the party’s policy of free religious belief and manage the relevant affairs in line with the law,’ Hu, also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC), told the members of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

China’s management on religion would be based on human understanding, he said, adding mutual respect is a must.

‘The party and the government shall reach out to religious believers in difficulties and help them through their problems,’ he said.

Hu also stressed the training and promotion of religious professionals, saying the CPC would help and support religious groups improve self governance, voice the opinions of followers, and protect their legal rights and interests.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/161509.html

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Comments by COGwriter

As reported less than two weeks ago, it looks that there is to be a Chinese Factory to Be World’s Leading Bible Producer.

I have been praying for the Chinese for some time and am glad to see that they intend to allow additional religious freedom. Hopefully, this will also translate into loosening up of the internet restrictions there (Google in China specifically blocks access to many websites based upon either official input or certain words or phrases).

My major concern is that the announcement seems to suggest a state management of religious freedom (what happened during the Smyrna era of the Church of God led to a combined Church-State persecutions of the true faith), but it does sound like more religious freedom will be allowed in the Peoples Republic of China.

Historically, there have been Sabbath-keepers in China and others who simply did not accept the mainstream “brands” that pass for Christianity (please see the articles China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 2: The Sabbath and Some of God’s Witness in China and The Dramatic Story of Chinese Sabbathkeepers ).

The Bible states that the whole world will be involved in worship, hence this will also include the Chinese–and though many will be deceived at the end, the Bible shows that the Chinese will see through this religious deception before the Europeans will (details are in the article China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 3: China in Prophecy).

Interestingly, notice what a Chinese character meaning righteous is made of:


Righteous(ness)	= Sheep	+ Hand	+ Lance

The New Testament account of Abel refers to:

…the blood of righteous Abel (Matthew 23:35).

And the Bible refers to Christ as the lamb of God who was slain by the hand of a man who forced a sword of some type into Him. Hence, even some Chinese symbolism has some ties to the Bible (please see the article China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters ).

Hopefully, many in China will pray, study their Bibles, and study the History of Early Christianity so that they will be able to practice what the Bible calls “the faith once for all delivered to the saints” (Jude 3) and not be subject to the religious deception that will come further upon the world.