Hidden

After Amy's video post about the Chinese Christian church being demolished, I searched for it online. I wanted to see if because the video said that reporters were being punished for covering the demolition. Would there be any other footage or coverage that I could find?

I Google-searched "chinese christian church demolished" multiple ways. Every result gave a religious-watch website, usually Christian, that was reporting about the persecution, but zero news media articles or responses. I even searched Sky News, the outlet that somehow obtained the cell-phone video of the demolition, and I could not find an article or even the video clip. No news outlet had any results.

The commentator on the video was right. These happenings across China are not being reported or made available for the public's knowledge. It is up to people in the religious affiliations to let their congregations know, and maybe even to alert the general public.

Westboro Baptist Church

Warning: this is a loaded post. I'll start with the Westboro Baptist Church. I'm not usually one to harp on my religious views. I don't mind talking about it, and I certainly don't mind justifying my views, but there is a time and place for these discussions. I do come from a Christian family--my dad's a minister at our local Presbyterian church. I've learned to accept different backgrounds and viewpoints as a Christian, but this is something I just can't seem to justify or accept.

The Westboro Baptist Church is an extremist church founded by Fred Phelps, who shows up and protests at soldiers' funerals with posters clad with sayings like "Thank God for Dead Soliders," and "Burn in Hell," and "God Hates Fags." So basically, while a family is praying at the gravesite and putting their son, daughter, sister, brother, father, or mother's casket into the ground, this church will attend and completely disrespect the family with protests in hope of "spreading God's message." Oh, and for the record, they believe that gays are responsible for all of the bad in the world.

Confused?

In a world of free speech and freedom of religion, it's a challenge to justify the hate this group projects upon the world with their "religion." Although the right of free speech is warranted, it's a struggle to watch these families literally go through Hell-- not only by the news of their loved one's death, but by not being able to appropriately grieve as each family should be entitled to do. It's an example how religion can be completely misconstrued and warped if given the opportunity.

Check out this video. It features 2 members of the Westboro Baptist Church after they got out of a court case dealing with a lawsuit from a soldier's family. For the record, their website is godhatesfags.com.

Brings up the question: does the right of freedom of speech justify the acts of this hate group?

Journalists Can't Cover Christianity in China

In response to Tony's post, I wanted to share a brief video clip about the repression of Christianity in China. Here, the government is destroying churches. Chinese journalists who tried to cover this story were thrown in jail, along with many other Christians who've been thrown in jail for holding private Christian services in their homes. This report suggests that there has been an explosion of Christianity in China, so now there are more Christians than communists-- a fact that the government most likely dislikes.

Religious Convictions Cause Campaigns - Are they effective?

An article in The New York Times explains how in 1929, the Church of Scotland began a campaign in Kenya to eradicate the practice of female circumcision. The church had a successful missionary relationship with the Kenyans, but once they tried to get them to stop the practice, many of the church goers left. In fact, it became a political statement by one Kenyan political organization to deepen the cultural practice, and it became an even more entrenched norm.

In contrast, the article talks about a campaign made by Christian missionaries and targeted to China, encouraging them to stop binding women's feet. This campaign eventually had success, and the given explanation is a two-fold theory:

"First, begin with a dialogue of mutual respect, free of self-congratulation. Second, when you have a core of converts, organize a program of public commitment to new practices, which takes into account the traditions of the community. To end one practice, as the anti-foot-binding campaigners grasped, you need to start another."

In this campaign, the campaigners insisted on respecting the culture, and tried to get cultural authorities to follow their idea by reaching the elite with newspapers and article evidence. Then, once there was a trusted group, this group spread the message that foot-binding should not be practiced anymore, and it eventually caught fire.

Should missionaries, no matter their religion, even try to change cultural practices to begin with? In these cases, I say yes. I think that these practices by the Kenyans and the Chinese, with respect to women's health, are wrong and harmful. They were (and maybe still are?) manipulating the body in ways that are painful, but more significantly, unnatural.

This could easily be a religious issue, but in many ways it is a human rights issue as well. I think that the missionary's convictions had more to do with preventing suffering than with having an agenda heard. It seems to me that they were trying to love and care for the people they were ministering to.

China barring Christians from travel ---- what gives?

From the New York Times-

More than 100 Chinese Christians seeking to attend an international evangelical conference in South Africa have been barred from leaving the country, some in the group said, because their churches are not sanctioned by the state.

Organizers say that more than 4,000 Christians from around the world will discuss faith, poverty, the AIDS epidemic and other issues at the nine-day conference, which begins Saturday in Cape Town. But members of the Chinese delegation said that they could get no farther than the passport control at international airports in China before officials confiscated their documents.

“They said it is illegal to attend this conference, and they sent me home,” said Liu Guan, 36, a Protestant evangelical leader who tried to fly out of Capital International Airport in Beijing last Sunday. “The explanation was ‘for your own good.’ ”

Analysis- Really China?

The story goes on to say after these people were invited to the conference, the were pressured by the government not to go. On top of that, the ones that did try to attend had their passports confiscated at the airport and were sent home. After asking for letters on why they were taken, they received a short response.

They voluntarily gave them up.

All I can say is I am personally very happy I'm allowed to practice whatever religion I choose in the United States.

Determining religion as a reason to be prohibited from leaving the country is a complete joke. It's like saying if you like soccer, 'nope, sorry, you can't go see the World Cup.'

I know there's really nothing that can be done as it's a relatively small issue and if other countries were to get involved larger problems may present themselves.

That said, this is a travesty and the word should definitely get out about the situation.

Basically, Living in China + Practicing Christianity = Not allowed travel.

Fair? I think not.

-Tony

Michigan Woman Faces Civil Rights Complaint for Seeking a Christian Roommate



Fair Housing Center of West Michigan. Photo from Foxnews.com

 When I was driving down Park Ave. this week, I was shocked to hear this topic on the radio: a woman from Grand Rapids, MI has a civil rights case targeted at her for putting up an ad seeking a Christian roommate.

The Fair Housing Center of West Michigan filed the complaint, becauseThe Fair Housing Act "prevents people from publishing an advertisement stating their preference of religion, race or handicap with respect to the sale or rental of a dwelling."

 All the ad said was "Christian roommate wanted," with the lady's housing information, and it is considered "illegal" because she used "Christian."

I find this case to be rather ridiculous. I've seen Christian roommate ads placed in several places around campus, and do not find it offensive. If someone wants to live with someone who has the same values, then they have the right to search for other Christians-- or Hindus, or Buddhists, or whatever other religion it may be. The attorney on the case argues that this is a violation of the First Amendment, and I would have to agree with him. We are in America, and are entitled to freedom of speech and press.