What is religious freedom?

Religious freedom stats by country

The link above lists different countries around the world and profiles them in terms of religion.

It lists each country by each religious body, and also gives an overall look at their religious freedom status.

It's a great way to compare and contrast different countries. Take a look.

Dalai Lama discusses religious freedom in Tibet

Interesting background on China vs. Christianity

Who says we can't learn from the past?

This TIME article, while slightly outdated (published in 2005), gives great background information on the Christian faith surviving and even thriving to the distaste of the Chinese government.

In my opinion, TIME magazine is one of the best and well-respected publications, and it definitely comes through here.

Some interesting facts from the article...

- As of 2005, there were 60 million Christians in China

- Christians are China's fastest growing religious group

- The $1.5 million Southern Church, with Ionic columns and a rooftop gazebo, stands as a monument to China's thriving Christians

Finally, the most interesting paragraph for me...

Christianity is legal in China, but fettered: The country's estimated 50 million Protestants, whose ranks grow by roughly 2 million a year, must submit to the authority of the government's Religious Affairs Bureau. Its officials make sure churches follow written and unwritten rules — no members under 18, no overt evangelical work, no emphasizing the Second Coming and, above all, no questioning of Communist Party rule. Christians who worship in unregistered "house churches" often face harassment, or worse. Last year a woman died in police custody after being detained for distributing Bibles on the street. Police regularly round up members of heterodox Christian sects like Lightning from the East, which believes that Jesus has already returned, as a Chinese woman.

Read more: http://www.time.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1132243,00.html#ixzz16bPG2g3z

Rabbi Ovadia Yosef has some interesting opinions

First, I would like to say that I am not Jewish. I feel I do not discriminate against religion at all, as I believe it is every person's right to practice any religion they wish that does not interfere with the general welfare and health of a population.

Now on to this article. More or less, Rabbi Ovadia Yosef said non-Jews sole purpose in life is to serve Jews. He also related them to donkeys.

"With gentiles, it will be like any person – they need to die, but [God] will give them longevity," Yosef said. "Why? Imagine that one’s donkey would die, they’d lose their money."

"This is his servant... That’s why he gets a long life, to work well for this Jew,” Yosef said.

Gentiles is a synonym for a non-Jewish person.

As a non-Jewish person, I was offended by this. My sole purpose in life is serve Jewish people? I am like a donkey? I think not. While Mr. Yosef probably doesn't care what I think, he needs to realize that public relations still matters in religion. Speaking publicly, he needs to realize the majority of the world is NOT Jewish, and that many will share my opinion.

Let me be frank --- freedom of speech is important and I fully support his ability to say these things.

But when there's so much fighting and unrest over this "holy land", maybe saying these things only adds fuel to the fire.

NY Times: Assertive Chinese Held in Mental Wards

This atrocity relates with my last post. In that one, the Chinese government prevented practicing Christians from traveling to a conference in South Africa.

Because they were outspoken, I can't help but think they may become victims of what was reported to have happened in this New York Times article.

More or less, because the Chinese people disagreed with the government, they were thrown in psych wards. The man featured endured 54 electric shock treatments to go along with injections of drugs that made him swoon.

What is wrong with the Chinese government? I'm glad I live in the U S of A to say the least.

Moving forward, I found some posts relating to what Chinese dissidents and what they're doing to combat the suppressive government.

Check them out: http://roomfordebate.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/06/02/chinas-new-rebels/

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