US House passes resolutions condemning religious persecution in China
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Washington D.C., Jun 14, 2006 / 12:00 am (CNA).- The House of Representatives on Monday approved three resolutions condemning China for their actions in the sphere of religion and human rights.

The first resolution condemns the communist country for its rising persecution of religious believers. The second resolution condemns China's appointment of Catholic bishops without the Vatican's approval, and the third urges remembrance of the 1989 pro-democracy demonstrators who died in Tiananmen Square, reported The Associated Press.

China continues to maintain tight control over all religions. Those who practice Falun Gong, a banned spiritual movement, or who attend underground Protestant or Catholic churches routinely face detention, harassment and sometimes imprisonment.

China's state-sanctioned Catholic church, the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, recently appointed several bishops without the pope's blessing.  Under canon law the Vatican considered those who took part in the ordination to be excommunicated.

China's Foreign Ministry complained on Tuesday saying the House Resolution was a "groundless accusation and attack against China's religious and human rights” that interfered in China's internal affairs.

Religious freedom and Christian persecution experts applauded the resolution condemning China for rising religious persecution.

“I think it is appropriate and long overdue,” said Nina Shea, director of Freedom House’s Center for Religious Freedom. “The U.S. should speak up about the barbaric and primitive treatment of its citizen over the most fundamental of human rights.”

“Many people think that China is a modernized country, but [our organization] reports daily on incidents on government persecution against Christians there,” said Jeff King, president of International Christian Concern. King applauded the resolutions but added that it was now time to apply real consequences to those abuses.

In May, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom recommended that China re-designated as a Country of Particular Concern for “particularly severe violations of religious freedom” that are “systematic, ongoing, and egregious.” China is also listed as number 10 in Open Doors USA 2006 World Watch list for worst Christian persecution.

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Subscriber comments:
Published by: Timothy White
Richmond, VA 06/19/2006 06:13 AM EST
This is a good starting point. But in order not to be hypocritical the House will have to also condemn the religious persecution in most (if not all) Islamic countries such as Saudi Arabia, Sudan, Mauritania, and other countries where religious persecution is written into the law of the land at least as bad if not worse than in China. These countries are very blatant about it and not apologetic about it at all to the point of not allowing Bibles into the country and not allowing public displays of crosses, crucifixes, etc. These countries in most cases also finance the establishment of Islamic organizations (that are used to intimidate anybody who tries to inform the public the truth about Islam with death threats and law suits, spread disinformation about Islam, lobby the host nation government to; limit support to Israel and Sharia)and the construction of Mosques and Islamic schools and cultural centers in non-Islamic countries that are used to undermine the Christian values and culture of the host country trying to convert the host country to Islam in most cases by deception. In the few cases where Christianity is allowed to be practiced they're not allowed to improved or repair their existing churches or replace churches that have been destroyed by the Islamic majority. It also has to do something about the other countries (some also Islamic) where while it may not be permissable by law it's condoned by the government such as Indonesia and to a limited extent Malaysia.
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Published by: Jim
Port Orange/FL/USA 06/14/2006 06:29 PM EST
Too bad China, the truth is the truth is the truth and their record is shameful on freedoms for the Chinese, especially religious freedoms. The house has done the world a service and though this has not been their normal behavior of late, I must applaud them for speaking out on behalf of freedom in this very critical region of the world. May the Chinese government wake up and give the people their freedoms. If they do,sit back and just watch China fly as a good force in the world.
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