Faith

Beijing Police Halt ‘Unapproved’ Church Service

Beijing Police Halt Unapproved Church Service
BEIJING (AP) — Beijing police on Sunday detained dozens of worshippers from an unapproved Christian church who were trying to hold services in a public space after they were evicted from their usual place of worship, a parishioner said.

Leaders of the unregistered Shouwang church had told members to gather at an open-air venue in Beijing for Sunday morning services, but police, apparently alerted to their plans, taped off the area and took away people who showed up to take part.

China’s Communist government allows worship only in state-approved churches, but many Christians belong to unregistered congregations. Such “house churches” are subjected to varying degrees of harassment by authorities.

More than 60 million Christians are believed to worship in China’s independent churches, compared with about 20 million who worship in the state church, according to scholars and church activists.

A church member who went to the gathering spot for services and managed to evade police told The Associated Press that about 200 people were taken away and were being held at a local school. Their cellphones were confiscated, said the man, who would give only his English name, Kane, for fear of police reprisals.

An AP videographer saw about a dozen people escorted by police onto an empty city bus and driven away.

Shouwang pastor Yuan Ling said by telephone that he was unable to go to the venue because police had put him under house arrest Saturday night. Yuan said he knew of at least six other church members who were also under house arrest.

Yuan said fellow parishioners also told him that many worshippers were being held at a school in Beijing’s Haidian district, though he wasn’t sure of the exact number.

Shouwang had been holding services at a Beijing restaurant until last week, when they were evicted.

Chinese authorities have been on high alert for large public gatherings in the wake of anonymous online calls for anti-government protests modeled on demonstrations in the Middle East and North Africa.

No major protests have occurred in China following the calls, but the security crackdown they sparked has resulted in the arrest or detention of dozens of public interest lawyers, writers, intellectuals and activists.

Ai Weiwei, an internationally known avant-garde artist who is also an outspoken government critic, became the highest-profile person targeted in the sweep when he was apparently detained at a Beijing airport a week ago. The Foreign Ministry says he is being investigated for alleged economic crimes, though Beijing police have yet to confirm he is in custody.

Ai was last seen being led away by police at the airport after being barred from boarding a flight to Hong Kong.

About 50 pro-democracy protesters in Hong Kong on Sunday demanded Ai’s release, peacefully chanting “No to political persecution” outside the central Chinese government’s liaison office. Opposition legislator Lee Cheuk-yan tossed a picture of Ai into the grounds of the compound.

Former British colony Hong Kong enjoys Western-style civil liberties as part of its special semiautonomous status under Chinese rule.

On Friday, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton called for Ai’s release and criticized China for what she said was a deteriorating human rights situation in the first part of 2011.

Clinton made the remarks while announcing the release of the U.S. State Department’s annual assessment of human rights around the world. It said China stepped up restrictions on critics and tightened control of civil society in 2010 by limiting freedom of speech and Internet access.

China blasted back at Washington on Saturday with a statement on the Foreign Ministry’s website saying the U.S. should reflect more on its own domestic rights abuses.

“The U.S. should stop interfering in other country’s internal affairs with this human rights report,” ministry spokesman Hong Lei was quoted as saying.

___

Associated Press videographer David Wivell in Beijing and AP writer Min Lee in Hong Kong contributed to this report.

Comments (106)

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  • NickDeringer
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 12:03pm

    Thomas Friedman: hey let’s be more like China.

    God bless the Christians in China they are living their faith even unto death. They give real meaning to the phrase “trust and obey.”

    Report Post » NickDeringer  
  • hauschild
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 12:00pm

    This should please Eric Holder, The Marxist and the rest of the Hee-Haw Gang.

    Report Post »  
  • I SPY
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:58am

    And Obama loves China.

    Report Post » I SPY  
  • teahugger
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:39am

    @untameable-kate: you mean besides Obama’s cronies?:)

    Report Post » teahugger  
  • Nigel2
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:39am

    This is really nothing new, this has been going on for decades in China. Commie B@st@rds do more than just pirate American IP. Good thing salvation is an individual process and not done in the group. Just keep reading your bibles people and only assemble in family sized groups.

    Report Post » Nigel2  
  • vic138
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:37am

    I wonder why they don’t do the same thing when the islamic uighars in the western china (Urumqi and Kashgar to name two cities) pray towards mecca 5 times a day. I’ve been there and have seen it.

    Report Post » vic138  
  • Thighmaster
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:34am

    Coming soon to a community near you. What a relief to have so many decisions unloaded from us by someone who cares more about us than ourselves….. Our Government!

    Report Post » Thighmaster  
  • jeffyfreezone
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:30am

    How do they treat THEIR Muslims?

    Report Post »  
  • neverending
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:24am

    Think it can’t happen here? Get a little closer to it each day. Wake up America.

    Report Post »  
  • theonefromabove
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:21am

    Another time I am glad we have freedom.

    http://politicalbowl.com – Political Videos

    Report Post »  
  • momprayn
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:20am

    Yes, this is what the American left would LOVE to happen here – and that’s going by their own words on leftist sites & even media like NPR….and more crazy than that, even though they’re passionate for “womens & gay rights”,they usually give the Muslims a “pass”. More than scary. And yes, we’re in danger as we speak – serious movements to take us over. (Check out http://www.actforamerica.com re the Muslims). I believe what Glenn has been saying is true & in the process right now, taking advantage of this “window” of opportunity w/Obama & Progressive/Marxist company in the highest offices in the land….as planned. Obama was picked & “groomed” by them way back for this moment. However, I’ve also been reading where Chinese missionaries are expecting a humongous revival there – but it’s just a small, temporary “window”.

    Report Post »  
  • teachermitch32
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:20am

    Christianity is ALIVE, but not well, in the country of the red machine. As it was written, so shall it be. The truth shall set you free.

    Report Post »  
  • JohnFourteenSix
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:14am

    Move along…………nothing to see here………Hu in the world would persecute Christians?

    Report Post » JohnFourteenSix  
  • WEHTexas
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:13am

    Unfortunately, it will not be in our lifetime.

    Report Post »  
  • TJexcite
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:13am

    Just wait until they try this at the local mosque. Just how many Chinese Muslim are there, as they don’t just let anyone into China and bring there religion with them.

    Report Post » TJexcite  
  • NOBALONEY
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:12am

    This is nothing new! This is Communist Red China!! Since the Nixon administration, the progressives, and liberals led by the Soros bankroll call this oppresssive.brutal commie regeim,“a state capatalist system”, and that’s a direct quote from the god himself this week. George Soros

    Report Post » NOBALONEY  
    • Exrepublisheep
      Posted on April 11, 2011 at 12:16am

      And yet the repubes do nothing about it. 6 years they had it all, and…nothing.

      Report Post » Exrepublisheep  
  • GIDEON612
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:10am

    Take a look at these house churches and take a lesson. There are many, many stories that never make it out of that country where they kill the leaders and sometimes all the members too. These are the true soldiers here. They rick their lives constantly. In a lot of cases around the world people risk their lives to smuggle a portion of a page out of the Bible to some of these churches. I pull Bibles out of the trash all of the time and go to thrift stores to get them too. Support these churches with your prayers and find organizations that put Bibles into the hands of these churches.
    The Voice of the Martyrs is one such organization and they are on the front lines of these battles. Check then out.

    We need to keep praying, repent, spread the Word, and pray for the peace of Israel.

    Report Post » GIDEON612  
  • Untameable-kate
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:06am

    There is no right to assemble in China. Are there still people here that think China is a model for the world?

    Report Post » Untameable-kate  
  • charliego
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 10:56am

    America’s future with her future government. Impossible, one may say? Personally, if we don’t get with the program it is not that far fetched a condition. A few financial notes called here or there, a few notorious countries that have bonded with China struting their stuff–Venezuela comes to mind–,one world order advocates, Islamic sharia. We are in deep doo-doo.

    Report Post » charliego  
  • rt elms
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 10:53am

    If we do not stand up, one day our islamist masters will be inflicting this and worse on us.

    Report Post » rt elms  
  • right-wing-waco
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 10:53am

    This will be right here in the USSA if we keep re-electing the progressives. Clean the entire D.C.District in 2012.

    Report Post »  
  • Blackjack 400
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 10:47am

    “The U.S. should stop interfering in other country’s internal affairs with this human rights report,” ministry spokesman Hong Lei was quoted as saying.

    Perhaps the U.S. should halt all imports from China as well ……

    Report Post »  
  • joe conservative
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 10:44am

    And yet if this had happened to Muslims, we’d hear constant complaints about “religious intolerance” coming from the MSM. Yet another reason to keep fighting against government control.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68uzsXdMLS4

    Report Post » joe conservative  
  • MaggieRose
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 10:44am

    Praying for my Chinese brothers and sisters, and all persecuted Christians around the world. May we never take for granted being able to attend the church/synagogue/mosque of our choice.

    Report Post »  
    • hillbillyinny
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 4:00pm

      AMEN!

      I never thought I’d have to pray for steadfastness in the U.S., but this will be coming as we allow more and more anti-Christians to control our Country that was founded with Divine Providence. May God be with all persecuted Christians, throughout the world until the Lord’s Coming in Glory! Maranatha!

      Report Post »  
  • mingfurecon
    Posted on April 10, 2011 at 10:40am

    One day the big red machine will fall. To say that a 100 million have died bringing about Maoism and the awful red guard would not be a stretch. Terror inflicted in the hearts and minds of the Chinese is the only way that communism has survived in China as well as Russia, and yet here we have our own dear leader advocating some of the same policies.

    Report Post »  
    • walkwithme1966
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 11:24am

      What same policies is President Obama advocating? http://maboulette.wordpress.com

      Report Post » walkwithme1966  
    • Robert-CA
      Posted on April 10, 2011 at 4:11pm

      @ WALKWITHME1966

      Like hiring commies in his administration ?!?!?
      Hello ???
      Anybody in there ???
      I guess not .

      Report Post » Robert-CA  
    • tersky
      Posted on April 11, 2011 at 10:38am

      I remember a time when China was a black hole, as was Russia. We had zero communication with them, no pictures, let alone actual news. I remember learning in church that the Word would be preached in ALL the world, and thinking how impossible that seemed. Yet, here we are with many churches, not just the Orthodox church, THRIVING in the former Soviet Union. As evil as the Soviet regime was, those years prepared the people to take a new look at religion, at God, to search… instead of just going with the default spiritual habits of their ancestors. The Orthodox church may be losing some of their membership to other churches, and is trying again to become a political force (ERROR), but think abut how much more committed their members are now. Even they have benefitted from the process of healing from the Soviet years.

      So, yeah, we can look at China now and think how hopeless the future is for Christians, but really, even the state controlled church is something… yeah, it’s got problems, but look, they are allowing Christianity, however warped its form. Baby steps. Real Christianity will get there, probably sooner than we would have guessed. I can see how it could happen.

      Now the Muslim world… this is another thing all together. I can’t see any light at the end of that tunnel. But… the Bible says it will happen… so somehow… it must; it will.

      Report Post »  
    • Melvin Spittle
      Posted on April 13, 2011 at 2:27pm

      Our fed and state governments are also increasing pressure on Christians in our public schools and places. China is just an extreme example of the direction we ourselves are heading. In the US, criticism of Islam is met with condemnation and possible arrest while the same criticism of Christianity not only is tolerated but promoted. Our nation is a Christian nation and has been from the day of our independence.

      Report Post » Melvin Spittle  
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