Washington feuds with China’s war on religion
The U.S. Congress has intensified pressure on China regarding its persecution of Christians by passing a bipartisan resolution on November 12. Introduced by Senator Ted Cruz and Representative Andy Barr,the resolution demands the release of hostages from Zion Church,including Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri,and calls for an end to the systematic religious oppression by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). lawmakers describe China’s actions as a severe human rights violation and emphasize America’s commitment to religious freedom. Former Senator Sam Brownback also urged treating China’s religious repression as a national security threat, highlighting continued detention of Catholic bishops.Reports indicate China has aimed to control churches by enforcing strict regulations and promoting the Sinicization of religion, including attempts to reinterpret the Bible. Since Xi Jinping came to power in 2014, crackdowns on unregistered churches, arrests, and demolitions have increased substantially, drawing longstanding frustration from the U.S. and international human rights organizations.
Congress escalates tensions with China over religious oppression
Congress continues to pressure China over its Christian religious oppression after a symbolic bipartisan resolution took effect in both chambers of the legislature on Nov. 12.
The resolution, introduced by Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) and Rep. Andy Barr (R-TX) in their respective chambers, called on the Chinese Communist Party to release hostages from the Zion Church, and put an end to its “systematic and constant persecution of Christians.”
Barr characterized China’s actions as “systematic and constant persecution of Christians,” in a statement to the Washington Examiner. “Specifically the recent move by the CCP to arrest at least 22 pastors and church members including the founder of Zion Church, Pastor ‘Ezra’ Jin Mingri.”
The CCP has yet to respond to Congress’s unanimous passage of the resolution, making it unclear if it will proceed with the hostages’ release. However, the lawmakers believe the resolution could have a lasting effect, even if China were to ignore the congressional demands.
“I want this resolution to have a lasting impact. We need to condemn the CCP’s suppression of religious freedom. It is an unacceptable human rights abuse,” Barr said.
“America was founded on the principle of religious liberty, and Congress will always stand firmly against the persecution of Christians. If China wants to be seen as a serious player on the global stage, they need to have respect for basic human rights,” Barr added.
Aside from China’s infringement on human rights having been brought up on the global stage, the resolution also brought China’s oppression of religious liberty to the national stage once again.
Former Kansas Sen. Sam Brownback expressed the need to treat China’s oppression as a national security threat on Monday.
Brownback cited a report from the Hudson Institute, which listed 10 Catholic bishops still detained by the Chinese government.
“The CCP is waging a war on faith, and it’s a war the CCP cannot win,” Brownback, a former U.S. ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom, said on Monday.
Brownback’s remarks, in addition to Barr’s resolution, add to the United States’s decadeslong frustration with the communist regime’s religious freedom violations.
The Cato Institute reported last year that China has attempted to make churches a “de facto subsidiary” of its communist party.
The CCP additionally listed certain prohibitions, such as holding religious activities outside of religious venues, naming them “after any church, denomination, or person,” and creating “affiliation relationships.” Most notably, China requires all practicing believers to “endorse” and “thoroughly implement” the country’s socialist system, and abide by the rule of the Sinicization of Religion.
US DIPLOMAT RIPS CHINA’S RELIGIOUS CRACKDOWN
The party has also signaled that it is determined to reinterpret, if not rewrite, the Bible, the Cato Institute added.
Since Chinese President Xi Jinping gained power in 2014, his administration has directed the state to enforce crackdowns, arrests, the demolitions of churches, abuse, and detentions of thousands of unregistered church members and leaders.
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