[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 174 (Friday, October 26, 2018)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E1457-E1459]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   CHINESE CHRISTIANS DECLARE WITH ONE VOICE OPPOSITION TO RELIGIOUS 
                               OPPRESSION

                                  _____
                                 

                         HON. DANA ROHRABACHER

                             of california

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, October 26, 2018

  Mr. ROHRABACHER. Mr. Speaker, last month, nearly 300 Chinese 
Christian pastors publicly signed ``A Declaration for the Sake of the 
Christian Faith.'' In so doing, they have risked severe persecution, 
imprisonment, and even death in China's vast network of horrifying re-
education and forced-labor camps. These courageous champions for Jesus 
Christ, the Christian faith, and religious freedom have shocked and 
shamed China's communist regime before the world.
  I regret to inform the people of the United States that a terrifying 
new round of attacks on Christians has been taking place in China. And 
earlier this year, President Xi Jinping introduced a five-year plan to 
``Sinicize'' all that country 's religions by blending them with 
``Chinese characteristics'' such as loyalty to the Communist Party.
  Over the past several months, the government has taken violent steps 
to fulfill this plan by closing and razing hundreds of Christian 
churches and seizing Bibles. Under the new crackdown, children and 
Communist Party members are banned from churches in some areas, and 
Party officials have forced Christians to replace posters of Jesus with 
portraits of President Xi Jinping. Reports have also confirmed that 
numerous Chinese Christians were sentenced to up to 13 years in jail 
for involvement in the so-called ``cult'' known as Christianity.
  President Trump is standing for freedom and doing what is right 
rather than kowtowing to Chinese President Xi Jinping. He is demanding 
that China end its appalling persecution of Christians and other 
religious minorities--and I am proud to be shoulder-to-shoulder with 
him in the fight to stop this infamous case of communist terror.
  The American people are outraged by President Xi's depraved behavior 
toward Christians. It must stop now. We should make that part of any 
future discussions. China is ruled by a brutal dictatorship. In fact, 
the so-called People's Republic of China doesn't have any democratic 
institutions. We must tell President Xi that the people and government 
of the United States will not give China trade benefits until the anti-
Christian attacks stop.
  The people of communist China want freedom. There are millions of 
Christians in that country-but its atheist dictatorship rules over 
people with an iron fist. We the people of the United States condemn 
the Chinese Communist Party for their bloody attacks on their own 
citizens. President Xi must end this inhuman and cruel persecution of 
Christians and allow religious freedom before the world will accept 
China as a civilized country.
  Chinese state media falsely claim that its citizens enjoy freedom of 
religion. In fact, their constitution states: ``No state organ, public 
organization or individual may compel citizens to believe in, or not to 
believe in, any religion; nor may they discriminate against citizens 
who believe in, or do not believe in, any religion.''
  Ever since Xi Jinping became president of China, in 2012, he has 
consolidated and centralized his power and cultivated a cult of 
personality like Mao. ``Xi Jinping Thought'' has even been added to 
China's constitution--a status reserved only for Mao Zedong and Deng 
Xiaoping previously. This means that any challenge to President Xi's 
policies--including his assault on Christians--may now be regarded as a 
threat to Communist Party rule.
  More than 70 million Catholics and Protestants live in China, which 
means that China will have the world's largest Christian population in 
a few decades. I call on all of America's Christian leaders--and 
religious leaders of all faiths--to join with President Trump and all 
Americans in condemning China's hateful acts and praying that Chinese 
Christians will one day be able to live in China in freedom, in 
justice, and in religious liberty for all.
  I include in the Record a Joint Statement by Pastors; A Declaration 
for the Sake of the Christian Faith:

       On the morning of Saturday, September 1, 2018, one of 
     China's leading house churches, Early Rain Covenant Church in 
     Chengdu, posted a joint statement on Facebook declaring its 
     stance on the new religious regulations. So far, the document 
     has been signed by 116 church leaders* across the country and 
     the call for signatures remains open. This is an interesting 
     and important document for the ongoing development of the 
     house church's response to the new regulations, particularly 
     as the church continues to reflect on and articulate its 
     theology of the gospel and the kingdom, rather than resorting 
     to language of liberty and rights. Along with Early Rain's 95 
     Theses, documents like this are important for the history of 
     the church in China and should encourage Christians across 
     the globe.
       We are a group of Chinese Christians, chosen by the Most 
     High God to be His humble servants, serving as pastors for 
     Christian churches throughout various towns and cities. We 
     believe and are obligated to teach the world that the one 
     true and living Triune God is the Creator of the universe, of 
     the world, and of all people. All men should worship God and 
     not any man or thing. We believe and are obligated to teach 
     the world that all men, from national leaders to beggars and 
     prisoners, have sinned. They will

[[Page E1458]]

     die once and then be judged in righteousness. Apart from the 
     grace and redemption of God, all men would eternally perish. 
     We believe and are obligated to teach the world that the 
     crucified and risen Jesus is the only Head of the global 
     church, the sole Savior of all mankind, and the everlasting 
     Ruler and supreme Judge of the universe. To all who repent 
     and believe in Him, God will give eternal life and an eternal 
     Kingdom.
       In September 2017, the State Council issued the new 
     ``Regulations on the Administration of Religious Affairs'' 
     and began implementing these regulations in February 2018. 
     Ever since then, Christian churches across China have 
     suffered varying degrees of persecution, contempt, and 
     misunderstanding from government departments during public 
     worship and religious practices, including various 
     administrative measures that attempt to alter and distort the 
     Christian faith. Some of these violent actions are 
     unprecedented since the end of the Cultural Revolution. These 
     include demolishing crosses on church buildings, violently 
     removing expressions of faith like crosses and couplets 
     hanging on Christians' homes, forcing and threatening 
     churches to join religious organizations controlled by the 
     government, forcing churches to hang the national flag or to 
     sing secular songs praising the State and political parties, 
     banning the children of Christians from entering churches and 
     receiving religious education, and depriving churches and 
     believers of the right to gather freely.
       We believe that these unjust actions are an abuse of 
     government power and have led to serious conflicts between 
     political and religious parties in Chinese society. These 
     actions infringe on the human freedoms of religion and 
     conscience and violate the universal rule of law. We are 
     obligated to announce bad news to the authorities and to all 
     of society: God hates all attempts to suppress human souls 
     and all acts of persecution against the Christian church, and 
     he will condemn and judge them with righteous judgment.
       But we are even more obligated to proclaim good news to the 
     authorities and to all of society: Jesus, the only begotten 
     Son of God, the Savior and King of mankind, in order to save 
     us sinners was killed, was buried, and rose from the dead by 
     the power of God, destroying the power of sin and death. In 
     His love and compassion God has prepared forgiveness and 
     salvation for all who are willing to believe in Jesus, 
     including Chinese people.
       At any time, anyone can repent from any sin, turn to 
     Christ, fear God, obtain eternal life, and bring great 
     blessing from God upon his family and country.
       For the sake of faith and conscience, for the spiritual 
     benefits of the authorities in China and of society as a 
     whole, and ultimately for the glory, holiness, and 
     righteousness of God, we make the following declaration to 
     the Chinese government and to all of society:
       1. Christian churches in China believe unconditionally that 
     the Bible is the Word and Revelation of God. It is the source 
     and final authority of all righteousness, ethics, and 
     salvation. If the will of any political party, the laws of 
     any government, or the commands of any man directly violate 
     the teachings of the Bible, harming men's souls and opposing 
     the gospel proclaimed by the church, we are obligated to obey 
     God rather than men, and we are obligated to teach all 
     members of the church to do the same.
       2. Christian churches in China are eager and determined to 
     walk the path of the cross of Christ and are more than 
     willing to imitate the older generation of saints who 
     suffered and were martyred for their faith. We are willing 
     and obligated under any circumstance to face all government 
     persecution, misunderstanding, and violence with peace, 
     patience, and compassion. For when churches refuse to obey 
     evil laws, it does not stem from any political agenda; it 
     does not stem from resentment or hostility; it stems only 
     from the demands of the gospel and from a love for Chinese 
     society.
       3. Christian churches in China are willing to obey 
     authorities in China whom God has appointed and to respect 
     the government's authority to govern society and human 
     conduct. We believe and are obligated to teach all believers 
     in the church that the authority of the government is from 
     God and that as long as the government does not overstep the 
     boundaries of secular power laid out in the Bible and does 
     not interfere with or violate anything related to faith or 
     the soul, Christians are obligated to respect the 
     authorities, to pray fervently for their benefit, and to pray 
     earnestly for Chinese society. For the sake of the gospel, we 
     are willing to suffer all external losses brought about by 
     unfair law enforcement. Out of a love for our fellow 
     citizens, we are willing to give up all of our earthly 
     rights.
       4. For this reason, we believe and are obligated to teach 
     all believers that all true churches in China that belong to 
     Christ must hold to the principle of the separation of church 
     and state and must proclaim Christ as the sole head of the 
     church. We declare that in matters of external conduct, 
     churches are willing to accept lawful oversight by civil 
     administration or other government departments as other 
     social organizations do. But under no circumstances will we 
     lead our churches to join a religious organization controlled 
     by the government, to register with the religious 
     administration department, or to accept any kind of 
     affiliation. We also will not accept any ``ban'' or ``fine'' 
     imposed on our churches due to our faith. For the sake of the 
     gospel, we are prepared to bear all losses--even the loss of 
     our freedom and our lives.
       Signatories of the Joint Statement:
       Pastor Wang Yi (Chengdu Early Rain Covenant Church), Pastor 
     Yang Hua (Guiyang Living Stone Church), Pastor Jin Mingri 
     (Beijing Zion Church), Pastor Zhang Xiaofeng, Elder Sun Yi, 
     Elder You Guanghui (Beijing Shouwang Church Governance 
     Committee), Pastor Huang Xiaoning (Guangzhou Bible Reformer 
     Church), Pastor Dou Shaowen (Zhengzhou Conerstone Church), 
     Elder Zhang Chuanlei (Guiyang Renai Reformed Church), Elder 
     Wen Hongbin (Chengdu Xishuipang Reformed Church), Minister 
     Yang Xibo (Xiamen Xunsiding Church), Minister Jiang Jianping 
     (Foshan Olive Tree Church), Elder Xue Honggen (Chengdu Yudu 
     Zhuen Reformed Church), Elder Char Changping (Chengdu 
     Shengmingzhiquan Church), Minister Shi Shangbiao (Zhangzhou 
     Feilizhijia Church), Pastor Li Tao (Kunming Endian Church), 
     Pastor Shen Xianfeng (Wuhan Zhongfu Chenxing Church).
       Elder Tang Bohu (Shanghai Caihong Reformed Church), Cui 
     Quan (Shanghai Wangbang Xuanjiao Church), Pastor Su Yaorong 
     (Taizhou Tianfu Reformed Church), Minister Wang Teng (Taizhou 
     Mingdao Reformed Church), Pastor Wang Changyi (Tiazhou 
     Tiantai Fuyin Church), Pastor Ji Jianyang (Tiazhou Xianju 
     Mengen Church), Pastor Guo Chuanyu ChangchunLinhezhifu 
     Reformed Church), Pastor Li Lianmin (Shenzhen Shajing Bible 
     Reformed Church), Pastor Zhuang Zhiyong (Shenzhen Huaqiang 
     Bible Reformed Church), Pastor Chen Jingtang (Shengzhen 
     Guifangyuan Bible Reformed Church), Pastor Huang Lei (Wuhan 
     Shangxiatang Church), Pastor Zhang Yong (Changchun 
     Yangguangzhijia Reformed Church), Pastor Gao Lijun (Wenzhou 
     Wangkun Church), Minister Cai Jingliang (Foshan Fangzhou 
     Church), Minister Xu Jianwei (Hebei Tangshan Church).
       Minister Jiangtian (Chengdu Gospel Church), Minister An 
     Yankui (Taiyuan Xuncheng Reformed Church), Elder Haoming 
     (Deyang Qiuyu Qingcaodi Church), Minister Li Zihu (Chengdu 
     Ziuyu Enyue Church), Minister Cheng Zhangchun (Chengdu Qiuyu 
     Jianan Church), Minister Cao Qingen (Chengdu Linxishu 
     Reformed Church), Minister Wang Tianmin (Shamen New Creation 
     Church), Minister Wan Changchun, Elder Wang Zhaorong, (Bangbu 
     Huoshi Reformed Church), Pastor Li Jiale (Beijing Daohang 
     Zhijia Church), Pastor Huang Yizi (Wenzhou Pingyang Fengwo 
     Church), Pastor Lin Yage (Guiyang Mengen Church), Pastor Wu 
     Yiqi (Changchun Fuyin Zhiguang Reformed Church), Minister Gu 
     Hongfei (Beijing Aixuan Church), Pastor Xu Zhibing (Jiangsu 
     Guanyun Xiansi Duizhong New Church), Pastor Peng Qiang 
     (Chengdu Enfu Reformed Gospel Church).
       Elder Zheng Zhaobei, Ministers Ren Lichuan and Jie Shoutuan 
     (Chengdu Xishuipang Reformed Gospel Church), Elder Jiang 
     Guocheng, Elder Peng Yuan (Renshou Enhui Reformed Gospel 
     Church), Elder Liu Maolin (Linyi Enyue Reformed Church), 
     Elder Yan Xiaoxin (Rizhao Enzhao Reformed Church), Elder 
     Huowei (Linyi Enquan Reformed Church), Elder Chen Shun (Linyi 
     Enyuan Reformed Mission), Elder Li Rongtai (Linyi Enlin 
     Reformed Church), Minister Yang Binchuan (Zaozhuang Zhuentang 
     Church), Pastor Liu Hongwei (Beijing Ganlanshan Church), 
     Minister Lin Hesheng (Chengdu Fanglin Church), Liu Zhiyong 
     (Xi'an Jitaicun Cornerstone Church), Minister Luo Ruisheng 
     (Guangzhou Sui Guizheng Fuyin Tuanqi Huangshen Jiangdian), 
     Minister Ye Xinde (Fujian Zhangpu Yilin Zhijia Reformed 
     Church), Minister Meng Yongguang (Gansu Lanzhou Chenxing 
     Church), Minister Wang Zisheng (Qingdao Jimiya Church), 
     Minister Huang Wenyou (Hong Kong Chinese Christian Church).
       Minister Chen Huizhen (Zhangzhou Longhai Shima Xincheng 
     Church), Pastor Liu Yang (Xi'an Xinwang Ai Church), Minister 
     Sun Chao (Yunnan Qujing Feila Tiefei Church), Pastor Xu Mei 
     (Xi'an Enquan Church), Pastor Dong Zhi (Beijing Hemujia 
     Church), Brother Liang Yongen (Dalian Shien Zhen Church), 
     Pastor Ju Dawei (Xi'an Halleluiah Church), Pastor Zhao Yanwei 
     (Zhengzhou Zhongai Church), Pastor Ren Jinbiao (Hebei Botou 
     Shihong Grace Church), Pastor Huang Lei (Hunan Yueyang Shipan 
     Shisheng Jingdu Church), Pastor Sun Hong (Jilin Shengyue 
     Zhendao Church), Minister Zhu Lehai (Zhangjiajie Hope 
     Christian Church), Pastor Zhang Qianjin (Beijing, 
     missionary), Pastor Gao Quanfu (Xi'an Zhiguang Church), 
     Pastor Guo Zhi (Dongguan Reformed Gospel Church).
       Minister Chen Shengda (Wenzhou Boteli Church), Minister 
     Wang Lanqing (Shandong Linyi Tiancheng Shengyue Church), 
     Pastor Guo Yijun (Beijing Endao Reformed Baptist Church), 
     Minister Xu Fengchuan (Anhui Fuyang Nanzhao Xingqi Faguang 
     Church), Minister Huang Wenguang (Shenzhen Jehovah Yile 
     Church), Minister Li Jianxuan (Shenzhen Thanksgiving Church), 
     Minister Yin Xuguang (Beijing Shijing Shanshuguang Church), 
     Pastor Zhou Yunfeng (Xianyang Xin Wang Ai Yangwang Church), 
     Minister Yang Fuli (Shijiazhuang Hongdao Church), Teacher 
     Cheng Chaohua (Wenzhou Shenzhou Preaching Team), Minister Qin 
     Shengjie (Henan Balizhuang Church), Teacher Wang Weixin 
     (Wenzhou Yufutang Church). Pastor Weng Xiangkun (Wenzhou 
     Shenzhou Preaching Team), Pastor Huang hanxin (Wenzhou

[[Page E1459]]

     Shenzhou Preaching Team), Minister Wang Xiao (Henan 
     Dongguocun Church).
       Pastor Zhu Jiahao (Wenzhou Shenzhou Preaching Team), 
     Minister Xinyi Chuandao (Datong Lirenzao Church), Minister 
     Zhao Lihui (Datong Lirenzao Church), Pastor Lin Jinlian 
     (Wenzhou Shenzhou Preaching Team), Pastor Yan Xiaojie 
     (Wenzhou Shangjiang Church), Minister Chen Jiafu (Chen Dawei) 
     (Fuzhou Boteli Reformed Church), Pastor Du Youchang (Jingmen 
     Ganlanshan Church), Pastor Wang Yongcheng, Elder Feng 
     Guangxiong (Shen Ai Shi Ren Fengshou Church), Pastor Ruan 
     Dawei (Zhanjiang Gengxin Church), Minister Guan Xinyuan 
     (Jiangsu Liyang Family Church), Minister Zhao Ruohan (Henan 
     Xihuo Church), Minister Sun Chanli (Hubei Shiyan Rongguang 
     Biliya Church), Elder Li Youhong (Chengdu Shengming Zhi Quan 
     Church), Elder Yan Xixia, Elder Su Bingsen, Elder Li 
     Yingqiang, Elder Tan Defu, Minister Zhang Xudong, (Chengdu 
     Early Rain Covenant Church).

                          ____________________