Persecution in China

The Gospel arrived in China in the 19th Century, about the same time as the forces of Western colonialism. The two were therefore inextricably linked in the Chinese mind. This link was forged even stronger when China lost the Second Opium War of 1858, resulting in the Treaty of Tianjin, which included a “toleration clause” granting foreign missionaries the right to share their faith in China. Christianity was subsequently seen as Yang Jiao, a foreign religion that had invaded their country.

An electric prod; used to stun and torture.

The relentless connection between Christianity and the West, finally exploded into open violent persecution in the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, followed by a nationwide anti-Christian movement that began in 1922.

The next wave of persecution came when the Communists took power in 1949. The violence crested in the so-called Cultural Revolution (1966-1976), which banned all religious activities in the name of absolute atheism.

The 1990s brought another wave of persecution. This time, according to the People’s Daily, March 14, 1996, the mandate was to force religion to become “compatible with socialist society.” Translated, this meant that every religion in China was to immediately shed what the government considered to be backward superstitions, including miracles and healings. Those that refused would be outlaws and considered to be “evil cults.”

Since then, Christians in churches unrecognized by the socialist regime in Beijing continue to be harassed, oppressed, arrested, imprisoned, tortured and murdered for their faith in Jesus Christ. Most of these abuses are cloaked in secrecy for fear of offending Western trading partners and jeopardizing China’s fragile economy.

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As the “Countdown Clock” on Tian’anmen Square ticked backwards toward the July 1 takeover of Hong Kong, Bob Fu and his pregnant wife, Heidi, knew their time was running out, too... Learn More >