Friday - August 24, 2007

Should America Conduct Business With a Nation that Violates Religious Freedoms? 

China is persecuting its Christian minority.  If citizens worship outside of government sanctioned churches, they risk going to jail.  Shouldn't this persecution of Christians figure into our trading relationship with China?  Goods from China aren't just tainted with lead, mercury, and other poisons, they are tainted with the blood of its repressed citizens.

Authorities have increased arrests on Christian groups operating outside China's sole official government church following a crackdown ordered last month, an overseas monitoring group reported Friday.

At least 15 leaders in the unofficial church have been detained in recent days across six provinces and regions, according to the China Aid Association, based in Midland, Texas.

They include seven church leaders arrested during a worship service in Inner Mongolia on Tuesday and six others detained for up to 10 days in the neighboring provinces and Shandong and Jiangsu. In another case, Christian businessman Zhou Heng was arrested while picking up an order of two tons of Bibles at a bus station, the association said.

Those actions follow a crackdown on unauthorized religious activity ordered July 5 as part of a drive against crime and economic chaos at the village level.

"Strike hard against illegal religious and evil cult activity; eliminate elements that affect the stability of village governance," said the directive.  Read more....

Author: The Machiavellian
Technorati Tags: China Christianity Repression
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