Religious Liberty Prayer Bulletin - No. 240 - Wed 08 Oct 2003

****** PLAN TO PARTICIPATE IN IDOP: 9/16 NOVEMBER 2003 ****** * The International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church * * For resources and links to national websites - * * http://www.idop.org * *************************************************************

CHINA: PRISONERS, CULTS & THE PSB

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Voice of the Martyrs reports that on 26 September, some 20 Public Security Bureau (PSB) officers arrested Xiao Bi-guang and Zhang Yi- nan in Ping Ding Shan city, Henan Province. The next Sunday, Zhang's wife, Ding Guizhen, was arrested at the hospital in Ping Ding Shan where she is a doctor. She is currently being held at the Jiang He Chang PSB Office, whilst the whereabouts of the men is unknown. Zhang is a most significant Chinese church historian and writer. Xiao, who was in a labour camp from 1994-97 for his Christian leadership, is a law graduate and has been on the legal team representing the South China Church. Xiao's wife, Gou Qinghui, was a theology professor at the Beijing Theological Seminary until the government expelled her because of her involvement in the house- church movement. The VOM report with pictures can be found at: http://www.persecution.com/news/index.cfm?action=fullstory&newsID=282

The Chinese people have a deep hunger for ideological and spiritual truths to fill the vacuum left by Communism. Yet repression has caused a severe shortage of trained Bible teachers and scriptures. This mix makes for a very vulnerable people. Numerous cults have sprung up in China, many as offshoots of Christian fellowships. The cults have charismatic, power-hungry leaders - most are self- proclaimed prophets and some are even self-proclaimed re- incarnations of Christ. They focus primarily on eschatology (end times) and outward displays of emotion and spiritual activity, such as an obsession with prophecy or exorcism, syncretising nicely with spiritist Chinese traditional religions.

One such cult named 'Lightening from the East' preys specifically on evangelical Christians. According to China researcher and author Tony Lambert, this cult (which Lambert describes as Satanic) follows a handbook that teaches its members how to infiltrate and deceive evangelical Christians, identified as those who 'believe in Jesus, pray to Jesus and thirst after God's revelation. Real believers, who truly love God.' (see http://www.nz.omf.org/content.asp?id=12224). Evangelical Chinese believers have told Compass Direct that cults make false accusations against them to police, sometimes accompanied with bribes, in order to provoke a police raid or assault.

In an effort to clean up the police forces' international image, the Minister for Public Security, Zhou Yongkang, has introduced regulations for police investigating 'administrative cases' (i.e., without criminal charges). They are designed to end police corruption, brutality and torture. However, there is no system in place to ensure that the police comply with the new regulations, applicable from 1 January 2004.

PLEASE PRAY SPECIFICALLY FOR:

* Xiao Bi-guang (detained) and his wife Gou Qinghui; and Zhang Yi-nan and his wife Ding Guizhen (both detained); that they will all be kept safe and that the three who are detained will be quickly released.

* every believer in China to receive at least a New Testament, and for China to lift its restrictions on Bibles so that whatever quantities are needed can be legally printed and distributed inside the country.

* God to raise up multitudes more evangelical Chinese Bible teachers and the funds to support them. 'The harvest is so great but the workers are so few. Pray to the Lord who is in charge of the harvest, and ask him to send out more workers for his fields.' Jesus, Luke 10:2.

* God to continue the work begun through the Minister for Public Security Zhou Yongkang, and bring reform to the Public Security Bureau. Pray that systems will be put in place to ensure police respect human rights.

* religious freedom to come to China.

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SUMMARY TO USE IN BULLETINS UNABLE TO RUN THE WHOLE ARTICLE: ------------------------------------------------------------

PRISONERS & CULTS IN CHINA

On 26 September, 20 Public Security Bureau officers arrested two significant Chinese Christian leaders, Xiao Bi-guang (lawyer working in the defence of the South China Church) and Zhang Yi-nan (writer and church historian) in Ping Ding Shan city, Henan Province. Their whereabouts are unknown. Zhang's wife, Ding Guizhen, a doctor, was arrested the following Sunday. Please pray for their safety and their immediate release. Evangelical Chinese believers are also reporting that cults make false accusations against them to police, sometimes accompanied with bribes, in order to provoke a police raid or assault. Due to great spiritual hunger and a desperate shortage of Bible teachers and scriptures, cults are a real problem in China. They often feed off and prey on the evangelical house churches. Pray for God to raise up teachers and provide Bibles.

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RL Prayer is moderated by Ron Clough, a commissioner of the WEA RLC and convenor of the Australian EA RLC.

Elizabeth Kendal researched and authored this message.

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