Disabled Chinese pastor sentenced
for producing Christian literature during Archbishop's visit By Dan Wooding CHINA (ANS) -- As Chinese officials have been hosting Dr. Rowan Williams, the Archbishop of Canterbury, spiritual head of the world's 77 million Anglicans, the seriousness of the restrictions on Christian activity in the country have been highlighted by the sentencing of a disabled pastor for printing Bibles and Christian literature.
"The verdict was announced on October 9, the same day the Archbishop, Dr. Rowan Williams, discussed the need for more pastors and theological training for the Church in China during his visit to Shanghai," said the CSW release. "Pastor Wang's case is the third such prosecution for illegal business practices for production of Christian literature in the last year. It highlights the Chinese authorities' tactic of criminalizing religious activities in order to disguise religious persecution under the cloak of the law. "The most prominent of these cases has been that of well known Beijing house church leader Pastor Cai who was sentenced to three years in prison for illegal business practices on 8 November 2005 for producing Bibles and Christian literature. Pastor Cai was defended by Mr. Gao Zhisheng, the prominent lawyer who has been targeted for his fearless defense of religious freedom and human rights. "Gao has been charged with 'inciting
subversion of state power'. His lawyer received the notification of the
decision to charge him during the Archbishop's visit, on October 12.
The charge followed weeks of silence after Gao's removal by a dozen
security officers on 15 August, prompting strong international
criticism."
In releasing the news of the sentence of Wang Zaiqing, Rev. Bob Fu of China Aid Association said: "It is totally unacceptable for the Chinese authorities to arrest this pious [disabled] pastor simply for printing Bibles. We appeal to the Archbishop of Canterbury, who will hold a press conference in Beijing Monday, October 23, at the conclusion of his visit to China, to voice his concerns on the situation of religious freedom in China". Tina Lambert, Deputy National Director of Christian Solidarity Worldwide says: "It is sadly ironic that at the time Chinese officials are seeking to show progress in religious matters they are simultaneously sentencing a pastor for producing Christian literature. China claims to be afraid of cults, yet it suppresses production of Christian materials, forces groups to operate secretly and prevents them from running seminaries. Such policies simply create a breeding ground for heresies and unorthodox practice. "It would make much better sense to allow all groups to operate freely in public without the current restrictions which breach international standards. For a long time now the unregistered church of China has been calling for the government to acknowledge and establish dialogue with its leaders. We hope that China will recognize that now is the time to take this step forward to provide concrete proof of its claims of progress in religious matters." The Archbishop of Canterbury's two-week visit was aimed at boosting understanding between China's state-sanctioned Protestant church and the world's Anglicans, but China watchers believe that this latest news will no nothing to improve those relations.
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Dan Wooding is an
award winning British
journalist now living in Southern California with his wife Norma. He is
the founder and international director of ASSIST (Aid to Special Saints
in Strategic Times) and the ASSIST News Service (ANS). He was, for ten
years, a commentator, on the UPI Radio Network in Washington, DC.
Wooding is the author of some 42 books, the latest of which is his
autobiography, "From Tabloid to Truth", which is published by Theatron
Books. To order a copy, go to ASSIST News Service (ANS) - E-mail
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