I’ve believed in the Lord for over half my life. I’ve worked tirelessly for the Lord and have been on constant lookout for His second coming. If the Lord came, why didn’t I receive His revelation? Has He cast me aside? This has left me very confused. How do you explain this?
In recent years, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has continued to escalate its persecution of Protestant and Catholic home churches, and listed The Church of Almighty God as a particular target for its oppression, carrying out widespread arrests and persecution. Many Christians have had no choice but to leave their homes behind and become itinerant, and some have even been forced to flee to democratic countries overseas to seek political asylum. Consequently, the outside world has gradually come to know the truth of the persecution they’ve suffered, causing great concern on the part of some international human rights experts, religious scholars, and professors; they have also made appeals on behalf of these Christians who have fled. However, the governments of some democratic countries have disregarded the truth of the CCP government’s persecution of Christians as well as international society’s condemnation of the CCP, rejecting Christians’ asylum applications with a variety of reasons. This has resulted in a very low acceptance rate of Chinese Christian asylum seekers in Europe. Some have received removal orders and some have even been sent back to China. Professor Raffaella Di Marzio, who is in charge of the Center for Studies on Freedom of Religion, Belief and Conscience in Italy, has researched and analyzed the issue of the rejection of persecuted Christians’ political asylum applications by some democratic governments.
Religious Seminar in Australia: Focusing on the Current Situation of Religious Persecution in China
On April 4, 2018, a seminar was held at the Chapel of the Australian Centre for Christianity and Culture in Canberra at 3 p.m. local time, the topic of which is Religion and the State in the People’s Republic of China. During the seminar, the current difficulties faced by China’s religious beliefs under the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP’s) dictatorial rule were discussed. Many renowned professors and scholars from the UK, the US and Italy were invited and attended this seminar, and some of them delivered speeches, in which they talked about the current situation of religious persecution in China. Some scholars and professors revealed the facts of the CCP’s brutal persecution of The Church of Almighty God (CAG), and appealed to people to focus on the problems encountered by CAG Christians when they apply for asylum.
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Willy Fautré: South Korea Should Give Refugee Status toAsylum Seekersof The Church of Almighty God
Massimo Introvigne | Part 1 : Lies and Violence—Debunking the CCP’s Persecution of Christians
As is well known, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) seized power through lies and violence, and it relies on lies and violence to maintain its power. The CCP’s rule is nothing but lies, violence, and murder. The CCP propagates atheism, regarding religion as the spiritual opium of the people. Christians preach the gospel and witness for God to carry out God’s will, but the CCP condemns such righteous deeds as abandoning and breaking up their families, and arrests and imprisons Christians on various false charges. In mainland China, Christians from various house churches, particularly from CAG, suffer brutal oppression and persecution for the sake of their religious belief, some of whom were left disabled or died. Many Christians have gone into exile and were rendered homeless with their families scattered. Countless Christian families have been thus broken! In this episode, we have invited Professor Massimo Introvigne, an Italian scholar of new religious movements, founder and managing director of Center for Studies on New Religions, to talk about why the CCP oppresses and persecutes The Church of Almighty God, whether the CCP’s accusations against The Church of Almighty God are true, and who is the main culprit behind the breakdown of Christian families, and so on. The truth will be uncovered, and the CCP’s cruel and evil essence against God that wins fame through deceiving the public and fights against justice will be exposed. Please stay tuned!
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There is no way of eternal life within the Bible; if man holds to the Bible and worships it, then they will not obtain eternal life.
ISHR Annual Meeting Spotlights Persecution of Religious Belief in China
In Recent years, the situation of the religious freedom in China has been worsening. More and more Christians have been forced to flee to other countries to seek political asylum because of being unable to bear the CCP government’s persecution. As the true facts of their persecution by the CCP are gradually being known by the world, some international human rights organizations start to give them attention and appeal for their status. From April 6 to 7, 2018, an annual meeting of the International Society for Human Rights (ISHR) was held at Gustav-Stresemann-Institut in Bonn, Germany.The theme of this annual meeting was “Focusing on the humanitarian situation and religious freedom in the Middle East.” Some human rights activists, religious figures and representatives of persecuted Christians were invited to participate in this meeting. During the meeting, some speakers discussed the situation of the religious persecution in China. The Church of Almighty God (CAG) Christians, as invited guests, also gave speeches, and introduced the main measures the CCP has applied to cruelly suppress and persecute the CAG, which aroused the attention of some participants.
Rosita Šorytė: Asylum Should be Granted to Christian Refugees Based on Objective Information
Since the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) took power, it has never ceased in persecuting religious beliefs. The CCP has openly designated Christianity and Catholicism as cults, and the Bible as a cult book. Countless copies of it have been confiscated and burned. Since 1995, the CCP has included many house churches, including The Church of Almighty God (CAG), in cult lists and began its open repression and persecution. After Xi Jinping took office, the CCP has intensified its crackdown on Christianity, in particular The Church of Almighty God. It even deploys armed police to carry out maniacal repression and arrests, and also uses all kinds of media to manipulate public opinion and discredit The Church of Almighty God. CAG Christians had to flee overseas to escape the persecution of the CCP and applied for asylum in democracies. However, governments of countries such as South Korea, France, and Italy do not acknowledge the fact that these Christians are persecuted and refuse to grant them asylum. What are the reasons behind it? In the episode, we have invited Ms. Rosita Šorytė as our guest, who is a former Lithuanian diplomat and currently the president of International Observatory of Religious Liberty of Refugees (ORLIR). She will analyze and talk about the reasons why these democratic countries refuse to grant CAG Christians refugee status, such as the fake news manufactured by the CCP, the refugee crisis in Europe, and economic pressure exerted by China. Please stay tuned!
On March 9 of 2018, the Coordination of Associations and Individuals for Freedom of Conscience (CAP LC) organized a special event in Hôtel Château Frontenac in Paris, France. In the event, the denied asylum requests of the members of The Church of Almighty God were discussed as well as the risk of deportation at any time that some Church members are facing after receiving the removal orders. An appeal was also made to the French government for the protection of the human rights of The Church of Almighty God Christians. Professor Massimo Introvigne, a well-known Italian Scholar of new religious movements and Managing Director of CESNUR (Center for Studies on New Religions); Mr. Willy Fautré, Executive Director of HRWF (Human Rights Without Frontiers); Ms. Marie Holzman, French Sinologist and President of the Association Solidarité Chine (Solidarity with China); and Mr. Eric Roux, the President of EIFRF (European Interreligious Forum for Religion Freedom) were all in attendance and delivered speeches. During the event, the organizer played a video of the testimonies of two Church members who suffered persecution at the hands of the authorities of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Those in attendance were moved to tears.
On March 1, 2018, during the 37th session of the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, the Coordination of the Associations and Individuals for Freedom of Conscience (CAP LC) organized a Side Event on the denial of religious freedom in China and the case of The Church of Almighty God (CAG). Ms. Rosita Šorytė, a former Lithuanian diplomat who is currently president of ORLIR (International Observatory of Religious Freedom of Refugees), made a presentation in the event.
Side Event of UNHRC in Geneva: Spotlighting The Church of Almighty God & Religious Freedom in China
On March 1, 2018, during the 37th session of the Human Rights Council at the United Nations in Geneva, the Coordination of the Associations and Individuals for Freedom of Conscience (CAP LC) organized a Side Event on the denial of religious freedom in China and the case of The Church of Almighty God. The event was introduced and coordinated by Mr. Thierry Valle, the president of CAP LC. A panel of international scholars and human rights and freedom of religion experts discussed the dramatic situation of the members of The Church of Almighty God both in China, where they are severely persecuted, and in South Korea and Europe, where their requests for asylum are often denied. During the event, attendees also watched a video with testimonies of three members of The Church of Almighty Godwho suffered brutal persecution at the hands of the authorities of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). Their stories aroused profound reflection generally.
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California, USA Joint Efforts to Promote Worldwide Freedom of Belief at Freedom of Religion Seminar
In spite of the fact that freedom of religion is a universal value, there are people in some countries and regions who not only lack this freedom and right, but even continue to suffer from persecution as well as unjust prosecution or imprisonment. February 15, 2018, a seminar with the theme of “Religious Liberty as a Global Problem” was convened at the University Club of the University of Southern California. The purpose of this event was to further mutual understanding between different religious groups and jointly promote freedom of religion. In attendance were well-known religion experts, religious studies professors, as well as delegates of various religious groups from countries such as the USA, Italy, France, and Mexico, totaling over 20 participants. Christians from The Church of Almighty God were also invited to participate.
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November 2017, a series of incendiary reports came out of Hong Kong. Ta Kung Pao and Wen Wei Po, both pro-CCP leftist newspapers, published a media onslaught of 17 articles in a frenzied attempt to discredit The Church of Almighty God, a legally registered religious entity in Hong Kong. This kind of media attention occurring in mainland China under the dictatorship of the CCP would not be cause for comment. However, this occurred within the democracy of Hong Kong, supposedly under “one country, two systems.” This is truly cause for concern. The freedom of religion is a basic human right protected by international human rights conventions. All democracies around the world acknowledge the freedom of religion, and all citizens in democratic nations strongly uphold this freedom, but this occurrence in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region does not bode well. If the Hong Kong branch of The Church of Almighty God also suffers the CCP’s persecution, will Hong Kong’s other religious groups be able to avoid this fate? How far do freedom and democracy really go in Hong Kong?
On December 14, 2017, a news conference was held in the Chamber of Deputies, the Parliament of Italy in Rome, over the issue of Religious Freedom Violations in China—a Case Study of Persecution Against Christian Minorities. An internationally renowned research expert on new religions, Professor Massimo Introvigne, spoke at the conference and introduced his findings on The Church of Almighty God, confirming that the Zhaoyuan McDonald’s homicide case of 2014 in Shandong Province had nothing to do with The Church of Almighty God, that the CCP’s coverage of the case was false news fabricated by the CCP to persecute and suppress The Church of Almighty God. At the same time, he presented a study jointly completed with Mr. Willy Fautré, chairman of the Human Rights Without Frontiers. The report shows that despite having the largest number of people arrested in China, and more members seeking refuge in Italy and Europe than any other areas, the passing rate for the asylum applications of The Church of Almighty God’s members in Italy is merely 10%, while there have been several cases of repatriation in Switzerland. He indicated that this represented a grave violation of the International Refugee Convention, thereby expressing his strong condemnation. He called on all European countries to show solicitude for the persecution against Christians of The Church of Almighty God and the status quo of their applications for asylum as refugees.
The Chinese Communist government has long been known for its suppression and persecution of religious beliefs. Recently, the CCP has not hesitated in creating incidents abroad to frame and discredit The Churchof Almighty God. Do Heeyoun, a human rights activist in South Korea, comments on this: “Malicious smearing is a common communist tactic. It’s what the Chinese Communist Party relies on to survive. It’s one of their ways of doing things.” He also emphasizes that the CCP is very likely to fabricate more incidents with more extreme measures in order to suppress and persecute The Church of Almighty God, thereby sowing public distrust of the church and impeding the asylum applications of the church’s Christians. This is a matter of urgency that needs to be dealt with.
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Christian Video | The Best Decision of My Entire Life—Accepting Almighty God’s Work of the Last Days
Since Almighty God began His work of the last days in China, more and more people have come to spread and bear witness to His words. Almighty God’s end-time work long ago expanded outside of China’s borders, and His words have been translated into many different languages and published online. More and more of those who truly believe in God and long to seek the truth are investigating Almighty God’s work, and many want to gain an understanding of The Church of Almighty God and God’s work in the last days. In response to audience requests, in this episode two American Christians, Mr. and Mrs. Schmidt from The Church of Almighty God, share their stories of coming to believe in Almighty God as well as what they have experienced and reaped within the Church.
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Human Rights Expert Do Heeyoon: If Christians Are Repatriated, Human Rights Groups Will Not Stand By
On November 28, 2017, in response to concurrent public attacks and smears against The Church of Almighty God in Hong Kong, Taiwan, and South Korea, South Korean human rights expert Do Heeyoun and eight other non-governmental organizations jointly condemned the Chinese Communist government for its many years of brutal persecution against The Church of Almighty God, and expressed the view that the asylum applications of Christians of The Church of Almighty God should be recognized by their respective host nations. During a recent interview, with the pending asylum applications of Christians of The Church of Almighty God at risk in South Korea, South Korean human rights expert Do Heeyoun said: The South Korean government has always advocated human rights, so it would not unreasonably force people onto the road to ruin. If the government does leave these people high and dry, many international human rights groups won’t sit idly by. He hopes this type of situation won’t happen.
On January 4, 2018, according to the U.S. State Department, pursuant to the 1998 International Religious Freedom Act, China is re-designated as a “Country of Particular Concern.” This is the nineteenth consecutive year that China is included in the “Country of Particular Concern” list. At the same time, when the freedom of religious belief in China draws great attention of the U.S. government, the asylum applications of many Christians of The Church of Almighty God who had been persecuted by the CCP, and who had fled abroad to South Korea and European countries, are denied again and again. These governments even issued orders for their deportation and had their Alien Registration Cards withdrawn. Once repatriated to China, these Christians are bound to face the CCP’s arrest, torture and imprisonment, even the danger of death. Their situations are critical!
