Feminism

Under President Xi Jinping, women are second-class citizens. “Feminism” has become a peaceful but powerful weapon against the regime.

In the People’s Republic of China (PRC), feminist activists are arrested and jailed for voicing opposition. This is not surprising, as the Communist government in Beijing fears all kind of organized dissent.

Women have never been allowed to take their rightful place in the PRC ever since the days of Chairman Mao Zedong (1893–1976). His grandiose assertion, “Women hold up half the sky” notwithstanding, their role in society has been in fact clearly downsized. But today, under President Xi Jinping, women are not only pushed back, but the whole idea of gender equality has been completely reversed.

Read more at “Feminism vs. the Communist Party in China”

The Clock is Ticking

Written by Pastor Shane Idleman

Repentance, not the Appeals Court, is our only hope. Salvation is not coming on Air Force One. God is trying to wake us up so we draw closer to Him. When we are desperate, God finally has our attention. Most don’t seek the Lord until there is pressure. Only when our hand is forced do we yield,  when our back is to the wall and our fleshly attempts at deliverance are all washed away.

But surprisingly, our nation’s crisis is not driving us to our knees. We’re not using heavenly ammunition (2 Corinthians 10:4), but trusting in Smith & Wesson. I’ll never forget the day I read the following quote by A.W. Tozer over two decades ago: “It is doubtful whether God can bless a man greatly until He has hurt him deeply.”

I was going through a very difficult season and I soon realized that God was breaking me down to build me up. I was at a turning point: I could become bitter and resentful or humble myself and grow from the experience.  And this is where the majority of Christians find themselves today. Instead of getting better, we become bitter. Instead of humbling ourselves, we become more arrogant. Instead of emptying ourselves to be filled with the Spirit, we are full of pride and selfish ambition.

But be encouraged, broken crayons still color. God is the Shepherd of the shattered and the re-builder of the broken. God breaks us to rebuild us but we must humble ourselves so the Potter can shape the clay, or an eleven-day journey through the wilderness may take us forty years (Joshua 5:6).

We must let our pain crucify our pride. He rebuilds the broken, elevates the humble, and restores the wounded. We can rebuild the breach and strengthen what remains but we must pray “O God, take me, break me, and make me.”

Most people will never find what they’re searching for, because you cannot be truly happy without God.  In Ecclesiastes 3 Solomon looked at all he had accumulated and still found life lacking.  He, like so many today, had filled his life with vanity but was left wanting.  But Solomon realized that God has an appointed time for everything, and through time His purposes are accomplished. 

We can see the reason that you cannot be fully satisfied by material, earthly concerns is because God has placed eternity in our hearts. That’s why we never stop thinking, “There has to be more than this.”  Because of God, you’re linked to eternity!  Our bodies won’t last forever, but our souls can! Our time here on earth is always running out. That’s why today is the day for salvation. You can belong to God for all eternity.

The clock is ticking — being broken by God is our only hope!

“Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. In love he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will— to the praise of his glorious grace, which he has freely given us in the One he loves. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God’s grace that he lavished on us. With all wisdom and understanding, he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ. In him we were also chosen, having been predestined according to the plan of him who works out everything in conformity with the purpose of his will, in order that we, who were the first to put our hope in Christ, might be for the praise of his glory. And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory.” (Ephesians 1: 2-14)

Diocese of Baoding

Those who refuse the Vatican-China deal and do not join the Patriotic Catholic Church are “disappeared.”

Catholic conscientious objectors continue to be active in China. And they continue to be persecuted. After the Vatican-China deal of 2018, the Holy See encouraged the Catholics to join the once excommunicated Patriotic Catholic Church, controlled by the government. It also clarified that those who refuse to do so for reasons of conscience, although not encouraged nor approved by the Vatican, are not excommunicated, are still part of the Catholic Church, and should be treated with “respect.”

Read more at “Repression of Catholic Conscientious Objectors Continue”

Genocide of Taiwan

What happens if China is invades Taiwan and successfully conquers the island? Don’t look at Hong Kong. Look at Xinjiang.

Thailand Accused

A report highlights how asylum seekers from China and other countries have been repeatedly kidnapped or arrested and sent back to their persecutors.

“Visit Thailand” is a suggestion smiling throughout the world from thousands of posters praising the natural and cultural beauty of the Asian country. Having been there more than once, it is a slogan I would gladly endorse. However, it seems that visiting Thailand is not a good suggestion when it is addressed to refugees fleeing China and other non-democratic countries.

Read more at “of Sending Uyghur and Other Refugees Back to China”

Bishop of Shanghai

The bishop of Shanghai defended the Chinese government’s religious freedom record at a Vatican conference on Tuesday in a speech that called for the Church in China to “follow a path of Sinicization.”

One year after Bishop Joseph Shen Bin was unilaterally installed by Chinese authorities as bishop of Shanghai in violation of the Vatican-China deal, the controversial Chinese bishop was a featured speaker at a Vatican conference beside Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

Read more at “defends China’s religious freedom record at Vatican conference”

World Falun Dafa Day

On May 10, 2024, nearly 5,000 Falun Gong practitioners from the greater New York City area held a parade in Manhattan to celebrate the World Falun Dafa Day of May 13. “Falun Dafa” is the name of the teachings upon which Falun Gong practitioners act through a series of practical exercises. The day commemorated the 32nd anniversary of Falun Dafa’s popularization in 1992, which coincided with the 73rd birthday of Falun Gong founder Li Hongzhi. Messages were sent by several friends of Falun Gong and human rights advocates.

Read more at “What Is the Future of Chinese Communism?”

Uyghurs, Me Too, and the CCP

Serious allegations hit two Uyghur leaders. Abuse, if ascertained, should not be condoned and all should be handled responsibly—but the CCP should not be allowed to exploit the incident either.

An earthquake is shaking the international community of human rights activists and the Uyghur world. Two of the most prominent leaders of the Uyghur diaspora, well-known for their dedication and effective advocacy, are accused of serious wrongdoings.

Read more at “Uyghurs, Me Too, and the CCP”

Uyghur Stories

Not to be accused of “illegal gatherings,” if you hear the regime criticized at a restaurant’s table you should stand up and leave immediately.

Sehibe Sayramoglu’s 24-year-old brother, Quddusjan Abduweli, was sentenced to five years and four months in prison for “disturbing public order by illegal gathering.” Sehibe lives in the USA.

Read more at “More than 5 Years in Jail Just for Listening to Criticism of the Authorities”

Xi Jinping

As usual, “Sinicization” means separating from Western ideas and be “guided by Marxism” and the CCP.

The Research Center for Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences does not sit idle. On May 15, Tian Xinming, a member of the Academic Steering Committee of the Research Center published in the “Guangming Daily” a long article on Xi Jinping’s thought on sociology and philosophy.

Read more at “Wants to Sinicize Sociology and Philosophy As Well”