The recent International Religious Freedom Summit joined 70 organizations together for the first summit on persecution, something that presently affect almost 80% of the world's inhabitants. One of the event's better-known speakers was Bob Fu, who escaped from China with his wife after being arrested for holding an illegal church service in their home. He moved to the United States and set up ChinaAid in Midland, Texas.
His speech at the summit made note of China's constitution, which guarantees religious freedom for normal organizations.
"Pastor Wang Yi from Early Rain Covenant Church -- one sermon on the pulpit just to cite John 3:16 of the New Testament, and Chinese president by name said please repent; you have a time for salvation," Fu shared as an example of why that feature is a façade. "Nine years imprisonment. He was accused of subverting state power."
Religion, he explained, is illegal for supposedly impairing the health of citizens.
"If you're a charismatic Christian, if you pray for the healing, that is called the evil cult," Fu relayed. “Impairing the health of citizens can sentence you 14-15 years."
Religion cannot interfere with the education system in China, so students, teachers, and those in the professional workforce must keep their religious beliefs to themselves. Meanwhile, an estimated three million Uyghurs in western China have been imprisoned because of their Muslim faith.
Summit attendees hope to create worldwide awareness and influence countries to protect religious minorities.
