Blind Chinese human rights defender still under house arrest

ChinaAid (www.chinaaid.org ) reports that after blind human rights defender Chen Guangcheng was recently interviewed by a Chinese radio reporter, media lost direct contact with him and his wife, reports Michael Ireland, chief correspondent, ASSIST News Service.

However, says ChinaAid, one of their friends, Zeng Jinyan, mentioned in her blog that she had contacted Chen and his wife on September 23. Since that date, there has been no word from them.

Radio Free Asia reporter Zhang Min interviewed Chen on September 13 and provided the information to ChinaAid.

Since then, ChinaAid reports, family friend Zeng Jinyan wrote in her blog, “Chen Guangcheng’s mother-in-law recently visited Chen in his home. When she arrived, she was physically searched by government-paid guards keeping Chen’s family under house arrest. A few days before, on the September 20, the local communist leader of the town invaded Chen’s home with at least 4 policemen and over 20 guards. They stayed there for six hours.”

ChinaAid says the guards on watch currently have free rein of Chen’s house, intruding any time they wish. Not only have they invaded the family’s privacy — they also threatened them, saying, “Don’t you really know who holds your little life in their hands?”

ChinaAid went on to add that the local government forced Chen to cut off all external communications. The guards do not allow Chen or his wife out of their house. The family relies on Chen’s 78-year-old mother, the only one who is allowed to go out, to buy their food. The guards have even forbidden Chen’s 5-year-old daughter from going to school.

ChianAid explained that Chen Guangcheng and Gao Zhisheng, both Christian human rights defenders who continue to suffer for their work, were nominated for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize.

The award was made on October 8, 2010, to imprisoned Chinese dissident Liu Xiaobo, who was honored for "Struggle for Fundamental Human Rights." He was given the 2010 Nobel Peace Prize on Friday for "his long and non-violent struggle for fundamental human rights" — a prize that enraged the Chinese government, which had warned the Nobel committee not to honor him. China officially denounced the award as "Blasphemy."

In a year with a record 237 nominations for the peace prize, Liu had been considered a favorite, with open support from winners Archbishop Desmond Tutu, the Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama and others.

In the case of Guangcheng, ChinaAid "insists that the local authorities cease their invasive control of Chen and his family," and asks concerned Christians to join them in praying for their freedom and safety.

ChinaAid had also prayed the Nobel Peace Prize would be awarded to Chen Guangcheng or Gao Zhisheng, who have both suffered under the hands of Chinese authorities.

ChianAid had earlier said: "Such an award would be an incredible encouragement and source of hope to every human rights lawyer in China."

Report from the Christian Telegraph

The Hollywood Faithful

An interesting piece appeared in one of our newspapers over the weekend – it dealt with what it termed ‘Tinseltown’s famously faithful.’ It briefly made mention of various celebs and their religious viewpoints, including the likes of John Travolta and Tom Cruise (Scientology), Madonna and Britney Spears (Kabbalah), Mel Gibson (Roman Catholicism) and some others of the Buddhist clan (Richard Gere, etc). It also made mention of those who would call themselves Christians, such as Mandy Moore, Britney Spears and Jessica Simpson. Of course, Mel Gibson would claim to be Christian as well – being Roman Catholic.

The article has an interesting take on faithfulness, measuring faithfulness merely in the terms of being in some way associated with a religion. There are those in the list who are certainly passionate followers of their religious views, such as Mel Gibson who went out of his way to film ‘The Passion of the Christ,’ and Tom Cruise and John Travolta who seem to be on some form of scientology crusade. No-one can deny Richard Gere’s commitment to Buddhism, being a very outspoken advocate of both the Dalai Lama and Tibet. Cat Stevens is so taken with Islam that he now calls himself Yusuf Islam, having abandoned his music career in order to pursue the Islamic Faith.

But then of course there are those like Brittany Spears, Jessica Simpson and of late, Paris Hilton. These celebs claim to be true followers of God, yet their lives are anything but truly representative of the Bible’s take on faithfulness and Christianity. Of course, there are many who are in no way perfect (including myself), with their lives falling far short of the Bible’s call to holiness of life, etc. Thank God for salvation in Christ or none would be saved.

Though not the entire essence of true Christianity, faithfulness does include the desire and commitment to holiness of life, and a walking after the ways of God as outlined in the Bible. This sadly was not even part of the article’s take on faithfulness and sadly it would seem no part of the faithfulness adopted by many of those in the article that would claim to be Christians. Certainly it is early days in the ‘new life’ of Paris Hilton post jail and her prison-found faith. Wouldn’t it be great if her example proved to be different and proved to be the genuine thing – may it be so.

Though not all would agree with everything about our (Australia’s) own Guy Sebastian, there does appear to be something that is genuine about him and for that I am very thankful and glad. There does appear to be something real about him. Having said that though, he is involved with the Roman Catholic World Youth Day next year from what I understand ~ which is certainly a concern.

Our world has lost a true understanding of what real Christianity is and the very public devotees of Christianity, who fail to come close to what it is, only give the world more ammunition to poor scorn on Christians and the church of God. It remains for those that are truly united to Christ by faith to live lives worthy of their calling and to thereby show the world what true faithfulness is all about. Only then will those who continue to heap scorn upon Christianity have a reason to consider the claims of Christianity – not that they are without excuse, as the Bible clearly shows.