According to the China Aid Association, Pastor Zhang Zhongxin has been sentenced to two years in a Chinese labor camp by Shandong Province authorities for participation in cultic activities. To American ears, such allegations bring to mind images of passing around poisoned Kool-Aid or of adolescent brides forced to wed lecherous old men; however, in this case this pastor engaged in religious exercises most of us take for granted as harmless as organizing a Sunday school.
Since freedom of religion is listed in the First Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, it is a duty of the United States to stand for this liberty in any way proper or possible around the world.
Radical multiculturalists will respond that it is not the place of the United States to be spreading American notions around the world as this could be construed as imposing Western values on other societies. However, another axiom of the economic age in which we live posits that the customer is always right.
If the government of the People’s Republic of China wishes to continue to benefit from the financial patronage and cooperation of the United States, it is only reasonable for authorities over there to respect certain inalienable rights held by all individuals irrespective of what regime they happen to live under.
After all, firms here seeking to do business with the government in terms of being granted contracts are expected to honor any number of obligations that go beyond basic human rights such as minority quotas and prevailing union wages.
It is the prayer and hope of believers in Christ around the world that Pastor Zhongxin’s sentence would be commuted or suspended because in the contemporary world citizens embracing Christianity bring stability to a nation rather than disruption. Faith in the Lord Jesus Christ assists both individuals and communities in balancing the seemingly conflicting tendencies towards order and liberty, and in so doing actually makes a nation stronger.
In the Western press, considerable debate has taken place as to the prudence of allowing China to host the 2008 Olympic games. With the eyes of the world turning to that particular nation at this time, there would be no better gesture that China could make to prove it takes its responsibility as a leading power of the 21st century seriously than by guaranteeing that citizens within that country’s borders are free to practice their religion without fear of incarceration or reprisals
by Frederick Meekins
Editor at Large
Comments Policy
The only one that would lose out is the USA
July 22, 2008 - 23:38 ET by shawn228If the United States does not invest in China, i'm sure another country would.
Sometimes we cannot be choosy on who we do business with. It simply does not work when we try to impose our culture on someone else.
Most would agree that Hugo Chavez is a terrible dictator, but nonetheless they are the 4th largest exporter to the United States. The third largest exporter Saudi Arabia certainly does not respect the President, when they turned down his request to increase output of oil a few months ago.
If we had the luxury of telling these two countrys to scr*w themselves, I'm sure we would have done so. We cannot because we need them and if we don't buy their oil, China and India will.
What is your suggestion about China? Can a company like Walmart survive without them making clothes, toys, sneakers, watches, electronics? Even with the lead problem last year, how many Americans have you seen stop doing business with them? Mattel sure hasn't.
Some folks can dish it out but cannot take it
Think again
July 25, 2008 - 16:17 ET by UnsaneIt simply does not work when we try to impose our culture on someone else. Who wrote Japan's constitution?
Whoever casts a vote for Barack Obama is nothing more than a common thief. Whoever fails to vote against him is nothing more than a moral coward.
Some notes
July 25, 2008 - 16:15 ET by UnsaneSaudi Arabia does not supply the United States nearly as much oil as Happyland does. (Those damn transportation costs again!) However, if Saudi does pump more oil the price COULD come down. Personally, I'd prefer we drill our own, if the government would get the hell out of the way...
We CAN tell Venezuela to screw themselves. Yeah, they export much oil, but very few places can refine their oil: various Carribbean islands and the southern United States. Hugo Chavez some years ago threatened to exclusively sell his oil to China. I would have told him to go right ahead if I were king for a day, because the oil the Chinese would have gotten would have been worthless to them, as well as more pricey due to transportation costs.
As to China, this very much reminds me of South Africa in the 1980s. It was an unsavory government that oppressed 70% of its population via apartheid policies, but people were trapped in doing business with them because 1) their ridiculous embarrassment of natural resource riches and 2) If Country X backed away from them, Country Y was waiting in the wings. That was an ugly, tricky situation.
Whoever casts a vote for Barack Obama is nothing more than a common thief. Whoever fails to vote against him is nothing more than a moral coward.