The Luis Palau Evangelistic Association is planning street festivals in China, and in order to get the necessary approval from the Chinese government, they are encouraging all Chinese Christians to register with the government. In other words, sell out, risking imprisonment and torture, so we can get our permits.
Ingrid over at Slice of Laodicea has the details, and will be doing a radio show on this situation soon. More here and here.
This move by the LPEA is extraordinarily stupid and selfish. To give some perspective on how much religious freedom is allowed for Christians in China, there are 5 recognized evangelical churches in Beijing. And over 14 million people. You can check for yourself, but I’m guessing the officially allowed version of Christianity is just a little distorted by the government’s concern for state allegiance.
If you would like to contact LPEA to encourage them to leave the underground church in China alone, here is their info (via Ingrid):
By Mail:
Luis Palau Association
PO Box 50
Portland, Oregon 97207
By Phone/Fax
Phone: 503.614.1500
Fax: 503.614.1599
Email: info@palau.org
