When Andy and I arrived in China in the spring of 2000 AD, one of the
questions on our minds was: Will China limit free speech and religious
expressions when it reclaims Hong Kong?
Actually, it already had.
Hong Kong was promised fifty more years of freedom from
mainland interference. But the strong arms of the Chinese government has
already begun to press the Internet media into its totalitarian mold. While
the government promised free speech and freedom of religion, we were told
that "divisive communications of any type" would be censored and the arrest
and persecution of non-conforming Christians was rising.
Chinese leaders justify their steps toward
"consensus" as a reasonable price for "peace" and "unity." So do their
international sympathizers. As a result, facilitated dialectic groups --
used by Chinese Communists fifty years ago to
brainwash the masses -- are now used by
corporations, community groups and schools to squeeze all nations
into the global mold. While China may be taking some lessons in
capitalism from America, worldwide vision of social solidarity looks far
more like the Communist East than the free West.
Lessons from China.
The process of change used in
Communist China the last 50 years has come full circle. First tried in the
Soviet Union, it was actually conceived in Western Europe. Its history
includes familiar names such as Marx, Hegel, and Huxley as well as Lenin and
Stalin. While China added its own flavor to the mix, it retained the main
elements of international communism. Many of its strategies were adopted by
UNESCO and imbedded in the UN plan for molding and managing human resources
around the world. By the early nineties, it had returned to the West under
the banner of reform,
systemic change and outcome-based education.
(See
Molding Human Resources for a Global Workforce)
Keep in mind, some of these steps are part of a system established half a
century ago. While China has modified its economic agenda and embraced some
parts of the capitalism it once despised, it still stands immovable on
ideological issues vital to socialist solidarity. Meanwhile the West is more
than willing to change its ways. Distracted by wants and dulled by
thrills, Americans find it all too easy to tolerate the veiled constraints
of totalitarianism. (See Mind Control)
This shift in public awareness was planned long ago. Back in 1948, the
International Congress on Mental Health met in London and presented a
report titled "Mental Health and World Citizenship." It said,
"Social institutions such as family and school impose their imprint early
... Thus prejudice, hostility or excessive nationalism may become deeply
embedded in the developing personality... often at GREAT HUMAN COST...Change
will be strongly resisted unless an attitude of acceptance has first been
engendered."
Today, fifty years later -- with help from the media and our education
system -- that "attitude of acceptance" has almost been engendered. That's
why most Americans keep silent while self-proclaimed change agents follow
China's steps toward an unthinkable system of social controls.
(See The UN Plan for
Your Mental Health)
1. SILENCE All
OPPOSITION:
"The mainland's education ministry and the Communist Party's
ideology watchdog have jointly launched a campaign to clamp down on the
'spreading of Western ideas' in university classrooms," wrote Cary
Huang, in the Hong Kong Standard. While "clamps on
academic freedom had been rare in recent years," this last year brought
the "revival of a hard-line propaganda campaign against Western
ideologies by official media."[1]
Party
leaders are warning teachers, firing questionable professors, censoring news, and imprisoning leaders of
unregistered churches. Those who complain risk their jobs, their freedom,
their families and their lives.
The government
recently
closed the editorial
offices of the Reform Publishing House in Beijing for publishing a book that
describes "the back-stabbing and bribery required to attain public
office." The International Herald Tribune reported that
"Despite
his Western-leaning economics, President Jiang Zemin has in the last year
constantly reiterated the importance of standing fast by Communist ideology
in a China overrun with dotcom start-ups.... Liu Juning, a political
scientist
who has written about the need for political change, was dismissed
from his job at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, and the editors at
the state-owned Commercial Publishers had to write self-criticisms for
publishing his book."[2]
"Self-Criticism"
-- like the consensus process -- has been part of Soviet and Chinese
brainwashing
since the fifties. As part of an ongoing process, such forced "confessions"
serve to keep captives humble, submitted to their mentors, and increasingly pliable in the hands of
Communist managers.
2.
RE-SETTLE THE MASSES.
China's impressive effort to move and house its people in ever-expanding communities of high-rise apartments and
condominiums has won the applause of the United Nations. During the 1996 UN Conference on
Human Settlements ( Habitat II) in Istanbul,
Chinese housing projects and planned communities occupied the vast center of
a cavernous hall used for a "Best Practices" exhibition. Displays from the
rest of the world merely shared the outer perimeter. Today, similar
controlled settlements, replete with common halls and recreation areas for
group interaction and consensus-building, have sprouted like grass around
the world, suggesting the demise of individualism as well as the private
home. (See
The U.N. Plan for Your Community)
3.
WEAKEN THE FAMILY. Few nations honored the family more than
pre-Communist China. The Confucian ethic pressed the people into centuries of
strict family loyalties, ancestral worship, and elaborate rituals. With
the spread of Communism, the family was forced to change. "To redirect
loyalties, China's recent leaders created channels of mobility less subject
to family control and reorganized communities to make them more responsible to
outside pressures."[3]
Government day care centers, schools, and youth corps replaced the
family as the vehicle for teaching values and transmitting beliefs.
(See
The Nazi Model For Outcome-Based Education)
The
Soviet Union came up with a plan that worked well, and other communist nations
followed suit: Get mothers out of the home and into the workplace, then train their
children in government day care, pre-school, after-school, and youth centers.
At night, send them back home as ambassadors for the international socialist
paradigm.
With UN guidance, the rest of the world has followed, and the family would never be the same.
4.
TRANSFER LOYALTY TO PEER GROUP AND COMMUNITY.
Continuing their quest to "free" children from parental values and
family traditions, the Communist government forced everyone into "small groups
for political study and criticism." According to The
Cambridge Encyclopedia of China, these discussion groups "encouraged the individual to develop a
separate identity from the family.... By transferring
function from the family to the community (the production team or the
neighborhood committee) and by denouncing the negative aspects of
individualism, the Chinese Communist Party sought to promote the socialist
ideal of collectivity."[4]
5.
INDOCTRINATE EVERYONE WITH THE "RIGHT" IDEOLOGY.
Compare the following quotations
from The Cambridge Encyclopedia of China with the Cuban education
system and with the changes taking place in education throughout the "free" world.
(See
Zero Tolerance For Non-Compliance: Clinton's Ten Steps Toward Lifelong Behavior Modification)
"In schools and universities ideological
indoctrination was built into the curriculum, partly as a result of
wholesale borrowing from the Soviet Union.... The study of
Chinese literature for example, stressed 'social realism' with the
stereotyped presentation of 'heroes' and 'villains' in terms of the
social classes they represented. Foreign
literature focused on works guaranteed to show the worst features of
capitalist society.
"The teaching of history was similarly conducted in
accordance with Marxist concepts.... It became common for peasants and workers
to be invited into the classroom to recall 'past bitterness': and contrast
it with the benefits of the new era. Party-controlled youth organizations
reinforced the official ideology.... 'The
level of an individual's 'political consciousness' became of the greatest
importance.... In some educational institutions, indoctrination came
almost to replace teaching entirely."[5]
(See
Élian's
Future in a Totalitarian State)
6.
CONTROL INDIVIDUALS IN COMMUNITY GROUPS.
Early in their history, Chinese communists imported
Soviet methods for controlling its people in "work units."
The production
team, which shared communal housing, became the "collective focus."[6]
It provided the basic needs and kept close watch on all its members. But over
the years, its nature changed and its power decreased. Apparently, a different
kind of surveillance is now on the rise. A
recent article in the New York Times International gave this
update:
"The
old 'neighborhood committees' that watched over every household are
among the more obnoxious memories of the early decades of Communist rule.
Staffed... by one's nosiest neighbors, the committees were empowered to
scrutinize every visitor, report every antisocial activity and even monitor
pregnancies....
"With
the decline of Marxist fervor... the committees waned.... Now, with
experiments in Shenyang and 19 other cities, the government is trying to
reinvent this venerable
institution."[7]
7.
MANAGE THE MASSES BY "CONSENSUS."
Of course, such politicized
"consensus" is a veneer, a public show. It calls for continual media
control, propaganda, and rewards for compliance. It also demands the kinds of
punishment for dissent that will intimidate others into silence and
submission. Like the public executions of the middle ages, the penalties for non-compliance
must serve to intimidate and silence the vast majority.
With
globalization came the need to control an ambitious leader's international image
as well. The
Voice of the Martyrs reports an incident that illustrates the kinds of
"photo-ops" most global leaders now seek:
"It is also interesting this week to see
pictures of President Jiang Zemin in Israel wearing a Yarmulke. Religious
men wear a Yarmulke (a Jewish skull cap), and it is to be worn by all men
when visiting certain sites in Israel. It is amazing how one picture such
as this can convince a world of people that China has religious
freedom."
8.
RE-DEFINE MENTAL HEALTH.
China promises religious freedom -- as long as the
religion doesn't offend the ruling Communist party. Does that sound familiar?
It should, if you have read United Nations' Universal Declaration on Human
Rights, the basis for President Clinton's Executive Order on the
"Implementation
of Human Rights."
At
the first glance, the Universal Declaration of Human Rights sounds good, as do
all the intrusive UN human rights treaties. Article 18 upholds
"the right to freedom of thought, conscience and religion..."
Article 19 affirms "the right to freedom of opinion and expression... and
to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and
regardless of frontiers."
But
Article 29 states that "these rights and freedoms may in no case be
exercised contrary to the purposes and principles of the United Nations."
In other words, these "rights" or "freedoms" don't apply
to those who would criticize the UN or its policies. Your rights would be
conditioned on your compliance. Only if your message supports official
ideology are you free to speak it. As Andrei Vishinsky wrote in The Law of
the Soviet State, "There can be no place for freedom of speech,
press, and so on for the foes of socialism.
[8]
When
President Clinton signed Executive Order 13107, he claimed authority to
establish a vast system for enforcing UN Human Rights standards in the U.S.
This massive new bureaucracy would assess and monitor social attitudes everywhere,
prevent
contrary beliefs, and remediate anyone found guilty of non-compliance.
The World Health
Organization [WHO] co-ordinates this "mental
health" system around the world. It considers China a model nation. A
WHO
press release (11-12-99) titled "Brundtland
Unveils New WHO Global Strategies for Mental Health" summarizes the plan:
"Dr.
Gro Harlem Brundtland, launched here today WHO's new Global Strategies for
Mental Health.... The new Strategies would finally continue to
monitor the mental health of the world. WHO... was in the final planning
stage of Mental Health Survey 2000. ... For
WHO, mental well being is an integral part of mental health."
It
makes sense that China would be considered a model nation. Following the
Soviet pattern, it, like Cuba, has practiced tracking
and reporting on its citizens for decades.
Persecution in China.
Today, as many as 50-100 million Christians are
meeting "illegally in private homes, fields and even caves, defying a
government ban on such gatherings," according to
World
Christian Broadcasting. They risk their lives to worship God outside the
boundaries of the
government-controlled "Three Self" churches. These brave
men and women serve a higher authority and have chosen to affirm the words of the apostle
Peter, "We must obey God rather than men." (Acts 5:29) Their lives
demonstrate a perseverance, joy and peace in Christ that defies comprehension but
proves the irrepressible power of God's unchanging gospel in today's fast-changing
world.
Since the controlled media only reports "news" that supports the Communist
agenda, few non-Christians are aware of their government's persecution of
Christians. But testimonies from the persecuted churches allow the "free"
world to glimpse at the kind of Christian devotion, perseverance,
persecution and joy in Jesus that can only be understood by those who
learned "to share His suffering."
World
Christian Broadcasting describes a 1994 government assault on an
"illegal" house church:
"...five
evangelists were seized by agents of the Public Security Bureau, China's
KGB. Each man was severely beaten in front of the congregation. The security
officers next handed the truncheons to the congregants and ordered them to
beat the preachers, on pain of being beaten themselves.
One particular
evangelist was so badly injured that the security team feared he would die
in their presence (leaving too much to explain), so they released him. He
crawled and hobbled for several miles, attempting to reach his home, but
finally collapsed and died on the road.
In
February 1999,
The
Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) reported that Li De Xian, a
pastor in the Guangdong Province near Hong Kong, was once again arrested for
"illegal" preaching. Fearing a riot, the Public Security Bureau
(PSB) had sent twenty government vehicles to his Tuesday meeting, blocking
streets and stopping all passage. But they didn't need to fear. VOM President Tom
White tells the story:
"Their
meeting place is the home of one of the local brothers (pray for him). The PSB
took all the furniture and tangible items, destroyed all the tools and drawing
boards, and cut the electricity. When they were done, there was nothing left
but the building itself.
"When
they seized Li, several of the older believers offered themselves to be
arrested in his place. Others began telling all the officers, 'Bless
you,' and 'We do not hate you for what you are doing.' Over and
over the people were casting blessings on the officers.... Brother Li turned
to the people and told them only to pray for him. Six hundred people
immediately went to their knees in prayer.
"When
the Secretary of the PSB, a high-ranking officer, saw this, he was amazed. He
asked, 'How is it that you have so much power? You say a word and the
people obey immediately.'
"After
Li had been taken to the station, the believers went back and continued the
meeting. It hasn't stopped for a moment. Instead of chairs to sit on, now
they sit on newspapers."
At
the station, Li faced the standard communist interrogation and demand for
"confession." Firm in his faith, he told his captors, "Do
not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Bur rather fear Him
who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell." (Matthew 10:28)
Later, the PSB Secretary told him, "You have more power than I."
Admitting defeat, he compared the public disinterest in Party events with the
multitudes that crowd into Li's church.
Pastor
Li's triumph didn't end there. His imprisonment allowed him to share the
gospel with 12 cellmates. He was eventually freed but refused to stop his
"illegal" preaching. A News Bulletin from
The
Voice of the Martyrs describes a recent incident:
"Pastor Li Dexian was arrested once again
on April 11th, the very day the United States submitted an article to the
United Nations calling for censure of China on account of their human
rights abuses.... He is not allowed any visitors. If past experience
is repeated, he is likely being isolated in his cell also. The Religious
Affairs Bureau and the Public Security Bureau are growing weary of this
entire situation. In a system that places people in prison and labor camps
with no trial, and charges are merely uttered upon one's arrival, there
is much to be concerned about. Chinese prisoners have been known to 'disappear' when locked up in this system.
"The hundreds of Christians who gather
every Tuesday in Hua Du are no strangers to the Communist government's
policies. When the large shelter, where the believers protected themselves
from the elements, was destroyed last October, it was destroyed by thugs
from other areas who where hired by the PSB. In prison the same tactics
are used. Benefits are granted to certain prisoners who in return make
life miserable for others, like Pastor Li. On previous occasions, Li was
the one in the cell who was routinely abused...."
[9]
Contrary
to Western expectations, religious freedom is eroding, not increasing. It's
not surprising that the Party Secretary of the Guangdong
Province has been "turning this Province into a base for 'Jiang Zemin
Thought.'" According to the South China Morning Post, "the
provincial party leadership is reviving the two-year-old crusade on the
'Three Emphases' -- a reference to promoting Marxist values and
Communist-style righteousness." VOM explained how this change affects
Christians:
"Marxist values and Communist-style
righteousness locks up people like Li Dexian. Li hinders this very idea
and so he sits in prison today. Li never speaks harm to any of those who
arrest him; he preaches the gospel. For this he suffers, his wife suffers
constant surveillance and his son suffers in school. Li has vowed that he
will preach the gospel until he dies, and his wife has vowed to stand with
him. (News
Bulletin 4-14)
Lessons
from the persecuted Church.
While the
world unites in a common quest for an anti-Christian solidarity, Christians
can rejoice in a spiritual unity that no government can sever. Those who are
"born again" into God's family share one Father, one Shepherd, one Hope, and
one eternal Kingdom. But the light of that Hope tends to shine far brighter
in a Chinese prison cell than in an American city where all kinds of
distracting lights dim our eyes to the glory of God.
God's Word calls us to stand together in love -- helping, encouraging,
teaching, and praying for each other. Oceans and other physical barriers are
no excuse. Please consider some the ways we can cross those barriers:
-
Pray:
Seek God's wisdom, understanding and love for those He loves in
distant lands. Pray especially for the persecuted Church in China.
-
Study:
Take time to read the stories and ponder the lives of those who loved God
enough to give up their lives rather than deny their Lord. (See
Christian Persecution)
-
Count
the cost: Ask God to show you what worries, fears, distractions
and activities block your vision of His wonderful Kingdom. (See Matthew
8) If you are willing, having counted the cost, commit yourself to Him and
the fulfillment of His purpose, trusting that "He who has called you
will also do it."
-
Trust
God: He has promised to be our peace and sufficiency no matter
what happens. His kind of joy doesn't begin to compare with our finite
human view of fun, happiness and entertainment.
-
Praise
Him: His wise and wonderful ways turn our self-focused ways
upside down. For those who choose Him, He will replace fear with hope,
trade weakness for His strength, and turn suffering into joy.
-
Share:
Contact
The
Voice of the Martyrs and see how you can participate in its wonderful
ministry.[10]
-
Memorize
and meditate on His promises. Remember:
"Blessed
are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against
you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your
reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before
you." Matthew 5:10-12
Communist
Totalitarianism
|
|
China
|
Cuba
|
Russia
|
|
Human
worth depends on conformity to the system
|
The
persecution
of Christians, the cruel work camps, the Tiananmen massacre,
etc.
|
Cubans
that attempt escape face heartless government slaughter or torturous imprisonment.
(See
Elian's Future in a Totalitarian State)
|
Merciless
slaughter of Chechnya, torture and rape of prisoners.
|
|
Education
based on Communist ideology
|
Used
Soviet brainwashing strategies, including Hegelian dialectic
(consensus) process. See quotations below.
|
Schools
and society must build "Communist personality" using Soviet
education strategies and totalitarian controls.
|
Soviet
system: State management of the lifelong learning process with
focus on ideology, group thinking & labor skills for planned
economy
|
|
Hatred
for the Bible
|
The
state permits Bibles to be printed in Nanking for the registered "Three-Self"
churches, but relatively few reach members of the "illegal"
house churches.
|
See
Thousands
of Bibles burned in Cuba
|
Countless
Christians have risked their lives to smuggle Bibles into or within the former
Soviet Union.
|
|
Humans managed in groups or teams
|
"Meetings were being held in vacant rooms
and open spaces wherever a group could gather to discuss, self-criticize,
and confess."
Brainwashing
by Edward Hunter, page 51.
|
Soviet-Cuban
education means group learning. That's why Elian's friends had to
come to the U.S.
|
The
Hegelian Dialectic (consensus) process is
the heart of Communist "education."
|
1. Cary Huang, "Western Ideas Silenced in Class," Hong Kong Standard,
May 15, 2000.
2.
The International Herald Tribune, May
20, 2000.
3.
The
Cambridge Encyclopedia of China, Brian Hook, Editor (New York:
Cambridge University), page 92)
4. Ibid., page
92-93.
5. Ibid.,
page 117.
6. Ibid.,
page 100.
7.
Eric Eckholm, "China's Neighborly Snoops Reinvent Themselves," The
New York Times International, April 11, 2000.
8.
Vishinsky (Encyclopedia Britannica)
9. Tom White,
"Baptism--Sentiment or Sacrifice?" Voice of the Martyrs (February
1999), page 4-5.
10.
To contact The Voice of the Martyrs, make a donation, or request their
magazine write the office at P.O. Box 443, Bartlesville, OK 74005, or visit
the website at The Voice
of the Martyrs. Phone: 918-337-8015 E-mail: Email :thevoice@vom-usa.org
