On September 19, 1853, 21-year-old British James Hudson Taylor farewelled his parents and went far away to preach Jesus’ gospel in China. He dedicated his whole life to the work of the Lord and passed away in China.

In 1885, a missionary of Baptist Missionary Society called Herbert Dixon came to China with his wife to preach the gospel. For the sake of the missionary work, they forsook their children who were still young—the four children lived in Britain. In 1990, Mr. and Mrs. Dixon were martyred in Xinzhou City, Shanxi Province.

In 1927, on the way back to China, John Sung Shang Chieh cast into the Pacific Ocean his gold keys and medals, which symbolized his honor as a doctor in chemistry from Ohio State University. Thereafter, he served God whole-heartedly, and spent his lifetime preaching the Lord’s name until his last breath.

Hudson Taylor left his parents; Mr. and Mrs. Dixon forsook their children; John Sung abandoned his academic degree and prospects. In order to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ, they all sacrificed themselves and gave light to others. Their heroic deeds have been passed down to this day, and they are perceived as positive figures, the objects of all Christians’ emulation. They are approved by the whole Christian world, whom no one criticized. But have you thought about what comments would be made about them if the touching stories of these Christians in the late Qing and early Republican era are set in today’s China ruled by the CCP? “They’ve gone mad with believing in God! They discard the family and children. Christianity breaks families up!” “They are anti-family. They have no affection.” “They don’t work, nor farm the land. They’ve lost humanity!” That’s exactly true. If Hudson Taylor, John Sung, and Dixon lived today, these public opinions would come in a continuous stream. They would be persistently labeled as believing in “cult.” This is the consequence of public opinions being controlled by the CCP—confounding black and white and confusing right and wrong. The following drama is another example.

“Zhang, come out! Come out!” A woman, carrying a boy, banged hard on a glass door.

On the morning of August 28, 2016, such a drama was staged at the gate of the Church of Almighty God in Guro, Seoul, South Korea: Wu, a representative of some religious website in South Korea, led a Chinese mother and her son to demonstrate with slogan boards saying “Return My Husband to My Family,” etc. They even invited a journalist of a TV station to record the whole course. Wu was particularly busy rushing back and forth. She directed the woman to carry her son and hide in a small garden beside the Church, and then instructed her to run out and strike at the door crying and screaming. And later, she asked the woman to fake the pitiful looks of shedding tears with her son in her arms and of being glassy-eyed, etc. for the close-ups of her face. Wu bustled on the set like the director of a TV series.

The woman, surnamed Tian, came from China. She claimed that the Church of Almighty God coerced her husband Zhang to perform duty in South Korea and broke up her family, and she asked the Church to hand over her husband. However, before this, Zhang had made it clear to the police that he fled to South Korea for protection because of the hunting and persecution from the CCP. He attested that he performed his duty at the Church of Almighty God in South Korea out of sheer willingness, and that no one forced him. He also said the other reason why he left home was that since his wife Tian believed the rumors of the CCP, she had become more and more abnormal in sense. In order to force Zhang to give up his belief, she often cried and made troubles, and threatened him with suicide and calling the police; she even tried to kill him with a knife. Unable to bear the double persecution by the CCP government and his family any longer, Zhang came to South Korea for protection at the risk of arrest and with great pain in his heart. This May, Tian came with a CCP agent to see Zhang on Jeju Island, South Korea. Directed by the agent, she stole Zhang’s passport and cellphones, took away all of his money, and once again threatened him with buying a knife and committing suicide, in every attempt to abduct him back to China. Seeing that, Zhang ran at once. The CCP agent intercepted him in the airport with the help of the tracking device they placed on him. Zhang struggled desperately and made a narrow escape, so that this “extradition” failed. In order to make Zhang’s political asylum the second “Zhaoyuan Case” and then defame the Church of Almighty God, the CCP didn’t give up its wicked intention and made a comeback by staging such a protest on August 28.

What’s more, the CCP has prepared public opinion for its crackdown on the Church of Almighty God overseas. To aggravate things, at Tian’s arrival, Wu immediately took her to a prearranged press conference. The CCP instigated her to frame the Church of Almighty God publicly by saying that Zhang was coerced to South Korea by the Church, and also spread on some websites “The Church of Almighty God breaks up families, which violates the law.” Obviously, the CCP did so to create a background favorable to its following suppression of the Church of Almighty God, aiming at slandering and defaming the Church and brainwashing the public with fallacies, so as to hinder the gospel of the Church from spreading overseas. As we all know, parroting others’ ideas is the blind and foolish deed of those who have no thoughts. So, let’s analyze why these two fallacies are fallacious to tell true from false.

Tian said that the Church of Almighty God “coerced” Zhang. Her implied meaning was that the Church of Almighty God compelled Zhang to come to South Korea. However, when Zhang heard of her accusation, he immediately had an interview with a journalist and flatly denied it. Besides, he made public the truth that his flight abroad to seek protection was due to the hunting and persecution by the CCP, and emphasized that he came abroad of his own accord and for the sake of his safety. Furthermore, “The Management Rules About the Church Life of the Church of Almighty God,” which was posted on the Internet by the Church more than a decade ago, clearly stipulates, “It should be based on the voluntary principle whether one dedicates his whole being to spending for God. For example, some devote themselves to evangelism, some to doing the church work; some offer their whole being and devote all their time to God, and some can only spend for God in their leisure time. All is chosen by man out of his free will; God’s house never forces man” (A Compilation of the Fellowship and Preaching About Church Work and the Church Work Arrangements Over the Years). The Church of Almighty God adopts a very clear attitude toward Christians’ choice of how they perform duty—respecting their will. The Church never interferes with any believer’s freedom of human rights in this thing. As a matter of fact, Zhang is persecuted for his belief, so he is to be protected by the refugee law no matter which country he flees to, and it is his right to flee for his survival, which is absolutely lawful and reasonable. Obviously, the statement “the Church of Almighty God coerces Zhang” doesn’t hold water. Tian’s accusation was nothing but groundless rumor and frame-up. More ridiculously, according to Zhang’s appeal to the South Korean police for protection, he was afraid his wife Tian would once again join hands with the CCP agent to force him back to China, and he didn’t want to return to China and suffer the CCP’s torture and affliction. People with discerning eyes will know at a glance who is the one that wants to coerce Zhang. The definition of “coerce” is like this: to force someone to do something by verbal threats or by violence. At this point, I can’t help but laugh: How could the CCP have the face to talk about “coerce” before international public opinion? Isn’t it shaming itself? Because “coerce” is what the CCP specializes in! For example, Peng Ming, the Chair of the Union Democratic Party who held the Green Card of USA, was coaxed by the CCP to Myanmar and then was abducted to China. Wang Bingzhang, a democracy leader, was caught by the CCP at the border of Vietnam. Dong Guangping and Jiang Yefei, the rights defense activists who fled to Thailand for asylum, were secretly seized back to China. Gui Minhai, a shareholder of Causeway Bay Books who is of Swedish nationality, was abducted from Thailand to China by the CCP agents…. After that, all of them were charged with fabricated crimes, tortured brutally, and sentenced harshly. When it comes to “force,” the CCP is an expert. In the whole province of Zhejiang, 1800 Christian churches all had their crosses taken away. If anyone spoke for the churches, he would be beaten up and arrested right away. Afterward, the CCP even forcibly hung Chinese national flag in each church. Isn’t this forcing? In Tibet, the CCP forbade the Tibetans to develop their own culture, restrained them from learning their own language, scattered the Tibetan monks, and tore down the Tibetan temples. In consequence, 144 people burnt themselves in protest against the CCP’s high-handed rule. In Xinjiang, the CCP forbade the Uyghur women to wear face veils and burkas, and forbade the men to wear beards, and didn’t allow them to observe religious festivals like Ramadan. As a result, riots occurred frequently in Xinjiang. Isn’t all this caused by the CCP’s forcing? Gao Yu, a journalist who was convicted for her writings; Wang Yu and Zhang Kai, two rights defense attorneys; Lin Rongji, the store manager of Causeway Bay Books—they were forced to “confess” their crime on TV, but later Zhang Kai and Lin Rongji made public statements saying the CCP forced them to say that with threat. Isn’t it a forcing? A violent regime that violates human rights and tramples on life actually talks about “coerce” and “force” before international public opinion? They are extremely shameful! “Coercing” and “forcing” is the CCP’s usual means toward the dissidents. Today, it even shifts the blame onto the Church of Almighty God. What a drama of a thief shouting “Stop thief” they perform in real life! This kind of thieves are worse than common thieves, because they not only are thieves but also fabricate rumors to frame up others.

Over Zhang’s forsaking his family, the CCP government sensationalized it and framed that the Church of Almighty God broke up families, which was illegal. This saying is simply inconceivable. Then, is forsaking family and work to follow God in line with the truth or not? Is it really illegal? Examples like this can date back to 2,000 years ago: Peter, the Lord Jesus’ disciple, abandoned fishing; Matthew quit his job as a tax collector; Luke stopped working as a doctor; the apostle Paul didn’t get married in his entire life. However, it is precisely because they left their families and forsook their careers that countless people turned to the Lord and were redeemed. They dedicated their lifetime to the Lord’s gospel work. Are their actions illegal? Besides that, James Hudson Taylor bore the pain to leave his parents; Herbert Dixon and his wife parted with their children with tears. They all devoted their life to the missionary work in China. Could it be said that it was the Lord Jesus who broke up their families? For 2,000 years, no one has ever dared to say that, for all Christians know their deeds stem from the Bible. The Lord Jesus explicitly taught people, “If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brothers, and sisters, yes, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple.” “… whoever he be of you that forsakes not all that he has, he cannot be my disciple” (Luke 14:26, 33). “And every one that has forsaken houses, or brothers, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name’s sake, shall receive an hundred times, and shall inherit everlasting life” (Matthew 19:29). These words are the Creator’s utterances and requirements of mankind, and also God’s will that mankind should carry out. For 2,000 years, the actions of these sages and men of virtue in ancient times has inspired countless Christians to forsake their families, property and work to wholly devote themselves to the Lord and even be martyred for the Lord’s work without hesitation. Just because of their regretless efforts, the Lord Jesus’ salvation has spread to every corner of the world. No one has ever condemned their good and righteous deeds, for what they did accords to the truth and the Bible. Their selflessness of sacrificing themselves to benefit others originates from the Lord Jesus Christ, and what their actions brings to people is benefits and edification. Today, Zhang leaves home to perform his duty as a creature of God. It is in accordance with the Bible and the Lord Jesus’ teachings, and is for the sake of more people to be saved by God. But on what basis does the CCP condemn that? How could the hypocritical theories of feudal ethics refute the truth God expresses?

Speaking of tearing families apart, we must mention the CCP. Since the CCP came to power in Mainland China, only in the years from 1949 to 1953, thousands of Christians were executed on the charge of “anti-revolution,” and tens of thousands were jailed. Consequently, tens of thousands of families lost their wives, husbands, and children. Wasn’t the CCP breaking up families by this? During the decade-long disaster of Cultural Revolution, churches in China suffered a devastating catastrophe: Pastors were criticized and denounced, believers confiscated, hundreds of thousands of Christians arrested, criticized and denounced, or executed. Wasn’t the CCP the destroyer of these families? As Three-anti and Five-anti Campaigns, the Elimination of Counterrevolutionaries Movement, and Cultural Revolution were carried out, people were enchanted by the CCP to expose, criticize and denounce, and fight with their friends, spouses, parents, or children. Affection among people disappeared; instead, hatred and disdain overflew. Domestic strife and opposition against each other occurred in numerous families. For example, Bo Xilai, former secretary of the Communist Party’s Chongqing branch, initiatively denounced his father Bo Yibo in order to sever links with him during the Cultural Revolution, and broke his three ribs with one kick…. Who caused these family breakups? The Tian’anmen Square Massacre in 1989 caused thousands of students to die under the CCP’s cleaver. Mothers of these victims voluntarily formed an organization called Tiananmen Mothers to denounce the CCP’s evil deeds. Who was the culprit that caused thousands of mothers to lose children at their middle age? The CCP has slaughtered countless people. Its deeds are not splitting families up but destroying families, completely an anti-human crime! Their savage acts bring mankind mutilation, killing, and extinction! So when a Christian, in order to safeguard his own rights—religious freedom, leaves the country and the family that persecute him, what is he guilty of? His action doesn’t bring any harm to anyone. How could it be listed among negative things? The CCP’s fallacies collapse by themselves before the facts.

When it comes to divorce caused by belief in God, we Christians take the words in the Bible as the code of our conduct, “But if the unbelieving depart, let him depart. A brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases: but God has called us to peace” (1 Corinthians 7:15). “Be you not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship has righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion has light with darkness?” (2 Corinthians 6:14) The principle for us Christians to treat marriage is in accordance with the Bible. If our spouse stands against our belief and proposes divorce, we’ll respect his or her choice, because “those who embrace different aspirations and walk different paths cannot work together,” which is a view of ancient people. But the biggest reason for many Christians’ divorce today is the persecution from the CCP. Since the CCP plotted and staged the 5.28 Shandong Zhaoyuan Murder, it has blatantly slandered and framed the Church of Almighty God and widely spread adverse publicity on various information platforms such as newspaper, television, website, and cellphone. It also takes the measure of rewarding to seduce the masses to report the Christians of the Church of Almighty God. Consequently, countless Christians are arrested and imprisoned. Some sisters were arrested, and their husbands felt extremely humiliated and couldn’t raise up their head among their colleagues, so they decided to divorce to prevent shame; some brothers lost their job after arrest, and even their children’s chances of receiving higher education and being employed were affected, and eventually, for the sake of the future of their children, their wives chose to divorce; as some family members of Christians believed the CCP’s rumors, they made trouble by crying, abusing and fighting every day, and in such an unbearable situation, the Christians had to divorce…. Because of the CCP’s devilish and deceptive rumors, many happy and harmonious families come to the end of their marriage. The culprit is nobody other than the CCP. Besides, the divorce rate remains high in China, and in some regions it is even up to 1:3. That is to say, in every three married couples, there is one couple who gets divorced. What causes so high a divorce rate in China? Is it caused by belief in God? Definitely not. Actually, this is the result of the CCP’s nationwide teaching of atheism. Fooled by the CCP, the Chinese people don’t know there is Heaven and deny the existence of God. They don’t have fear and reverence in their hearts, much less do they believe man’s sins will be judged and punished in future. That’s why they run rampage and do whatever they please. Under the leading of the CCP, the wicked and evil climate prevails, resulting in constant moral decline in society. The CCP officials are indulged in bribery, corruption, and limitless licentiousness, and having lovers outside marriage or keeping mistresses become a fashion among them; women seek after material desires, and are vain and snobbery, which becomes quite common. Due to the beguilement of the CCP, marriage unknowingly reduces to a tool of fortune and power. As it grows weak, there is nothing to maintain it. This is the miserable condition of mankind after they were corrupted by Satan. So, the CCP is truly the evil hands behind the frequent family breakups and divorces in China. This is a fact obvious to all.

The CCP has been in power for over sixty years in China. During this period, Chinese people have encountered several decades of bloody political campaigns. More horribly, the CCP uses countless heresies and fallacies to brainwash the public, so that in China, the “Divine Land,” lie grievances, the damage of resources, and the collapse of economy. The Chinese, dogged by misfortune and mishap, can’t tell true from false or distinguish the direction, but only submit in a cowardly manner, manipulated and used by it. Today, the CCP’s “brainwashing drama” is even staged overseas. The CCP attempts to make more people accept its fallacies, follow its footsteps, consider and act according to its thoughts. However, it forgets one thing: The majority of democratic and free countries overseas trust in God. They see things and make judgment based on the teachings of the Bible. Besides, more people act in accordance with the law, so they won’t become muddled by the CCP’s fallacies. That’s the reason why after carefully planning the press conference, religious conference speech, and the attack on the Internet and media, Wu finally employed five listless old women to hold signs, which was said to be participated by sixteen persons in her initial application. From this we see the Korean religious world does things sensibly, not subject to the CCP’s incitement and deception, and so do Koreans. They ignore those groundless words. Such strong awareness of laws cannot be seen in China. Thereby, the CCP’s “brainwashing drama” ended up with failure.

Man was created by God. Man’s life and living environment are all given by God. So it’s proper and right for man to believe in God, follow God, and spend for God. It’s man’s inherent right, bounden duty, and also the most righteous cause of mankind. It’s our great honor to leave the family, give up the career, and devote our youth to spending for God. It’s completely in line with the teachings of the Bible, with the truth, and moreover with God’s will.

Shen Si