Persecution

Two communist nations, two headlines about detaining Christian worshipers. Currently in North Korea an American was detained for getting caught being a missionary. North Korea currently does not allow any form of religion within its borders. Because of this, the man obtained for engaging in missionary activities has been charged with a 'crime against the nation.' Because the United States does not have a diplomatic team in North Korea currently, the diplomatic staff of Sweden had been charged with being in contact with the detained man. Ironically, the US is asking for the release of the man based on humanitarian grounds. This plea is laughable when looking at current US/North Korea relations, not to mention the vast humanitarian atrocities being committed by the North Korean government. On that note, China is also cracking down on the Church in a much more serious and determined way than before. Traditionally, Christian Churches are allowed to congregate within China as long as they are approved by the state and stay under a certain number of members. Because of this the number of illegal house churches has skyrocketed in the recent past. Because of the exploding numbers of worshipers, estimated to be around 60 million, the State has taken action to stop the spread. Most recently an entire congregation was arrested for praying outdoors--a move that in the past would have been a sure death sentence. This is a sign of not only the emboldened spirits of the Church within China, but also a sign of the eagerness of the people of China for change. It is clear they desire more than their current 'freedoms' allow. I, for one would not be surprised if stories such as this continue to emerge onto the international stage.

megan smith