The evangelical China story, with its usual focus on religious persecution, highlights the political and social challenges facing China’s Christians. But in bringing the plight of Chinese believers into the global Christian discourse, this narrative also raises the question: what are evangelicals willing to do about it?
In his book Ending Persecution (review forthcoming), diplomat and scholar Knox Thames, himself an evangelical Christian, makes the case that religious freedom is a “bundled right,” the enjoyment of which is contingent upon other supporting rights (e.g., freedoms of association, speech, property rights, etc.).1 Hence, there is a need to go beyond the traditional responses of awareness, advocacy, or diplomatic pressure in dealing with religious persecution and to adopt a multifaceted approach. Thames buttresses his case with examples of how US government policies promoting education, refugee resettlement, conflict resolution, security, cultural preservation, anti-extremism, and other aims ultimately resulted in religious minorities enjoying greater freedom to practice their faith unhindered.
Freedom for All
Along with this holistic response, Thames also strongly argues for religious freedom for all. Christians are understandably concerned about fellow believers who are suffering for their faith. Yet advocating for the rights of one religious group alone risks inciting the wrath of oppressive governments that view such support as a cynical ploy to subvert the regime. It can also spark resentment among those of other faiths, fueling a zero-sum game that pits religious communities against one another. Only by seeking to create a level playing field can religious freedom advocates nurture an environment of tolerance in which all believers, along with those who have no religious beliefs, can thrive.
Having served under several administrations prior to his retirement from the State Department in 2020, Thames is hopeful that the current president will give the same attention to the issue as he did during his first term, which many evangelicals saw as a high point in the promotion of religious freedom abroad.
The strong turnout at this year’s International Religious Freedom Summit in Washington, DC, an annual event that Thames was instrumental in launching during his years in government, was a hopeful sign. More than 1,800 advocates for religious freedom from around the world convened on the nation’s capital in early February for what Co-Chair Katrina Lantos Swett called the most successful summit to date.
Great Promise and Peril
Events in Washington surrounding the summit, however, conveyed mixed messages. Rather than paving the way for a robust response to religious freedom violations abroad, the administration seemed to be dismantling the very institutions necessary to convey meaningful concern for those who suffer and to address the underlying issues contributing to their plight.
The abrupt closure of the US Agency for International Development (USAID), for example, not only impacts Christian organizations such as World Relief that provide life-giving support to persecuted believers in war-torn areas abroad, but it also hamstrings their decades-long mission of partnering with local churches and governments to resettle religious refugees who have been promised sanctuary in the US. Research and advocacy organizations that have kept the world informed of rights violations in China and other countries are now laying off staff, resulting in decreased visibility into the lives of those who suffer for their faith.
Katrina Lantos Swett remarked that the summit “met at a moment of great promise and peril.” While lauding the unprecedented number of countries represented and their myriad initiatives to advance freedom of religion or belief globally, she also questioned recent measures at home that undercut the efforts of those on the frontlines of battling religious persecution.
Whether it is nuns providing vaccines to children in Africa or brave reporting [on persecuted religious minorities] these are quiet heroes, doing God’s work under difficult and dangerous conditions. Many of them will not be able to continue this work if the lifeline of government support is suspended for three months.
Beyond Rhetoric
Denis Petri, who directs the International Institute for Religious Freedom, echoes Thames’ thoughts on what constitutes effective religious freedom policy.
To make our advocacy more effective, religious freedom needs to be a cross-cutting theme, not just a box to check off…. Religious freedom concerns should be incorporated in international development aid. When the humanitarian work of religious organizations is hindered, that’s just as much a religious freedom violation as when people don’t have access to a Bible or seminary.
Petri also warns against the “instrumentalization” of religious freedom for political purposes, advocating for the rights of those we agree with while scorning those with opposing views, or using a religious freedom platform to further a particular social agenda. In the minds of many American Christians, religious liberty is synonymous with protecting their own individual rights and way of life, which are perceived as being under attack. Yet the path to global religious freedom (to borrow Thames’ subtitle) is not in following leaders who boast of their power to protect Christians’ interests but are willing to exploit religious animosities for political gain.
Evangelicals who profess genuine concern for the plight of persecuted Christians, whether in China or elsewhere, need to go beyond speaking up for those who suffer and speaking out against their oppressors. The hard work of standing with the persecuted church requires thoughtful, nuanced approaches and costly investments in the long-term solutions that alleviate suffering today and promote positive change tomorrow. It requires going beyond one’s own tribe and demonstrating a love for one’s neighbor that transcends political and religious boundaries. Today, in the face of drastically reduced support for so many who have been on the frontlines of this difficult work, it means stepping up and answering the question: what are we willing to do now?
Endnotes
Image credit: Shazaf Zafar via Unsplash
Brent Fulton
Brent Fulton is the founder of ChinaSource. Dr. Fulton served as the first president of ChinaSource until 2019. Prior to his service with ChinaSource, he served from 1995 to 2000 as the managing director of the Institute for Chinese Studies at Wheaton College. From 1987 to 1995 he served as founding …View Full Bio
Are you enjoying a cup of good coffee or fragrant tea while reading the latest ChinaSource post? Consider donating the cost of that “cuppa” to support our content so we can continue to serve you with the latest on Christianity in China.