Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM)
"Three Self Patriotic Movement" is the name the Chinese government has given to the largest religious persecution in modern history. While the government of China claims Three Self Patriotic Movement to be its Christian church, here are some of its rules and practices:
• The Communist Party decides who can preach.
• The Communist Party decides what can be preached.
• Preaching should focus on the social rules and the social benefits of Christianity.
• Preaching outside government monitored Three Self Patriotic Movement church buildings is forbidden.
• Evangelizing is forbidden.
• Giving out tracts is forbidden.
• Importing bibles is forbidden.
• Printing bibles is forbidden.
• Giving bibles to children or teenagers is forbidden.
• Government officials cannot be Christian.
• Soldiers cannot be Christian.
• Police officers cannot be Christian.
• Teachers cannot be Christian.
• Children or teenagers cannot be Christian.
The list goes on but in short, the Three Self Patriotic Movement is the atheist government of China's attempt to bring Christianity under Communist Party control. The 100 million Chinese Christians in underground house churches see through this ploy and give the Three Self Patriotic Movement a wide berth. If discovered by the Chinese government, these Christians are ordered to join the Three Self Patriotic Movement. Those who refuse are fined, beaten, jailed, tortured or sent off to labor camps.
To prevent the truth from being revealed during the Olympics, the Chinese government recently launched a nationwide crackdown under the internal code name, "Typhoon No. 5" to lock up suspected leaders of underground house churches, intimidate their suspected members, and expel foreigners suspected of helping them. The first batch of 100 such foreigners already have been expelled, comprising the largest such expulsion since 1954.
Our request to China is to eliminate all of the above and other rules and practices that violate Article 35 of your Constitution.
Relevant Links:
http://chinaaid.org/2005/03/02/american-church-leaders-deported-beijing-house-church-pastor-tortured-in-prison/
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/3993857.stm
http://chinaaid.org/2007/04/12/jiang-zongxiu-cover-up-for-murder/
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=56660
http://news.sky.com/skynews/article/0,,30200-13547575,00.html
http://chinaaid.org/2007/04/12/xu-shuangfu-precious-is-the-death-of-his-saints/
http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=54368
http://www.christianpost.com/article/20051109/15928_Three_Chinese_Christians_Jailed_for_Printing_Bibles.htm
http://www.cswusa.com/Countries/China-officialtripreportDec00.htm
http://www.epm.org/articles/Chinesetorture.htm
http://www.billionbibles.org/Shortage.htm
http://www.cbn.com/CBNNews/CWN/021304chinachurch.aspx