President Bush Challenges China on Persecution
- Aug 7, 2008
WASHINGTON, DC – Pastor Rick Scarborough, founder and president of Vision America, is commending President Bush for directly challenging Chinese President Hu Jintao and the Chinese government on their severe persecution of Chinese Christians.
“Now he needs to address the current imprisonment of three U.S. citizens who shared their faith in Tiananmen Square in the past few days,” Pastor Scarborough said.
“China has always attacked Christians in their country,” Pastor Scarborough said. “They raid house churches, jail the leaders and threaten and intimidate the church members. And now they have done the same to American Christians who were visiting China.”
“President Bush will be sitting across the table from President Hu and will have a perfect opportunity to even more directly condemn China’s human rights and religious freedom record and demand the release of these Americans who are imprisoned for their faith,” he said. “President Bush has claimed to be a Christian for many years and has been an outspoken critic of Chinese persecution. The real test of a man’s faith is will he stand up for that faith when staring into the eyes of those who persecute and kill Christians.”
One of those arrested is Reverend Pat Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition.
“Rev. Mahoney is a long-time friend and a man of God whom I deeply respect,” Pastor Scarborough said. “President Bush has the power and the influence to secure his freedom—but will he?”
There has been a dramatic rise in Christian persecution leading up to the Olympics, with some reports claiming the government was working to eradicate the house churches before the start of the Olympics. Christians in Beijing were also forced to sign a covenant promising not to meet from July 30-September 30—in other words, during the Olympic Games.
“The Olympic Games is supposed to be a time of brotherhood and peace as the world comes together to compete and celebrate, and our nation's leaders, including both presidential candidates, should speak out clearly when Chinese officials do anything that fails to promote those ideals.”
Pastor Scarborough is currently working across the U.S. organizing pastors and registering Christians to vote. He has been interviewed by Fox News, CBS Evening News, ABC, CNN, MSNBC, NPR, and numerous radio and newspaper outlets nationwide and internationally. He has also been profiled on CNN and HBO.
He is available for interviews via phone or satellite. He is based near Houston, Texas.
To book Pastor Scarborough for an interview, contact Catherine Rouse at 936-560-3900.
For more information on Vision America visit www.visionamerica.us.
