wfn.org | Activist speaks out on proposed legislation

["Barb Powell"<powellb@ucc.org>]

Sept. 15, 1997
United Church of Christ                   
In Cleveland, contact:                    
Hans Holznagel, (216) 736-2214                  
E-mail:  holznagh@ucc.org
In Washington, D.C., contact:
The Rev. Jay Lintner,
(202) 543-1517
E-mail:  lintnerj@ucc.org
On the World Wide Web:
http://www.ucc.org

Proposed bill errs in singling out
persecution of Christians, church activist says

      WASHINGTON, D.C. -- A bill currently making its
way through Congress could do more harm than good by
singling out the persecution of Christians, imposing
oversimplified sanctions and giving the White House
the primary job of opposing religious persecution.
      That's the position of the Office for Church in
Society, a national agency of the United Church of
Christ, which has joined the National Council of
Churches in opposing the current draft of a bill
sponsored by Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., and Sen. Arlen
Specter, R-Pa.  The bill (H.R. 1685 and S. 772) is
before the human-rights subcommittee of the House
Committee on International Relations.
      "The bill in several places singles out
Christian persecution, and lists examples," says the
Rev. Jay Lintner, director of the UCC agency's Capitol
Hill office.  "We prefer to keep our opposition to
religious persecution in an interfaith context.  While
we are certainly outraged by and opposed to Christian
persecution, and think we should work hard to end it,
we oppose all religious persecution."
      The bill's proposed sanctions against offending
countries are too simple and automatic, Lintner says. 
Political climates differ widely from country to
country, and sanctions in some cases could hurt the
wrong people.  "Americans would do better to
customize strategies for ending persecution, with deep
sensitivity to what would actually help or harm
persecuted peoples," Lintner says.
      Further, by particularly citing persecution of
Christians in China, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos and
Cuba, the Wolf-Specter bill tends to "continue a hard-
line Cold War sanctions strategy," Lintner says, and
even to "extend the Cold War to many Islamic
countries" by naming persecution by Muslims.
      A White House office on religious persecution,
which the bill calls for, could undermine the
monitoring and reporting on religious persecution
already being done at the State Department, Lintner
says.
      The Rev. Oliver Thomas, special counsel to the
National Council of Churches, also argues in a Sept. 8
memo to the House committee that the U.S. government's
work against religious persecution should be
"insulated from partisan political pressure" and
therefore not in the White House.  "We believe that
the persons best able and most qualified to monitor
and report on religious persecution are at the State
Department," Thomas says.
      The bill's approach to sanctions also draws
objections from some officials who work in overseas
ministries for North American religious organizations.
      "One cannot deny that religious persecution
takes place in the Peoples' Republic of China," says a
world ministries official who asked not to be
identified, citing the need to protect Christians
overseas and preserve dialogues with them. 
"Christians, like Buddhists from Tibet, Muslims in
Xinjiang, Taoists and people of other faiths, do
suffer persecution.
      "But this is a very complicated issue with deep
historical roots.  Chinese rulers from the time of the
early emperors have viewed most social activities as
being subservient to the will of the State, or at
present, the Ruling Party.  Now, compared to the past,
religious activity has become much more accepted and
out in the open.  Both the official church and the
underground church have experienced tremendous growth. 
We continue to maintain a dialogue with Christians in
China as part of our commitment to global ecumenism
and the unity of the church."  Attempts to combat
religious persecution should be carefully tailored to
the Chinese situation, the official said.
      Others cite similar long histories and complex
political landscapes in Middle Eastern countries and
the value of working with church partners in that
region.
      Despite its serious flaws, those opposed to the
Wolf-Specter bill say it does touch on a severe world
problem.
      "For 2,000 years, Christians have faced
discrimination and persecution in various countries
around the world," says the UCC's Lintner.  "Horrible
stories emerge every year.  Christian persecution is a
terrible thing, and we are glad that Representative
Wolf, Senator Specter, and many in the evangelical
Christian community are pressing this issue.
      "However, our partner churches around the world
feel strongly that such a blunt instrument as the
Wolf-Specter bill would actually do more harm than
good in many settings, increasing persecution and
undercutting the role of Christianity in those
societies.  Whatever we do, we will do with a deep
sense of solidarity and communication and partnership
with the Christians actually being persecuted."
      The United Church of Christ, with national
offices in Cleveland, has some 1.5 million members and
6,100 congregations in the United States and Puerto
Rico.  Its Office for Church in Society and other
national agencies carry out policies of the UCC's
General Synod, which speaks to, but not for, the
denomination's members and local churches.  The UCC is
a member of the National Council of Churches.
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