Some members of Early Rain Covenant Church (ERCC) in Chengdu, China, have faced persecution in the country due to their decision to practice their Christian faith. Recently, their landlords, who seem to be pressured by the communist government, threatened the church members with eviction from their homes.
One of the church members, Shu Qiong and her husband were among those threatened with eviction, according to International Christian Concern, a United States-based persecution watchdog.
Shu told her landlord that she was aware that he was under pressure from the government to evict her after he offered to refund her rent and breach penalty.
Shu was quoted as saying to her landlord, “I only ask God to remember your grievances. I can understand the pressure you are under but I am a Christian. Although I am poor, so poor that I need to rent a house and be driven around, I still know that it is not pleasing to God to covet unjust money in this way.”
Shu and husband were reluctant to leave their house since their rent hasn’t expired yet; neither have they breached the law binding their rent. Hence, they don’t mind facing any legal objection to their decision.
This would not be the first time that China would be disregarding religious freedom. While speaking on the issue, ICC’s regional manager for Southeast Asia, Gina Goh said, “China’s ongoing crackdown against ERCC is the prime example of how Beijing continues to disregard religious freedom for its people even if the Constitution guarantees this right.”
“Since the incarceration of ERCC Pastor Wang Yi and elder Qing Derfu in 2018, the government has not ceased its harassment and persecution of the house church. The government’s goal is to see all house churches go extinct so they can fully control Christianity in China.”
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