（泰国-2022年10月25日）   

 

深圳改革宗聖道教會聲明：我們是為了信仰

我們是中國深圳的一群基督徒，被至高的上帝揀選，成為祂卑微的僕人和榮耀的見證人。

從2017年9月國務院頒佈新的《宗教事務管理條例》以來，到2018年2月該條例執行以後，中國各地的基督教會，在公共敬拜和信仰實踐上受到了來自政府部門的程度不一的逼迫、藐視和誤解，甚至包括各種企圖改造和扭曲基督教信仰的行政措施。其中一些粗暴的舉動，是文革結束以來前所未有的。如拆毀教會建築的十字架，粗暴干涉基督徒家庭懸掛、張貼的十字架和春聯等信仰表達，強迫和威脅教會加入官方控制的宗教組織，強迫教會懸掛國旗或歌頌世俗國家、政黨，禁止基督徒的未成年子女進入教會和接受信仰教育，剝奪和取締教會和信徒的自由聚會等。
我們認為這些訴諸公權力的不義之舉，使中國社會面臨嚴重的政教衝突。這些行為違背了人類的信仰和良心自由、也有悖於普遍的法治原則。

為著上帝的榮耀、聖潔和公義，也為著我們的信仰和良心的緣故：我們於2019年10月離開深圳到韓國濟州申請宗教難民庇護；于2022年8月離開韓國濟州到泰國向聯合國難民署曼谷辦公室申請宗教難民庇護。從我們離開中國後，中國政府的逼害威脅不斷，而到泰國後更甚。我們的案件均有律師代理，我們的行為受聯合國難民公約的保護。

我們相信上帝會救我們脫離中國政府的逼害；即或不然，我們也絕不背叛我們的信仰。倘若我們在逼害中失去自由，我們的言行有違案件陳述，皆非自願，定為逼害所致。我們堅信自己的生命是屬於主耶穌基督的，無論在何種情形下，我們不會選擇自殺。

當我們信仰上帝之後，基督徒是我們的第一身份；在所有的自由中，宗教信仰自由是第一自由。

上帝命令說：“容我的百姓去，好侍奉我。”（出埃及記5：1）

三千四百年前，以色列人出了埃及。

四百年前，清教徒們乘“五月花”號到了北美麻塞諸塞。

一百多年來，上帝在中國教會興起許多僕人，為了信仰作榮美的見證：宋尚節、王明道、趙君影、王志明、趙中輝、王怡……….

我們如此卑微、軟弱、不配，得蒙上帝恩寵引導以追隨先輩的腳蹤行。

我們承認自己在世上是客旅，是寄居的。

我們羡慕一個更美的家鄉，就是在天上的。

奉耶穌基督聖名，阿們！

                         深圳改革宗聖道教會長老會

                          主後：2022年10月24日

附英文版：

The Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church declares: We are for the faith!

 

We are a group of Christians originally from Shenzhen, China, chosen by the Highest God to be His humble servants and glorious witnesses.

Since the PRC State Council promulgated the new Religious Affairs Regulation in September 2017, and since its implementation in February 2018, Christian churches across China have been subjected to varying degrees of persecution, defiance, and misunderstanding in their public worship and faith practices from government departments, even including various administrative measures that have attempted to transform and distort the Christian faith. Some of these brutal actions were unprecedented since the end of the Cultural Revolution. Such actions include but are not limited to the tearing down of crosses from church buildings, violently interfering with expressions of faith such as crosses and spring scrolls hung and posted in Christian homes, forcing and threatening churches to join officially-controlled religious organizations, forcing churches to fly national flags or sing praises of secular states and political parties, forbidding the minor children of Christians from entering churches and receiving education about their faith, and depriving and outlawing churches and believers from meeting freely.

We believe that these unjust actions, which we have appealed to cease before the relevant public authorities, have brought Chinese society into serious conflict between church and state. These actions are contrary to human freedom of faith and conscience, and to the universal principle of the rule of law.

For the sake of God's glory, holiness, and justice, and for the sake of our faith and conscience, we left Shenzhen in October 2019 to apply for religious refugee status in Jeju, Korea, and in August 2022 to apply for religious refugee status in Thailand with the Bangkok office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. The threat of persecution by the Chinese government has been constant since we left China, and even more so since we arrived in Thailand. We are represented by lawyers and our actions are protected by the UN Refugee Convention.

We believe that God will deliver us from the PRC government's persecution.  But even if the persecution continues or intensifies we will never betray our faith. If we lose our freedom during the persecution, our words and actions are not in accordance with the case statement and are not voluntary but must be the result of persecution. We passionately believe that our lives belong to the Lord Jesus Christ, and we will not choose to commit suicide, no matter what the circumstances.

When we believe in God, Christianity is our first identity; and of all freedoms, freedom of religion is the first.

God commands, "Let my people go, that they may serve me." (Exodus 5:1)

Three thousand four hundred years ago, the Israelites came out of Egypt.

Four hundred years ago, the Puritans came to Massachusetts on the Mayflower.

For over one hundred years, God has raised up many servants in the Chinese Church to be witnesses to the glory of the faith: Song Shangjie, Wang Mingdao, Zhao Junying, Wang Zhiming, Zhao Zhonghui, Wang Yi ..........

We are so humble, weak, and unworthy that God has graciously guided us to follow in the footsteps of our ancestors.

We confess that we are sojourners in this present world, pilgrims for faith and for Christ’s sake.

We are looking to a more beautiful home, which is in heaven.

In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!

 Shenzhen Holy Reformed Church

After the Lord's Day: October 24, 2022

（对华援助协会）