Posted on 12/02/2005 6:48:46 AM PST by Esther Ruth
Evangelist Luis Palau Regrets Remarks on Religious Freedom in China Patrick Goodenough, CNSNews
An American evangelist has apologized for saying during a recent visit to China that the religious freedom situation there was better than expected, and for saying that "underground" Christians should register with church associations set up by the communist government. Luis Palau, an Oregon-based evangelist, paid a week-long visit to China earlier this month, his fifth to the country. His trip coincided with a visit by President Bush, and Palau was invited to attend a church service in Beijing with the president and First Lady. In an interview with the official China Daily, recorded the day before the church service but published subsequently, Palau said there was more religious freedom in China than people abroad imagined. He also called for unofficial churches in China to register with the government bodies. In response to Palau, a U.S. spokeswoman for the South China Church said in a statement that 16 of the denomination's leaders were currently in prison in China, and more than 1,000 of its pastors, evangelists and believers had been jailed since 2001. Palau said he regretted some of his comments. "It's not my role as an evangelist to suggest that churches in China should register," he said. "My role is to proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ."
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Sure. Sign up for the state-approved and state-monitored list of churches. You'll be able to freely worship at will. Suuuuure you will.
I can't believe this character has the unmitigated gall to call himself a Christian, let alone a pastor.
This really makes me mad. I have listened to this man and read his articles and he is a fine christian, but the minute he has a chance to explain to the president about what the real persecution is in China he screws it all up!!!! Did he tell the president that China isn't all that bad? Obviously Mr Palau did not make his mind ready for spiritual deception and now he has possibly brought the president in on it. This is really disappointing and discouraging.
Wrong.
Just saying wrong doesn't show anything. Please back up your, uhh, statement.
Anyone who supports the persecution of other Christians in order to curry favor with a despot in the hopes of expanding his own ministry has turned against the Church.
He is what the apostle Paul referred to in 2 Timothy 3: 12-13 as a seducer, a person who has attempted to lead Christians out of their obedience.
While it is possible that he may be severely developmentally disabled and therefore unaware of or unable to comprehend the extremely well-documented persecution of Christians by the Chinese government, I think that he is actually in full possession of his faculties.
Therefore, he did not act out of ignorance of stupidity and is completely culpable for his vile actions.
what do you know about his preaching? is it biblical??
No serious American Christian, let alone a self-proclaimed pastor and evangelist, is ignorant of the situation over there.
Palau's pleading ignorance in this case is really an insult to our intelligence.
http://www.rapidnet.com/~jbeard/bdm/exposes/palau/general.htm
The linked assessment may or may not be unduly harsh.
And as a Roman Catholic myself, you probably wouldn't trust my personal assessment of what is or is not biblical - even though I search the Scriptures every day.
My criticism is that one simply cannot tell Christians to submit themselves to the Chinese government instead of to Christ and to the pastors that Christ has given them.
He has not done anything that you claim he has, and he regrets his remarks. What part of what he said do you not understand. You have got to be totally NOT in control of YOUR faculties to think he actually supports christian persecution. You have no idea who Mr Palau is and you are making statements that prove it.
" I just cannot believe (again) that anyone could truly be ignorant of the situation over there."
It is amazing what Satan can do to somebody in an uncompromising position, and when you enter such a godless country as China, you are in that position. I would consider this to be both deception and attack, and its doubly bad because he has influenced the president in some way.
ha ha thanks for that disclaimer... ;)
I will go research him for myself. I agree...we should not put anything between ourselves and Jesus. Submit to an earthly authority but there is only one God.
The chinese have much to account for with their religious persecution.
There is only one thing I claim that he has done, and the article above describes it.
Take issue with the author of the article - but Palau apparently isn't denying that he gave the vile advice he gave.
and he regrets his remarks
He says he regrets some of his remarks.
What part of what he said do you not understand.
You are the one who is apparently unable to grasp the import of his comments.
He said that Christians should register with the fake "official" churches of China, and then he Clintonesquely said "it's not my role" to suggest that.
Either it is right or it is not right for a Christian to apostatize in favor of the Chinese government policy. His final response indicates that while he used to advocate apostasy, he is now expressing no opinion either way because it is not "his role."
That's indefensible.
You have got to be totally NOT in control of YOUR faculties to think he actually supports christian persecution.
He advocated that Christians apostatize from their faith and join the official Chinese-run churches that actively persecute real Christians. These official state churches infiltrate real congregations and spy on real Christians for the government.
At first he said that Christians should join these persecutors and now he is saying that it's not his role to advise people to persecute Christians or not persecute Christians. He's just washing his hands and walking away.
You have no idea who Mr Palau is and you are making statements that prove it.
Palau is an elderly gentleman from Argentina who is affiliated with the Multnomah school of evangelism. He is a world traveler who preaches everywhere in a Billy Grahamish mold.
Am I missing any salient points?
Just because you have formed a personal attachment to the guy for whatever reason does not put his egregious actions above criticism.
That's an amazing statement. I'm not sure what school of Christianity you identify with but the Southern Baptist, Catholic, conservative Lutheran, Assemblies of God and large nondenominationals have been all over the situation in China for decades, informing their congregations about the persecutions over there and the struggles Christians are going through in China.
There have been thousands of stories in the Christian media about the situation for years and hundreds of stories even in the MSM, including the Washington Post, NY Times, Wall Street journal, CNN, FNC and others.
He made a mistake, and he owned up to it as soon as he realized the true situation.
You mischaracterize the situation.
he started by advocating that Christians apostatize.
When actual Christians raised a hue and cry about this vile advice, he responded by saying "Um, I have no opinion any more. Not my role. Do what you want."
A true Christian would express solidarity with millions of Chinese Christians being persecuted by the Chinese government - he wouldn't just slink off and say "forget the whole thing."
Man, us Christians sure do know all about mercy and grace, huh?
If he had said: "I was wrong. The Chinese government should immediately stop persecuting Christians and allow all Chinese Christians to worship freely without government interference" you would have a point.
But someone who, in effect, says that it doesn't matter to him one way or another if the Chinese government persecutes Christians - well grace may be free, but it is not cheap.
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