A few weeks ago THE SCRAPBOOK reported how, during the Nov. 10 edition of his Christian Broadcasting Network show the 700 Club, Pat Robertson played a particularly craven game of flatter-the-tyrant with his guest Li Zhaoxing, China's ambassador to the United States. Pretending to "question" Li about religious freedom, Robertson volunteered that Li Hongzhi, founder of the outlawed Falun Gong meditation sect, "was lying to the people." Then he asked whether Beijing's ban on Falun Gong might "ever be applied to Christianity or Buddhism or some other religion?" Oh, no, replied Li, "not at all. . . . This has got nothing to do with any religion because the Falun Gong is not a religion. It is nothing but a cult."
"All right," said Robertson, his face a wreath of satisfaction.
Yeah, well. Now comes word, from the respected Hong Kong-based Information Center of Human Rights and Democratic Movement in China, that -- shortly before Robertson's witless broadcast -- Beijing's ban on Falun Gong had already been applied to Chinese Christians. With a vengeance. On Oct. 30, China's Communist "legislature" tightened its prohibition against "cults" and "evil religions" and officially attached those designations to 10 so-called "home churches": independent rural Christian congregations, some loosely affiliated with evangelical Protestant movements overseas.
Barely a week after Li Zhaoxing's appearance on the 700 Club, China began vigorously enforcing this anti-Christian edict. At least 103 members of the newly-proscribed home churches were arrested in the crackdown's first four days. And lots more will surely follow. The total membership of all ten sects now on Beijing's list of "evil" Christian "cults" is three million.
You might call Pat Robertson and ask him to pray for these people. It's the least he can do.