'Maintain Social Order'
In a move that sets a dangerous precedent in an already muddled area, U.S. immigration officials revoked the asylum of a Chinese Christian who had been imprisoned for organizing underground church meetings. The INS decision was upheld last month by an Appeals court panel. Here’s an in-depth story from Christianity Today.
Ann Buwalda, founder and executive director of human-rights group Jubilee Campaign USA, said that the ruling “Essentially...removed religion as a basis of gaining asylum.” The U.S. government’s contention was that when China imprisoned Xiaodong Li “for engaging in illicit religious activities, China was simply motivated by a desire to maintain social order, not persecute based on his religious beliefs.”
The idea of maintaining social order by sharply restricting and heavily regulating religious worship and activity strikes me as a throughly Hobbesian notion (see post below).
HT: Persecution Blog
Ann Buwalda, founder and executive director of human-rights group Jubilee Campaign USA, said that the ruling “Essentially...removed religion as a basis of gaining asylum.” The U.S. government’s contention was that when China imprisoned Xiaodong Li “for engaging in illicit religious activities, China was simply motivated by a desire to maintain social order, not persecute based on his religious beliefs.”
The idea of maintaining social order by sharply restricting and heavily regulating religious worship and activity strikes me as a throughly Hobbesian notion (see post below).
HT: Persecution Blog
Comments
#1 2008-09-14 10:03 (Reply)
I don’t think that it is right to take away religion. There are so many people in this country that depend on religion, so taking it away would be like talking away their food, water, homes, and kids. I think the government should be focused on things more important, like the people who STILL DON’T HAVE HOMES!!!! from katrina and ike and other hurricanes that have hit that area in the past 7-10 years. Or, the schools that don’t have the money for all the supplies they need to give the kids their proper education.
#2 2008-09-16 16:53 (Reply)
I’m surprised that this happened under the Bush Whitehouse.
If Christians don’t have a friend in the Whitehouse under this president, I don’t see them having one under the next one.
#2.1 2008-09-17 00:27 (Reply)
And we have San Francisco providing “Asylum” to repeated violent illegal aliens only to find them murdering American citizens. Asylum was created for people such as this, not the scum who are still now being protected across America in so-called sanctuary cities.