Vox Hunt: Not Enough Coverage
Show us something you think isn't written about enough.
I remained silent;
I was not a communist.
Then they locked up the social democrats,
I remained silent;
I was not a social democrat.
Then they came for the trade unionists,
I did not speak out;
I was not a trade unionist.
Then they came for the Jews,
I remained silent;
I wasn't a Jew.
When they came for me,
there was no one left to speak out.
-Pastor Martin Niemöller
.
There are so many things in this world that no one speaks out about. There are so many things in this world that our governments and corporations turn a blind eye to because it will make them even richer if they keep silent. So many voices that should be united in demanding change yet instead are apathetic.
I want to highlight the issue of Christian Persecution, because there is almost a total media blackout on this problem. It's not prejudice, I'm talking about, it's organised state persecution. Take for example one of the west's new found financial markets friends, China. While the Chinese constitution guarantees freedom of religion, this is not the case in practice. The only churches that are legal and un-persecuted are those that are controlled by the state, so the state can restrict their teachings. To be an unregistered Christian is highly dangerous, they meet mainly in houses as if they do get their own buildings these are destroyed. When these churches are found they are split up, people are banned from meeting and sometimes sent for re-education in labour camps. But there is worse, the leaders are often beaten, tortured and imprisoned and there is particular danger for Sunday School teachers as it's illegal to teach Children about religion as the state curriculum states that there is no God and to believe in one is unpatriotic.
I doubt Christians are the only group treated like this, in fact, I know that they aren't, and I'm against state persecution like this against any group, but as this is my space, I wanted to highlight something that is of personal relevance to me. I just feel sad for the people who have no voice, the people who are attacked and persecuted and yet nobody knows, because it's not really news, it just happens.
