Why Does the Chinese Communist Party Force Christians to Join the Three-Self Church?

   Hou Xiangke (Chief of the Public Security Bureau): Han Lu, you must know that the Communist Party is an atheist party and started out from revolution. The Communist Party is most inimical to God and God’s word. The truth that you accept and the path that you walk are hated the most by the Communist Party. You are an eyesore and a thorn in the side for the Communist Party. Therefore, the Communist Party will severely repress you, punish you, and ban you! In China, you must follow the leadership of the Communist Party when you believe in God, accept the Communist Party’s United Front, join the Three-Self Church, and take the path of love for country and religion. Aside from this, there is no way out! Have you seen through these matters?

  Han Lu (Christian): Chief Hou, you said the belief in God needs to be based on reality and in accordance with state system, is this a valid argument? When one has chosen the right path of life, he should adhere to it regardless of setbacks and failures. This is the only way to gain the truth and lead a meaningful life. As believers of God, the path we take is the right path of life, but you want us to accept the Communist Party’s United Front and join the Three-Self Church, where does this come from? You know that the Three-Self Church is entirely controlled by the Chinese Communist government, whose pastors are appointed by the government, the Church is not allowed to teach the pure truth of the Bible, the way of spiritual life, and the prophecy of Revelation. It is not allowed to talk about loving God and obeying God. It is only allowed to talk about loving the country and Church, making a fortune, glorifying God while benefiting people, and only allowed to talk about obeying those in power. How is this believing in God? Can the truth be received this way? Our belief in God is to pursue the truth, shed our corrupt disposition, and become a person with the truth and humanity who can receive God’s salvation and happy destination. If we go by the Communist Party’s requirements to follow the wrong path of the Three-Self’s love for country and Church, then we won’t be able to receive the truth and shed our corrupt disposition. How can we still receive the salvation of God then? Therefore, the Communist Party wants to control those who believe in God to make us believe in God fully according to the requirements of the Communist Party. This is unacceptable. This is interfering with religious freedom, a soft kill of souls.

  Han Lu: Wasn’t what I said the truth? The Communist Party is a satanic regime that is most inimical to the truth and resistant to God. The Communist Party condemned Christianity as a cult, the Bible and books of God’s word as cultist publications. Many gift Bibles from abroad were thrown into the sea. Countless Bibles in the hands of Christians were confiscated and destroyed. Do you admit that this is true? No one dares to deny this fact. You Communist Party officials even installed pastors in the religious community and intervened in church affairs. It is so unreasonable! Those who believe in God only want to pursue the truth, live out the likeness of a true man and lead a meaningful life. You wouldn’t even let them go. You make trouble for those who believe in God, make life difficult for the church, create rumors against the church, trump up charges against innocent believers of God and send them to prison, and stop at nothing in utterly destroying and banning the church. Don’t you think it’s void of human decency?

  Hou Xiangke: You think I want to persecute you who believe in God? It is the Communist Party’s policy. Secret documents from the Central Committee require all levels of government to do so. It is not in my hands! I know that you believers of God neither engage in politics nor commit crime. But the way you believe in God and unremittingly spread the word of Almighty God and bear witness for Almighty God creates too much impact in China. Your Church of Almighty God brought in a lot of people from various denominations with increasing number. So the Communist Party has to severely suppress and arrest you. You see, why doesn’t the Communist Party crack down on the Three-Self Church with such ferocity? It is because the Three-Self Church is obedient and listening to the government, unlike the high-profile way you spread the gospel and witness for God. So the Communist Party turns a blind eye on the Three-Self Church. You mean to tell me you haven’t sensed this? When the Communist Party wants to suppress and arrest you, will it lack pretexts and reasons? It needs to fabricate some facts and condemn you as a cult organization, so that the suppression against you can be justified. The Communist Party’s voice is louder than yours. Most people listen to the Communist Party. That is why you have to suffer these pains and grievances. The Communist Party trumps up some phony cases against you, uses its media mouthpiece to condemn you and even pays off some Western media outlets to attack the Church of Almighty God. All of these are facts. Your indignation and opposition are useless. The Communist Party must do so in order to achieve the purpose of banning the churches. Who told you to disobey the Communist Party!

from the movie script of Sweetness in Adversity