2001 – Resolution on Religious Persecution

Whereas Bible believers around the world face increasingly severe persecution in many countries around the world which are often state sponsored, including Sudan, Indonesia, India, Vietnam, North Korea and Cuba, and

Whereas the atheistic, communist government of the Peoples Republic of China acknowledges only five official religions (Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Patriotic Catholic Church, and Three-Self Patriotic Protestant Church), all of which are under government control in both their leadership and theology, having a known membership of about 100 million out of a population of over 1.2 billion, and

Whereas China is actively persecuting all unregistered religious groups as cults, including many true believers in the underground churches which some have estimated include at least 45 million members, and

Whereas our government has often chosen, at best, a passive position towards these abuses, granting Most Favored Nation trading status to some of the worst offenders such as China despite their human rights abuses in many areas

Be it resolved that we, the members attending the annual conference of the Independent Baptist Fellowship of North America, June 19-21, 2001, in Williamsburg, VA, do hereby decry the abuse of God’s people for practicing their God-given right of religious liberty, and

Be it further resolved that we call upon our government officials and representatives to wield the weight and influence of the US government for good by making human rights and religious freedom a priority on their agendas when dealing with these countries and refuse trading status to such nations, and Be it finally resolved that we call upon all our brethren to remember them that are in bonds (Heb. 13:3) by our intercessory prayers to God on their behalf and by our petitions to our government officials who may be in a position to affect national policy.