{"id":43559,"date":"2022-08-23T14:00:13","date_gmt":"2022-08-23T05:00:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=43559"},"modified":"2022-08-23T15:12:21","modified_gmt":"2022-08-23T06:12:21","slug":"vomk-report-217","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2022\/08\/23\/vomk-report-217\/","title":{"rendered":"HONG KONG: CHRISTIAN COLLEGE REQUIRES MINISTRY STUDENTS TO PASS GOVERNMENT SECURITY EXAM"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”43552″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Beginning with the 2022 school year that opens next month, students at Hong Kong\u2019s Gratia Christian College, including those enrolled in the school\u2019s Christian Ministry diploma program, will be required to complete four national security education courses by video and pass the national security course test. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:1.2em|text_align:left” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:700%20bold%20regular%3A700%3Anormal” el_class=”headline”][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

“The book of Romans in the New Testament says that those with authority above are used by God, and we should generally listen to all the arrangements of the government above, otherwise the world will be in chaos,\u201d Dr. Chui Hong-<\/span>sheung<\/span>, the president of the college, told the Christian Times of Hong Kong in a <\/span><\/span>July 7 interview<\/span><\/span><\/a>. \u201cWhether in Hong Kong, the United States or Australia, there are local governments, and from the perspective of the Bible, God allows them to be in power. As citizens, you should act in accordance with the laws of the government. This is a very basic biblical truth.”<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]But Voice of the Martyrs Korea CEO, the Rev. Dr<\/span>.<\/span> Eric Foley, describes the new curriculum a<\/span>nd the comments of Gratia\u2019s president a<\/span>s \u201cdistressing\u201d<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>As Christians, we are never permitted simply to \u2018render unto Caesar\u2019 whatever Caesar asks for,\u201d says Pastor Foley. \u201c<\/span>Nowhere in Scripture\u2014whether in Romans 13 or anywhere else\u2014<\/span>are Christians commanded to \u2018listen to all the arrangements of the government\u2019<\/span>. <\/span>Nowhere <\/span>in Scripture are <\/span>Christians taught that failure to listen to the government will result in the world descending into chaos<\/span>. Nowhere does Scripture teach <\/span>obedience to the government <\/span>as<\/span> \u2018very basic biblical truth\u2019<\/span>.<\/span> Instead, Scripture <\/span>teaches that we are to give<\/span> absolute obedience to God <\/span>alone<\/span> and <\/span>conditional obedience to governments in <\/span>civil matters<\/span>.<\/span> To give Caesar more than that is to commit the gravest sin of idolatry.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The <\/span>National Security Law <\/span>was instituted in Hong Kong in <\/span>June 2020<\/span>. It requires universities and schools to teach \u201c<\/span>National Security Education<\/span>\u201d to their students<\/span>.<\/span> But Pastor Foley says<\/span> he believes that <\/span>Gratia College<\/span>\u2019s national security courses are part of a larger <\/span>effort in<\/span> which <\/span>Gratia <\/span>is being <\/span>raised<\/span> up as a model <\/span>of government cooperation <\/span>for <\/span>other Hong Kong schools to imitate<\/span>, especially Christian schools<\/span>.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>I believe that w<\/span>hat we see in Gratia is Beijing\u2019s vision for the future of Christianity in Hong Kong, and that vision ought to concern us deeply,\u201d says Pastor Foley. \u201c<\/span>Dr. Edmund Ng, <\/span>the <\/span>head of <\/span>Gratia\u2019s <\/span>School of Christian Ministry<\/span>, <\/span><\/span>spoke by video to the <\/span>United Nations Human Rights Council on June 24<\/span><\/span><\/a> and said that <\/span>the <\/span>National Security Law <\/span>has<\/span>,<\/span> in his words<\/span>,<\/span> \u2018more fully guaranteed\u2019 <\/span>the freedom<\/span>s<\/span> of speech and religion<\/span> in Hong Kong.<\/span> In 2019, Gratia began offering what they call <\/span><\/span>\u2018the first government-recognized Higher Diploma in Christian Ministry in Hong Kong<\/span>\u2019<\/span><\/span><\/a>. <\/span>Li Fucheng, <\/span>the <\/span>deputy director<\/span> of the program,<\/span> said that Hong Kong\u2019s 15 seminaries were teaching \u2018<\/span>traditional theology courses<\/span>\u2019 that were<\/span> <\/span>\u2018only recognized by the industry\u2019<\/span><\/span><\/a>\u2014that is, <\/span>designed to train people only for church service. <\/span>Wu <\/span>Ruilong<\/span>, <\/span>the <\/span>program<\/span>\u2019s<\/span> director <\/span>said<\/span>, <\/span><\/span>\u2018Theology courses do not have to be old, they can be well-suited and meet the needs of society.\u2019<\/span><\/span><\/a> In <\/span>my<\/span> opinion, it\u2019s a vision of church serving society in the ways judged <\/span>by the <\/span>government to be helpful and <\/span>permissible<\/span>.<\/span> The idea that God might call the church to any kind of a prophetic role, or to be anything more than a religious social service agency, is <\/span>downplayed considerably<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”43556″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”Gratia Christian College\u2019s website promoting its School of Christian Ministry. Beginning next month, all students at the college must take courses in national security and pass a national security exam. ” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230a0a0a|line_height:1.45em” google_fonts=”font_family:Noto%20Sans%3Aregular%2Citalic%2C700%2C700italic|font_style:400%20regular%3A400%3Anormal”][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]According to officials at the small <\/span>privately-funded<\/span> Christian college,<\/span> the <\/span>security courses and testing will not be listed as a graduation requirement, but students who fail the test will be required to re-test until they pass.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cIt feels like a kind of \u2018double-speak\u2019<\/span>: not required but still required<\/span>,\u201d says Pastor Foley. \u201c<\/span>I have no doubt that the college would insist that all the<\/span>ir <\/span>statements <\/span>and policies can<\/span> be easily reconciled with each other. <\/span>But taken together, in my opinion they form a picture of a school which is more focused on being <\/span>a <\/span>government-sanctioned <\/span>servant of the Hong Kong SAR than <\/span>in serving <\/span>the historical body of Christ which transcends every nation.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Pastor Foley says <\/span>\u201c<\/span>Gratia\u2019s <\/span>prominent <\/span>emphasis on obedience to government and service to society is a slap in the face to Christians in Hong Kong and mainland China who have<\/span> experienced persecution as a result of dissenting from<\/span> increasing encroachment by the Chinese and Hong Kong governments in affairs<\/span> that are clearly<\/span> religious, not only civil<\/span>.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>Scripture never promises that God and government will always be in proper alignment<\/span> and that Christians will be OK <\/span>with God <\/span>if they just obey<\/span> their political leaders<\/span>. I<\/span>n fact, <\/span>Scripture <\/span>repeatedly demonstrates exactly the opposite,\u201d says Pastor Foley. \u201c<\/span>Thousands of Chinese Christians have prayerfully determined that <\/span>they <\/span>cannot in good conscience <\/span>obey <\/span>certain things their government demands. In almost every case those Christians have willingly and joyfully accepted the government\u2019s <\/span>extreme <\/span>punishment for their obedience to God. <\/span>They are not radical elements disregarding \u2018basic b<\/span>iblical truth\u2019. <\/span>Instead, <\/span>they <\/span>are modeling <\/span>what is <\/span>actually the<\/span> \u2018<\/span>very basic biblical truth<\/span>\u2019 that Gratia and every Christian school <\/span>should be teaching: Obedience to God is costly<\/span> in every time and place<\/span>, and in this world we Christians will <\/span>always <\/span>be persecuted for it.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Individuals interested in <\/span>learning more about <\/span>Voice of the Martyrs Korea\u2019s work in partnership with <\/span>underground Chinese <\/span>Christians <\/span>wherever they are found <\/span>can visit <\/span><\/span>www.vomkorea.com\/en\/china<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a>.\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][\/vc_section]<\/p>\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”43552″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”Beginning with the 2022 school year that opens next month, students at Hong Kong\u2019s Gratia Christian College, including those enrolled in the school\u2019s Christian Ministry diploma program, …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":43553,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[857,235,869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-43559","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-russian-special","category-special-column","category-china-special","category-vomk-report"],"translation":{"provider":"WPGlobus","version":"3.0.2","language":"en","enabled_languages":["ko","en","zh","ru"],"languages":{"ko":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"en":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"zh":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false},"ru":{"title":true,"content":true,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43559","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/659"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43559"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43559\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43553"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43559"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43559"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43559"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}