{"id":50048,"date":"2024-05-14T14:00:08","date_gmt":"2024-05-14T05:00:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/?p=50048"},"modified":"2024-05-14T13:30:43","modified_gmt":"2024-05-14T04:30:43","slug":"vomk-report-302","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/2024\/05\/14\/vomk-report-302\/","title":{"rendered":"CHINA BLOCKS LUTHER AND CALVIN ON INTERNET, SO CHRISTIANS RETURN TO RADIO"},"content":{"rendered":"

[vc_section][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”50043″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”A Chinese netizen seeking to access and translate some materials related to 16th Century Protestant reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin received a stern warning from the Chinese Communist Party\u2019s Internet Surveillance Agency last month. Voice of the Martyrs Representative Dr. Hyun Sook Foley says Christians worldwide should be concerned and should \u201cmake every effort today\u201d to make such content available to Chinese Christians via media other than the Internet, like shortwave radio.” 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][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201c<\/span>The content that the <\/span>Chinese <\/span>Christian <\/span>was trying to <\/span>translate <\/span>via Internet <\/span>did not involve any national security issues<\/span>,<\/span>\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cIt simply said, \u2018[Martin Luther] <\/span>was the first Protestant to successfully challenge papal authority,<\/span>\u2019<\/span> and <\/span>\u2018<\/span>Luther\u2019s theological inquiry was <\/span>closely linked<\/span> to his personal doubts and spiritual struggles. As he addressed these dilemmas, his call for reforming the Roman Catholic Church became more urgent. Luther urged organizational and theological reforms within the church, advocating for greater autonomy for local bishops from Rome.<\/span>\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”50046″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”The Chinese Communist Party\u2019s Internet Surveillance Agency blocked and warned against translations involving the contents of Martin Luther.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230f0f0f|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]Representative Foley says that in response the Christian<\/span> received a warning from the Chinese Internet network information management organization<\/span>, which read:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen translating any content, Chinese people must strictly abide by national laws and regulations, adhere to the core socialist values, actively spread positive energy, and safeguard the country\u2019s cultural security and ideological security. <\/span>Regarding<\/span> religious content, we should uphold a scientific spirit and attitude, respect history, and respect the freedom of belief under <\/span>different cultural<\/span> backgrounds.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]According to Representative Foley, t<\/span>he <\/span>message from the <\/span>Chinese Internet network information management organization<\/span> also said<\/span>: \u201cAt the same time, we must also recognize soberly that any religion must adapt to Chinese socialist society. In China, we encourage religious groups and believers to love their country and religion, actively guide religions to adapt to socialist society, and contribute to promoting social harmony, national unity, and cultural prosperity.\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”50040″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”A Voice of the Martyrs Korea volunteer records a broadcast for the ministry\u2019s twice-daily Chinese radio broadcast.” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230f0f0f|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]Representative Foley<\/span> says <\/span>the <\/span>government <\/span>warning may have been triggered by <\/span>a high number of sensitive words in the short passage for translation. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>The Luther quote <\/span>contains<\/span> words <\/span>like \u2018challenge<\/span>\u2019,<\/span> \u2018struggle<\/span>\u2019,<\/span> \u2018reform<\/span>\u2019,<\/span> and \u2018autonomy<\/span>\u2019,<\/span> which Chinese search engines and online translation programs are <\/span>likely trained<\/span> to <\/span>monitor<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]But Representative Foley says <\/span>it is clear that the<\/span> Reformation content was not simply blocked by <\/span>a general censorship algorithm <\/span>and that the Chinese government is objecting to more than a few trigger words.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cThe same Chinese netizen tried to translate three chapters of material <\/span>related to <\/span>the life and thought of John <\/span>Calvin<\/span> and about how his writings are <\/span>systematic<\/span>, <\/span>precise<\/span>, <\/span>and <\/span>logical<\/span>,\u201d says Representative Foley. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>The translation engine <\/span>responded with another warning and then <\/span>blocked the translation of <\/span>the <\/span>content.<\/span>\u2019\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Representative Foley believes Christians around the world should be concerned.<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]<\/p>\n

\u201cThe Chinese government is trying to \u2018Sinicize\u2019 Christianity, making it a religion that promotes Communism<\/span>, patriotism,<\/span> and Chinese nationalism,<\/span>\u201d says Representative Foley. \u201cBut in Colossians 3:11 the Apostle Paul wrote that for Christians \u2018<\/span>there is not Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free; but Christ is all, and in all.<\/span>\u2019 In 1 Peter 2:11 the apostle wrote that we are \u2018<\/span>aliens and strangers in the world<\/span>\u2019. We must remember that there is no such thing as \u2018Korean Christians\u2019 or \u2018Chinese Christians\u2019 or \u2018American Christians<\/span>\u2019.<\/span> There are only Christians living as aliens and strangers in Korea, China, and America. Our primary allegiance is to Christ and our brothers and sisters in Christ, and only secondarily to our nations. Luther and Calvin and the other Protestant reformers taught that biblical truth, and so the Chinese government is actively working to block their words from reaching Chinese people.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p><\/blockquote>\n

[\/vc_column_text][\/vc_column][\/vc_row][vc_row][vc_column][vc_single_image image=”50039″ img_size=”large” alignment=”center”][vc_custom_heading text=”16th Century Protestant reformers John Calvin (left) and Martin Luther (right)” font_container=”tag:p|font_size:13px|text_align:center|color:%230f0f0f|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]Representative Foley says that <\/span>expanding religious censorship of the Chinese government to include figures like Luther and Calvin is one of the reasons why Voice of the Martyrs Korea broadcasts Christian content into China via shortwave radio twice per day. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>People sometimes think of shortwave radio as outdated technology, but the US government and Chinese government now broadcast more daily shortwave content into China than at any time in history,<\/span>\u201d<\/span> says Representative Foley. <\/span>\u201c<\/span>That shows the power of reaching people through seemingly <\/span>\u2018<\/span>low-tech<\/span>\u2019<\/span> media like radio: <\/span>It<\/span>\u2019<\/span>s<\/span> actually much<\/span> easier and cheaper for the Chinese government to block Luther and Calvin on the Internet than on the radio. <\/span>Internet censorship can be done at low cost using AI (artificial intelligence). But shortwave r<\/span>adio is <\/span>much <\/span>harder and more expensive for them to jam.<\/span> AI <\/span>can<\/span>\u2019<\/span>t<\/span> stop it.<\/span> Chinese citizens know this and are once again <\/span>turning <\/span>to shortwave radio <\/span>for uncensored information <\/span>as the Internet becomes <\/span>more and more<\/span> a <\/span>dangerous trap for Christians and a <\/span>propaganda tool for their government.<\/span>\u201d<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>[\/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Individuals interested in learning about or supporting Voice of the Martyrs Korea\u2019s daily shortwave radio broadcasts into China and its work in partnership with the house church Christians of China can visit <\/span>www.vomkorea.com\/en\/china<\/span><\/span><\/a> or give via electronic transfer to:<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

KB Bank: 463501-01-243303<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Account Holder: (<\/span>\uc0ac<\/span>)<\/span>\uc21c\uad50\uc790\uc758\uc18c\ub9ac<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Please note \u201cChina\u201d on the transfer.<\/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=”50043″ img_size=”full”][vc_custom_heading text=”A Chinese netizen seeking to access and translate some materials related to 16th Century Protestant reformers Martin Luther and John Calvin received a stern warning from the …","protected":false},"author":659,"featured_media":50042,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"give_campaign_id":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[235,869,140],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-50048","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","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":false,"content":false,"excerpt":false}}},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50048","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=50048"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50048\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":50052,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/50048\/revisions\/50052"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/50042"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=50048"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=50048"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vomkorea.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=50048"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}