Mournful Freedom

By Qi Ren

The Chinese government has banned the "Falun Gong" cult, but some people have criticized this measure as an ``infringement on freedom of belief." They have written articles denouncing the Chinese government and China's National People's Congress. Their intention is clearly to try to make sure that Li Hongzhi and his "Falun Gong" can have the freedom to spread their heresy and oppose the government, while the Chinese government has no right to ban the cult, and the National People's Congress has no right to pass legislation.

The US government also opposes cults. In 1993 it suppressed the Branch Davidians, sending 450 soldiers and policemen and dozens of tanks, armored cars and helicopters. Some 86 cultists were burned to death as a result. The Japanese government opposes cults too. Not long ago the Japanese Diet passed a law against cults. Of course, the cults in the US and Japan oppose their governments' bans on them, but public opinion and the media strictly denounce the cults. The Chinese government and the National People's Congress also oppose cults. The cultists cannot trumpet their fallacies at home, so they go abroad to wave flags and shout battle cries for the cult. However, are people who are honest and upright willing to let cults run amok?

(Compiled by New Star Publishers, Dec., 1999)