There's a ministry out there that is a watchdog for persecuted Christians all over the world. This ministry, Open Doors, has listed China as 12th in their list of 50 of the worst countries persecuting those that believe in Christ.
Believers in China face much hostility and are abused regularly simply for no other reason than who they put their faith in. It's about to get worse.
Another ministry, Voice of the Martyrs, ministers also to the persecuted all over the world and has recently spoken out to warn that Communist China is stepping up its persecution against the Christians as the 2008 Summer Olympics approaches. It is expected that the government is about to crack down heavily on those who are outspoken for their faith.
The 2008 Olympics will take place in Beijing next summer and many new laws will be enacted to force the silence of the underground church. The Chinese government will try and put a stop to all protests by the Christians and will enact as many as 70 new laws and edicts before the start of the games including a ban on protests and the institution of penalties for any dissemination of materials deemed "not beneficial to the state."
The Chinese government will be very careful so as not to be publicly embarassed or upstaged by the many persecuted Christians who may take such opportunity while the world tunes into a very public event.
We should be thankful that we can now freely worship, but is it just a matter of time and we too will understand fully what these Christians are going thru in many other parts of the world? I shudder to think it's coming our way, but I don't doubt it at all.