Beguiled By Beijing? China's Image-eering

Amazing.

We've seen fireworks that weren't there. We've heard a singer who didn't sing. And we've cheered along with fans... who weren't fans. Is this some bizarre case of mass hallucination? Nope, more like a slieght-of-hand illusion of Olympic proportions. In other words, just another day in the life of the Chinese Communist Party - a group that will seemingly go to any lengths to put forth a good image.

But China's "image-eering" goes much farther than computer generated rockets to mask pollution-filled skies, and a lip-synching cutie to mask the bucked teeth of the real singer. It even goes beyond busing fill-in spectators (who received government-issued cheering batons and were drilled on how to cheer in pre-event rehearsals) to mask the half-empty sports venues. No, China's image-eering is much more sinister.

Communist China is determined to rise to international prominence, no matter the cost. And "The Party" doesn't hesitate to use the full power of its dictatorial control to achieve an image that the world will admire. China touts its recent "economic miracle" both for national pride and to attract international investment. Foreign businessmen are taken on carefully coreographed tours, and journalists are allowed to train their cameras on glistening skyscrapers in cities like Beijing and Shanghai. But what's never shown or reported are the rural villages where millions of Chinese peasants suffer from some of the worst 3rd world conditions, like pollution and a lack of food, clean water, and basic health care. China's economic "miracle" is being experienced by maybe 200 million Chinese, and at the expense of the other 1 billion.

And space would fail me to describe the evils of China's infamous one-child policy, and the forced abortions and sterilizations that go with it, and the thin curtain China strives to pull over its ruthless persecution of Christians. But if you don't want to think about such horriffic realities, just listen to China's government and you won't have to.

China's Communist governmment struggles mightily to restrict access to the truth. Much like the Pharisees whom Jesus called "whitewashed tombs," China is engaged in a desperate attempt to burnish its international image while concealing the polluted, rotten truth. Which is why they were so keen on hosting these current Olympic Games. What better world stage on which to act out their carefully coreographed image enhancement program? And judging by the descriptions of NBC's commentators, the image is being swallowed whole and joyfully disseminated back to the States.

Should this knowledge diffuse our enjoyment of the Olympics? It doesn't for me. I love watching sports I participated in (track and swimming) get airtime, plus the chance to watch other sports we never get to see. No, I see no reason not to get into the Games. Just be aware as you do that much of what you're watching behind and between the competitions is image-eering at its best.

And while you're at it, pray for the grace and truth of Jesus to spread like wildfire through China.

Why I'm Uncomfortable With The Texas Polygamy Raid

You've all no doubt watched the proceedings over the last 2 months: Texas Child Protective Services ("CPS") seized 460+ children from the FLDS (a splinter Mormon sect) and put them all in state custody. I initially watched the proceedings with fascination, and several questions came to my mind. Then as the days continued on and the answers to those questions were not forthcoming, I became increasingly uncomfortable with what Texas had done. I kept my misgivings mostly to myself, sharing them only with a few friends and waiting for the courts to sort it all out. But on May 22 the Texas Third Court of Appeals ruled that the state's grounds for removing the children were "legally and factually insufficient."

Time to speak up.

First, my up-front disclaimer: I believe the FLDS is a cult with a severely warped worldview. I fully support the illegality of polygamy and underage marriage (2 things this group is known for), and I think they could scarcely be more wrong about their ideas of God, themselves, and the world.

Having said that, I am greatly troubled by what appears to be a grave breach of civil rights in this case. What the Texas CPS did is unprecedented: never before has so large a custody sweep taken place, and with so little evidence to justify it. The phone call which prompted the raid in the first place is looking increasingly like it was a hoax. What's more, the abuse allegation surrounded teenage girls who were forced into underage marriages; yet all 460+ children were seized despite the fact that most of them are boys and very young girls - kids that not even CPS says were being abused.

To justify such unprecedented categorical action, CPS has argued that the FLDS was brainwashing all the children into abusive thinking, which justifies the seizure of many kids who weren't actually being abused. That line of thinking is scary to me. This kind of "guilt by association" logic with no hard evidence behind it is what dictatorships use to violate their citizens. "You read the wrong books, so for your own protection we're sending you to the state re-education program."

It did not escape my notice that these proceedings were happening in Texas at precisely the same time the State of California was trying to remove it's citizens right to homeschool their kids if they so choose. You see, while most Americans (including me) think the FLDS cult is sick and wierd, an increasing number of Americans think anyone who takes their Christian faith seriously is similarly sick and wierd. To many nowadays, a parent who sends his child to a Christian summer camp, or to a Catholic parochial school, or (gasp!) homeschools his kids is no different than this Texas cult. It's all religious brainwashing, and thus no less subject to state interference. We've already had the rabidly anti-theistic Richard Dawkins argue that parents passing on religious belief to their children is itself a form of child abuse.

And the book in which he says this is a bestseller.

An interesting hypothetical: our government says a girl has a right to an abortion. Yet if her parents raise her to believe that abortion is morally wrong, are the parents subject to state coercion for denying their daughter her rights and thus "abusing" her? Using the logic of the Texas CPS, the answer would be yes.

The religious freedom and civil rights implications of this case in Texas cannot be overlooked. This is the real reason America has a church/state separation in the first place: to protect the citizens and their practice of faith from state coercion (the fact that such a separation has been used to marginilize religious people in public life is ridiculous, but that's a subject for another day).

Now let me say that if in fact some FLDS girls were married off before their legal age, that's statutory rape and the law should be enforced. One cannot do anything one wants in the name of religion. But this nation has always placed significant restrictions on the government's ability to control the lives of it's citizens, and for good reason. Based on what I've read, I simply do not believe the State of Texas had sufficient grounds to act so broadly against the FLDS.

I'm glad the appellate court agrees with that assessment.