Podcasts about chinese christians

"The Holy Martyrs of China were native Chinese Orthodox Christians brought up in piety at the Russian Orthodox Mission in Peking, which had been founded in 1685. During the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 against the foreign powers occupying China, native Chinese Christians were commanded by the Boxers to renounce Christianity or be tortured to death. Two hundred and twenty-two members of the Peking Mission, led by their priest Metrophanes Tsi-Chung and his family, refused to deny Christ, and were deemed worthy of a martyric death." ( Great Horologion)

This week we look at the Polish presidential election; the new South Korean president;  Geert Wilders; Bono on Gaza;  were some Vikings Muslim?  Where does the world get its energy?  Scotland's record abortions; Michelle Obama on womens reproductive health system; NT Wright supports limited abortion; Steve Hughes on Australia; Citizen Kane;  Musk condemns Trump's 'Big Beautiful Bill' for massively increasing federal debt; Jews under attack in the US; the new blasphemy laws in England; Puerto Rico and X gender; the Spice X children; Fuller weakens doctrinal stance;  Chinese Christian refugees in the US; and Psalm 40 with music from Creedance Clearwater Revival; U2; Miracle of Sound; Enya; John Williams; and the Spice Girls.

Christianity has been present in China since the 7th century—long before the arrival of Jesuit or Seventh-day Adventist missionaries. Yet for much of Chinese history, social norms meant women lived relatively private lives, interacting mostly with one another. “When I was reading Chinese Christian history,” guest Dr. Susangeline Patrick recalls, “I didn't initially see a lot of women's stories.” And yet today, women are the backbone of China's Christian movement—serving as pastors, leaders, and patrons. So what changed? In this two-part series, we explore the surprising origins and growth of Christianity the 16th and 17th century China and the role women played in it.  This is Part 1 of a two-part series on Christian Women in China.   Guests: Dr. Joseph Lee and Dr. Susangeline Patrick. Explore More Article | “The Remarkable Story of China's ‘Bible Women'” - Christianity Today - https://www.christianitytoday.com/2018/03/christian-china-bible-women/ Book | “A Model for All Christian Women:" Candida Xu, a Chinese Christian Woman of the Seventeenth Century' by Gail King - https://www.routledge.com/A-Model-for-All-Christian-Women-Candida-Xu-a-Chinese-Christian-Woman-of-the-Seventeenth-Century/King/p/book/9780367682927?srsltid=AfmBOopVRXHImkJNtGAWNLA2ic2VUVREW_46MbDoBkG8ZZ_djwTseZr2 

This is CrossPoliticNews’ Weekly Roundup sponsored by Christian Business Leaders Network. If you want to find out more about this network and its efforts to connect Christian business leaders so that they can more effectively help their businesses and shape culture, visit businessmakers.network. Again, that’s businessmakers.network. (https://businessmakers.network/) Our journalist Justin Chartrey recently reported that the Governor of Washington State, Bob Ferguson, has signed a racist housing bill into law in Washington State. This new bill, which is nicknamed the Taylor Bill after Washington State Representative Jamilla Taylor, gives huge initial downpayments and even loan forgiveness to house owners who meet a certain standard of financial instability. However, while this already sounds wonky, it gets even better. Anyone who wants these benefits must also meet the requirements of the Covenant Home Ownership Program. And if you want to be a part of the program, you basically have to be part of a racial minority. Representative Taylor of Washington State explained that this law will help balance the inequal house ownership situation between white and black families as well as continue to atone for the past racial injustice against blacks in America. Under the disguise of fighting racism and injustice, this law only supports them. If a pendulum swings one way, we all know where it will swing next. And even though the Trump administration is trying to root out these types of injustices in the government and nation, it doesn’t seem like it has noticed this new terrible law in Washington State. So, it looks like the citizens in Washington State will have to step up against these liberal policies instead in the next election. (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/washingtons-mockery-of-justice) Meanwhile, on a different subject, China’s laws against religious foreigners are only growing worse. Well, that’s at least what many people think who don’t have actual experience in China. Our journalist B.F. Westen wrote that while Dictator Xi of China doesn’t like religion outside of the Chinese government’s approval and enacts laws to reflect this, he actually hasn’t changed the pre-existing regulations against religious missionaries in China that much. If these religion regulations were a house, then China has just repainted it and added new furniture. It’s not a completely new house just because it’s been refurnished and looks a little different. But even with this said, these laws have been slightly changed because the government has clarified them and added more text. China has spelled out a little more clearly the specific ways a foreigner can and cannot approach religion in China while also keeping some broad regulations that could apply to any situation. For example, regulation number eleven of article 29 simply states that people cannot be a part of "Other illegal activities involving religion." (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/understanding-chinas-new-missionary-ban) That’s very broad, and as our reporter B. F. Westen notes, this means that it lets China, quote, make something up when the time comes, unquote. China's government wants to cover all of its bases. So, how do these updated regulations affect missionary work in China? Our journalist B.F. Westen understands that while Dictator Xi is hostile toward Christianity and the persecution against Christians has grown, these updated foreign religion policies should not scare Christians away from China. Westen was a missionary in China, so he understands what these regulations actually mean. While there are occasions of fines and other punishments for missionaries, the persecution against Christian missionaries is much lighter than the persecution against Chinese Christians and pastors. Again, Westen actually lived in China before, and he thinks that "it is extremely rare for a foreigner to be prosecuted criminally for missionary work. The police just do not typically treat the “religious crimes” of foreigners that seriously. Instead, warnings are given or immigration rules are enforced by cancelling visas or work permits. The process feels much more like getting a ticket for a misdemeanor. I was detained, interrogated, and deported, but I was never searched or handcuffed. I was never treated like a “real” criminal, unlike faithful pastors such as Wang Yi." (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/understanding-chinas-new-missionary-ban) Our brothers and sisters living in China are actually being persecuted, so do not fall for China’s weak threats of deportations and canceled visas. China wants missionaries to be afraid of coming, but Christ is King, and we must make disciples of all nations. To discover more news, check out some of our other articles, such as "School Districts Take up Title IX Fight" by our journalist Justin Chartrey, "The Thunder Take the Basketball World By Storm" by our reporter B.F. Westen, or even, "The Sons of Issachar mark the Tenth Anniversary of Evangelicalism’s Death" by our journalist David Fowler. Here at CrossPoliticNews, we want to faithfully deliver you unbiased news from a Christian worldview. For more content, you can find us on YouTube at CrossPolitic News, follow us on X at cpnewsusa or cpnewsaus in Australia, or head to our email list and find us at CrossPoliticNews.com.

This is CrossPoliticNews’ Weekly Roundup sponsored by Christian Business Leaders Network. If you want to find out more about this network and its efforts to connect Christian business leaders so that they can more effectively help their businesses and shape culture, visit businessmakers.network. Again, that’s businessmakers.network. (https://businessmakers.network/) Our journalist Justin Chartrey recently reported that the Governor of Washington State, Bob Ferguson, has signed a racist housing bill into law in Washington State. This new bill, which is nicknamed the Taylor Bill after Washington State Representative Jamilla Taylor, gives huge initial downpayments and even loan forgiveness to house owners who meet a certain standard of financial instability. However, while this already sounds wonky, it gets even better. Anyone who wants these benefits must also meet the requirements of the Covenant Home Ownership Program. And if you want to be a part of the program, you basically have to be part of a racial minority. Representative Taylor of Washington State explained that this law will help balance the inequal house ownership situation between white and black families as well as continue to atone for the past racial injustice against blacks in America. Under the disguise of fighting racism and injustice, this law only supports them. If a pendulum swings one way, we all know where it will swing next. And even though the Trump administration is trying to root out these types of injustices in the government and nation, it doesn’t seem like it has noticed this new terrible law in Washington State. So, it looks like the citizens in Washington State will have to step up against these liberal policies instead in the next election. (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/washingtons-mockery-of-justice) Meanwhile, on a different subject, China’s laws against religious foreigners are only growing worse. Well, that’s at least what many people think who don’t have actual experience in China. Our journalist B.F. Westen wrote that while Dictator Xi of China doesn’t like religion outside of the Chinese government’s approval and enacts laws to reflect this, he actually hasn’t changed the pre-existing regulations against religious missionaries in China that much. If these religion regulations were a house, then China has just repainted it and added new furniture. It’s not a completely new house just because it’s been refurnished and looks a little different. But even with this said, these laws have been slightly changed because the government has clarified them and added more text. China has spelled out a little more clearly the specific ways a foreigner can and cannot approach religion in China while also keeping some broad regulations that could apply to any situation. For example, regulation number eleven of article 29 simply states that people cannot be a part of "Other illegal activities involving religion." (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/understanding-chinas-new-missionary-ban) That’s very broad, and as our reporter B. F. Westen notes, this means that it lets China, quote, make something up when the time comes, unquote. China's government wants to cover all of its bases. So, how do these updated regulations affect missionary work in China? Our journalist B.F. Westen understands that while Dictator Xi is hostile toward Christianity and the persecution against Christians has grown, these updated foreign religion policies should not scare Christians away from China. Westen was a missionary in China, so he understands what these regulations actually mean. While there are occasions of fines and other punishments for missionaries, the persecution against Christian missionaries is much lighter than the persecution against Chinese Christians and pastors. Again, Westen actually lived in China before, and he thinks that "it is extremely rare for a foreigner to be prosecuted criminally for missionary work. The police just do not typically treat the “religious crimes” of foreigners that seriously. Instead, warnings are given or immigration rules are enforced by cancelling visas or work permits. The process feels much more like getting a ticket for a misdemeanor. I was detained, interrogated, and deported, but I was never searched or handcuffed. I was never treated like a “real” criminal, unlike faithful pastors such as Wang Yi." (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/understanding-chinas-new-missionary-ban) Our brothers and sisters living in China are actually being persecuted, so do not fall for China’s weak threats of deportations and canceled visas. China wants missionaries to be afraid of coming, but Christ is King, and we must make disciples of all nations. To discover more news, check out some of our other articles, such as "School Districts Take up Title IX Fight" by our journalist Justin Chartrey, "The Thunder Take the Basketball World By Storm" by our reporter B.F. Westen, or even, "The Sons of Issachar mark the Tenth Anniversary of Evangelicalism’s Death" by our journalist David Fowler. Here at CrossPoliticNews, we want to faithfully deliver you unbiased news from a Christian worldview. For more content, you can find us on YouTube at CrossPolitic News, follow us on X at cpnewsusa or cpnewsaus in Australia, or head to our email list and find us at CrossPoliticNews.com.

This is CrossPoliticNews’ Weekly Roundup sponsored by Christian Business Leaders Network. If you want to find out more about this network and its efforts to connect Christian business leaders so that they can more effectively help their businesses and shape culture, visit businessmakers.network. Again, that’s businessmakers.network. (https://businessmakers.network/) Our journalist Justin Chartrey recently reported that the Governor of Washington State, Bob Ferguson, has signed a racist housing bill into law in Washington State. This new bill, which is nicknamed the Taylor Bill after Washington State Representative Jamilla Taylor, gives huge initial downpayments and even loan forgiveness to house owners who meet a certain standard of financial instability. However, while this already sounds wonky, it gets even better. Anyone who wants these benefits must also meet the requirements of the Covenant Home Ownership Program. And if you want to be a part of the program, you basically have to be part of a racial minority. Representative Taylor of Washington State explained that this law will help balance the inequal house ownership situation between white and black families as well as continue to atone for the past racial injustice against blacks in America. Under the disguise of fighting racism and injustice, this law only supports them. If a pendulum swings one way, we all know where it will swing next. And even though the Trump administration is trying to root out these types of injustices in the government and nation, it doesn’t seem like it has noticed this new terrible law in Washington State. So, it looks like the citizens in Washington State will have to step up against these liberal policies instead in the next election. (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/washingtons-mockery-of-justice) Meanwhile, on a different subject, China’s laws against religious foreigners are only growing worse. Well, that’s at least what many people think who don’t have actual experience in China. Our journalist B.F. Westen wrote that while Dictator Xi of China doesn’t like religion outside of the Chinese government’s approval and enacts laws to reflect this, he actually hasn’t changed the pre-existing regulations against religious missionaries in China that much. If these religion regulations were a house, then China has just repainted it and added new furniture. It’s not a completely new house just because it’s been refurnished and looks a little different. But even with this said, these laws have been slightly changed because the government has clarified them and added more text. China has spelled out a little more clearly the specific ways a foreigner can and cannot approach religion in China while also keeping some broad regulations that could apply to any situation. For example, regulation number eleven of article 29 simply states that people cannot be a part of "Other illegal activities involving religion." (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/understanding-chinas-new-missionary-ban) That’s very broad, and as our reporter B. F. Westen notes, this means that it lets China, quote, make something up when the time comes, unquote. China's government wants to cover all of its bases. So, how do these updated regulations affect missionary work in China? Our journalist B.F. Westen understands that while Dictator Xi is hostile toward Christianity and the persecution against Christians has grown, these updated foreign religion policies should not scare Christians away from China. Westen was a missionary in China, so he understands what these regulations actually mean. While there are occasions of fines and other punishments for missionaries, the persecution against Christian missionaries is much lighter than the persecution against Chinese Christians and pastors. Again, Westen actually lived in China before, and he thinks that "it is extremely rare for a foreigner to be prosecuted criminally for missionary work. The police just do not typically treat the “religious crimes” of foreigners that seriously. Instead, warnings are given or immigration rules are enforced by cancelling visas or work permits. The process feels much more like getting a ticket for a misdemeanor. I was detained, interrogated, and deported, but I was never searched or handcuffed. I was never treated like a “real” criminal, unlike faithful pastors such as Wang Yi." (https://www.crosspoliticnews.com/news/understanding-chinas-new-missionary-ban) Our brothers and sisters living in China are actually being persecuted, so do not fall for China’s weak threats of deportations and canceled visas. China wants missionaries to be afraid of coming, but Christ is King, and we must make disciples of all nations. To discover more news, check out some of our other articles, such as "School Districts Take up Title IX Fight" by our journalist Justin Chartrey, "The Thunder Take the Basketball World By Storm" by our reporter B.F. Westen, or even, "The Sons of Issachar mark the Tenth Anniversary of Evangelicalism’s Death" by our journalist David Fowler. Here at CrossPoliticNews, we want to faithfully deliver you unbiased news from a Christian worldview. For more content, you can find us on YouTube at CrossPolitic News, follow us on X at cpnewsusa or cpnewsaus in Australia, or head to our email list and find us at CrossPoliticNews.com.

••• Kingdom Advancement Principles, Segment-A . ••• Bible Study Verses: Matthew 6.25-34, Romans 8, John 4.1-42 . ••• “Spiritual advancement is measured by faithful obedience”, Watchman Nee (Chinese: 倪柝聲; pinyin: Ní Tuòshēng; Foochow Romanized: Ngà̤ Táuk-sĭng; 1903–1972), A Chinese Christian author & church leader during the early 20th Century. Nee founded the "Local churches." He became a Christian in 1920 at age 17 & began writing in the same year. In 1921, he met the British missionary Miss M. E. Barber, who was a great influence and introduced him to many of the Christian writings which were to have a profound influence on him & his teachings. Nee attended no seminaries. His knowledge was acquired through studying the Bible & reading various Christian spiritual books. During his 30 years of ministry, beginning in 1922, Nee traveled throughout China planting churches among the rural communities & holding Christian conferences & trainings in Shanghai. In 1952 the communists cut his tongue out for preaching & imprisoned him until his death in 1972. † ••• “For the kingdom of God does not consist in just talk but in power” 1 Corinthians 4:20, rESV . ••• What is worry an indicator of? ••• What is the secret for overcome worry and anxiety? ••• After seeking God's righteousness, what is the next thing the biblical Christian should do? ••• What is the primary benefit of making God a priority in your life? ••• What are 5-aspects of Kingdom Advancement? ••• What are 4-reasons why it is so important to be engaged in Kingdom Advancement? ••• Please listen to Episode 377b next time to hear the rest of this study segment.••• Are you going to ask your small group to pray that you will be more intentional about participating in Kingdom advancement through the power of Holy Spirit? ••• Pastor Otuno expounds on this and much more on the exciting journey of Fresh Encounter Radio Podcast originally aired in May, 2025 on WNQM, Nashville Quality Ministries and WWCR World Wide Christian Radio broadcast to all 7-continents on this big beautiful blue marble, earth, floating through space. Please be prayerful before studying The Word of God so that you will receive the most inspiration possible. ••• This Discipleship Teaching Podcast is brought to you by Christian Leadership International and all the beloved of God who believe in it's mission through prayer and support. Thank you . ••• Broadcaster's Website - https://www.lifelonganointing.com/ .••• Exceeding Thanks to Universe Creator Christ Jesus AND photo by Daniel G. Photography, https://www.medicai.io/, Art Direction by gil on his mac with free mac layout software . ••• Study Guides at - https://shows.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast/episodes .••• SHARING LINK: https://shows.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast/250419-kingdom-advancement-principles-seg-A-ep377a . ••• † http://christian-quotes.ochristian.com/Watchman-Nee-Quotes/ . ••• RESOURCE - https://www.soundcloud.com/thewaytogod/ . ••• RESOURCE - https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/kjv/john.1%20 .••• FERP250419 Episode#377a GOT250419 Ep377a . ••• Kingdom Advancement Principles, Segment-A . Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Listen in to this special episode of Voices of Renewal as we hear from leading Christian scholar, Dr. Glen L. Thompson, on his new book Jingjiao: The Earliest Christian Church in China. Thompson presents the history of the Persian church's mission to China with rigor and clarity. While Christianity remained a minority and “foreign” religion in the Middle Kingdom, it nonetheless attracted adherents among indigenous Chinese and received imperial approval during the Tang Dynasty. Though it was later suppressed alongside Buddhism, it resurfaced in China and Mongolia in the twelfth century. Thompson also discusses how the modern unearthing of Chinese Christian texts has stirred controversy over the meaning of Jingjiao to recent missionary efforts in China.  

Many people assume that the first introduction of Christianity to the Chinese was part of nineteenth-century Western imperialism. In fact, Syriac-speaking Christians brought the gospel along the Silk Road into China in the seventh century. Glen L. Thompson introduces readers to the fascinating history of this early Eastern church, referred to as Jingjiao, or the “Luminous Teaching.” Thompson presents the history of the Persian church's mission to China with rigor and clarity. While Christianity remained a minority and “foreign” religion in the Middle Kingdom, it nonetheless attracted adherents among indigenous Chinese and received imperial approval during the Tang Dynasty. Though it was later suppressed alongside Buddhism, it resurfaced in China and Mongolia in the twelfth century. Thompson also discusses how the modern unearthing of Chinese Christian texts has stirred controversy over the meaning of Jingjiao to recent missionary efforts in China. In an accessible style, Thompson guides readers through primary sources as well as up-to-date scholarship. As the most recent and balanced survey on the topic available in English, Jingjiao: The Earliest Christian Church in China (Eerdmans, 2024) will be an indispensable resource for students of global Christianity and missiology. Glen L. Thompson is professor emeritus of New Testament and historical theology at Asia Lutheran Seminary in Hong Kong. He has retired to Milwaukee, where he researches, works with students, and expands his Fourth-Century Christianity website. New Books in Syriac Studies is presented by Kristian Heal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/new-books-network

Many people assume that the first introduction of Christianity to the Chinese was part of nineteenth-century Western imperialism. In fact, Syriac-speaking Christians brought the gospel along the Silk Road into China in the seventh century. Glen L. Thompson introduces readers to the fascinating history of this early Eastern church, referred to as Jingjiao, or the “Luminous Teaching.” Thompson presents the history of the Persian church's mission to China with rigor and clarity. While Christianity remained a minority and “foreign” religion in the Middle Kingdom, it nonetheless attracted adherents among indigenous Chinese and received imperial approval during the Tang Dynasty. Though it was later suppressed alongside Buddhism, it resurfaced in China and Mongolia in the twelfth century. Thompson also discusses how the modern unearthing of Chinese Christian texts has stirred controversy over the meaning of Jingjiao to recent missionary efforts in China. In an accessible style, Thompson guides readers through primary sources as well as up-to-date scholarship. As the most recent and balanced survey on the topic available in English, Jingjiao: The Earliest Christian Church in China (Eerdmans, 2024) will be an indispensable resource for students of global Christianity and missiology. Glen L. Thompson is professor emeritus of New Testament and historical theology at Asia Lutheran Seminary in Hong Kong. He has retired to Milwaukee, where he researches, works with students, and expands his Fourth-Century Christianity website. New Books in Syriac Studies is presented by Kristian Heal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/history

Many people assume that the first introduction of Christianity to the Chinese was part of nineteenth-century Western imperialism. In fact, Syriac-speaking Christians brought the gospel along the Silk Road into China in the seventh century. Glen L. Thompson introduces readers to the fascinating history of this early Eastern church, referred to as Jingjiao, or the “Luminous Teaching.” Thompson presents the history of the Persian church's mission to China with rigor and clarity. While Christianity remained a minority and “foreign” religion in the Middle Kingdom, it nonetheless attracted adherents among indigenous Chinese and received imperial approval during the Tang Dynasty. Though it was later suppressed alongside Buddhism, it resurfaced in China and Mongolia in the twelfth century. Thompson also discusses how the modern unearthing of Chinese Christian texts has stirred controversy over the meaning of Jingjiao to recent missionary efforts in China. In an accessible style, Thompson guides readers through primary sources as well as up-to-date scholarship. As the most recent and balanced survey on the topic available in English, Jingjiao: The Earliest Christian Church in China (Eerdmans, 2024) will be an indispensable resource for students of global Christianity and missiology. Glen L. Thompson is professor emeritus of New Testament and historical theology at Asia Lutheran Seminary in Hong Kong. He has retired to Milwaukee, where he researches, works with students, and expands his Fourth-Century Christianity website. New Books in Syriac Studies is presented by Kristian Heal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many people assume that the first introduction of Christianity to the Chinese was part of nineteenth-century Western imperialism. In fact, Syriac-speaking Christians brought the gospel along the Silk Road into China in the seventh century. Glen L. Thompson introduces readers to the fascinating history of this early Eastern church, referred to as Jingjiao, or the “Luminous Teaching.” Thompson presents the history of the Persian church's mission to China with rigor and clarity. While Christianity remained a minority and “foreign” religion in the Middle Kingdom, it nonetheless attracted adherents among indigenous Chinese and received imperial approval during the Tang Dynasty. Though it was later suppressed alongside Buddhism, it resurfaced in China and Mongolia in the twelfth century. Thompson also discusses how the modern unearthing of Chinese Christian texts has stirred controversy over the meaning of Jingjiao to recent missionary efforts in China. In an accessible style, Thompson guides readers through primary sources as well as up-to-date scholarship. As the most recent and balanced survey on the topic available in English, Jingjiao: The Earliest Christian Church in China (Eerdmans, 2024) will be an indispensable resource for students of global Christianity and missiology. Glen L. Thompson is professor emeritus of New Testament and historical theology at Asia Lutheran Seminary in Hong Kong. He has retired to Milwaukee, where he researches, works with students, and expands his Fourth-Century Christianity website. New Books in Syriac Studies is presented by Kristian Heal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/chinese-studies

Many people assume that the first introduction of Christianity to the Chinese was part of nineteenth-century Western imperialism. In fact, Syriac-speaking Christians brought the gospel along the Silk Road into China in the seventh century. Glen L. Thompson introduces readers to the fascinating history of this early Eastern church, referred to as Jingjiao, or the “Luminous Teaching.” Thompson presents the history of the Persian church's mission to China with rigor and clarity. While Christianity remained a minority and “foreign” religion in the Middle Kingdom, it nonetheless attracted adherents among indigenous Chinese and received imperial approval during the Tang Dynasty. Though it was later suppressed alongside Buddhism, it resurfaced in China and Mongolia in the twelfth century. Thompson also discusses how the modern unearthing of Chinese Christian texts has stirred controversy over the meaning of Jingjiao to recent missionary efforts in China. In an accessible style, Thompson guides readers through primary sources as well as up-to-date scholarship. As the most recent and balanced survey on the topic available in English, Jingjiao: The Earliest Christian Church in China (Eerdmans, 2024) will be an indispensable resource for students of global Christianity and missiology. Glen L. Thompson is professor emeritus of New Testament and historical theology at Asia Lutheran Seminary in Hong Kong. He has retired to Milwaukee, where he researches, works with students, and expands his Fourth-Century Christianity website. New Books in Syriac Studies is presented by Kristian Heal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Many people assume that the first introduction of Christianity to the Chinese was part of nineteenth-century Western imperialism. In fact, Syriac-speaking Christians brought the gospel along the Silk Road into China in the seventh century. Glen L. Thompson introduces readers to the fascinating history of this early Eastern church, referred to as Jingjiao, or the “Luminous Teaching.” Thompson presents the history of the Persian church's mission to China with rigor and clarity. While Christianity remained a minority and “foreign” religion in the Middle Kingdom, it nonetheless attracted adherents among indigenous Chinese and received imperial approval during the Tang Dynasty. Though it was later suppressed alongside Buddhism, it resurfaced in China and Mongolia in the twelfth century. Thompson also discusses how the modern unearthing of Chinese Christian texts has stirred controversy over the meaning of Jingjiao to recent missionary efforts in China. In an accessible style, Thompson guides readers through primary sources as well as up-to-date scholarship. As the most recent and balanced survey on the topic available in English, Jingjiao: The Earliest Christian Church in China (Eerdmans, 2024) will be an indispensable resource for students of global Christianity and missiology. Glen L. Thompson is professor emeritus of New Testament and historical theology at Asia Lutheran Seminary in Hong Kong. He has retired to Milwaukee, where he researches, works with students, and expands his Fourth-Century Christianity website. New Books in Syriac Studies is presented by Kristian Heal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/christian-studies

Many people assume that the first introduction of Christianity to the Chinese was part of nineteenth-century Western imperialism. In fact, Syriac-speaking Christians brought the gospel along the Silk Road into China in the seventh century. Glen L. Thompson introduces readers to the fascinating history of this early Eastern church, referred to as Jingjiao, or the “Luminous Teaching.” Thompson presents the history of the Persian church's mission to China with rigor and clarity. While Christianity remained a minority and “foreign” religion in the Middle Kingdom, it nonetheless attracted adherents among indigenous Chinese and received imperial approval during the Tang Dynasty. Though it was later suppressed alongside Buddhism, it resurfaced in China and Mongolia in the twelfth century. Thompson also discusses how the modern unearthing of Chinese Christian texts has stirred controversy over the meaning of Jingjiao to recent missionary efforts in China. In an accessible style, Thompson guides readers through primary sources as well as up-to-date scholarship. As the most recent and balanced survey on the topic available in English, Jingjiao: The Earliest Christian Church in China (Eerdmans, 2024) will be an indispensable resource for students of global Christianity and missiology. Glen L. Thompson is professor emeritus of New Testament and historical theology at Asia Lutheran Seminary in Hong Kong. He has retired to Milwaukee, where he researches, works with students, and expands his Fourth-Century Christianity website. New Books in Syriac Studies is presented by Kristian Heal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices Support our show by becoming a premium member! https://newbooksnetwork.supportingcast.fm/book-of-the-day

In the eyes of the Chinese Communist Party, loving Jesus makes Christians “unpatriotic.” Bob Fu, founder and president of , explains: “[The communists believe] you cannot love your country and love Jesus.” Absolute government control of churches and other religious institutions continues to tighten in China as persecuted Christians are unwilling to comply with the doctrines of the Communist Party, which is expanding efforts to “Sinicize” the church. Listen to hear how pastors and church leaders are now being charged with fraud or other financial crimes, rather than charges relating to religion. Bob Fu, author of God's Double Agent, will also share an update on John Cao, who was released from prison last year but still is not free. The CCP continues to watch Cao's every move, yet he continues to serve the Lord through a house church, daily prayer meetings, and a small Bible school — even baptizing new believers despite constant surveillance! is now six years into his nine-year prison sentence. Like Richard Wurmbrand, who founded The Voice of the Martyrs and wrote hundreds of sermons in his head during his 14 years in prison, Wang Yi has written three books in prison. Wang also continues to pray daily through more than a thousand items on his prayer list. If you'd like to write letters of encouragement to Christian prisoners or petition their governments, go to . Listen as Bob Fu shares how he stays personally encouraged despite constantly hearing of the sufferings of our spiritual family in China. He also suggests specific ways to pray for our Chinese Christian brothers and sisters. The Voice of the Martyrs recently launched a new, daily podcast; Extreme Devotion is available on , or wherever you listen to podcasts. for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as giving free access to e-books, audio books, video content and feature films.

In the eyes of the Chinese Communist Party, loving Jesus makes Christians “unpatriotic.” Bob Fu, founder and president of China Aid, explains: “[The communists believe] you cannot love your country and love Jesus.” Absolute government control of churches and other religious institutions continues to tighten in China as persecuted Christians are unwilling to comply with the doctrines of the Communist Party, which is expanding efforts to “Sinicize” the church. Listen to hear how pastors and church leaders are now being charged with fraud or other financial crimes, rather than charges relating to religion. Bob Fu, author of God's Double Agent, will also share an update on John Cao, who was released from prison last year but still is not free. The CCP continues to watch Cao's every move, yet he continues to serve the Lord through a house church, daily prayer meetings, and a small Bible school — even baptizing new believers despite constant surveillance! Pastor Wang Yi is now six years into his nine-year prison sentence. Like Richard Wurmbrand, who founded The Voice of the Martyrs and wrote hundreds of sermons in his head during his 14 years in prison, Wang Yi has written three books in prison. Wang also continues to pray daily through more than a thousand items on his prayer list. If you'd like to write letters of encouragement to Christian prisoners or petition their governments, go to www.PrisonerAlert.com. Listen as Bob Fu shares how he stays personally encouraged despite constantly hearing of the sufferings of our spiritual family in China. He also suggests specific ways to pray for our Chinese Christian brothers and sisters. The Voice of the Martyrs recently launched a new, daily podcast; Extreme Devotion is available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you listen to podcasts. The VOM App for your smartphone or tablet will help you pray daily for persecuted Christians throughout the year, as well as giving free access to e-books, audio books, video content and feature films. Download the VOM App for your iOS or Android device today.

••• Deciding On Your Level of Supernatural Empowerment••• Bible Study Verses: Luke 24.44-49, Acts 1.8, Acts 2.1-4, Acts 2.41-43, Isaiah 40.31, John 7.38, Zechariah 10.1, Acts 8.39, Matthew 28.18 ••• “Furthermore, through the believer's spirit the Holy Spirit is able to impart God's life to thirsty and dying men. However, this filling of the Holy Spirit differs from the baptism with the Holy Spirit, because the latter is for the purpose of service while the former solves the problem of life (naturally it will affect service too)”, Watchman Nee, 1903-1972, A Chinese Christian author & church leader during the early 20th Century. Nee founded the "Local churches." He became a Christian in 1920 at age 17 & began writing in the same year. In 1921, he met the British missionary Miss M. E. Barber, who was a great influence and introduced him to many of the Christian writings which were to have a profound influence on him & his teachings. Nee attended no seminaries. His knowledge was acquired through studying the Bible & reading various Christian spiritual books. During his 30 years of ministry, beginning in 1922, Nee traveled throughout China planting churches among the rural communities & holding Christian conferences & trainings in Shanghai. In 1952 the communists cut his tongue out for preaching & imprisoned him until his death in 1972. † ••• "For our gospel did not come to you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Spirit”, 1 Thessalonians 1.5, NKJV••• What were 3-reasons why Joesph wouldn't take part in adultery? ••• What was the result of the early church waiting on the promise of God? ••• How did the disciples become bold? ••• What does empower mean? ••• What is supernatural empowerment? ••• What is the difference between level-1, level-2 and level-3 empowerment? ••• What are 3-reasons why we need supernatural empowerment in our lives? ••• Are you going to ask your small group to pray that you will be more intentional about increasing your empowerment through the power of Holy Spirit? ••• Pastor Godwin Otuno expounds on this and much more on the exciting journey of Fresh Encounters Radio Podcast originally aired on January 25, 2025 on WNQM, Nashville Quality Ministries and WWCR World Wide Christian Radio broadcasted to all 7-continents on this big beautiful blue marble, earth, floating through space. Please be prayerful before studying The Word of God so that you will receive the most inspiration possible••• This Discipleship Teaching Podcast is brought to you by Christian Leadership International and all the beloved of God who believe in it's mission through prayer and support. Thank you••• Broadcaster's Website - https://www.lifelonganointing.com/ .••• Exceeding Thanks to Universe Creator Christ Jesus AND Photo by Guillaume de Germain Photography, Paris, France, Instagram: @guillaumedegermain, Paypal: guillaumedegermain@gmail.com AND Ivan Aryansinh Photography, https://www.pexels.com/@aryansinh-48516791/, https://www.instagram.com/aryansinh2343/ . Paypal Donation Handle: ivnsmkv.pexels@gmail.com, https://www.instagram.com/normvanya/. Art Direction by gil on his mac . ••• † http://christian-quotes.ochristian.com/Watchman-Nee-Quotes/••• SHARING LINK: https://shows.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast/250125-power-from-on-high-ep365 . ••• Study Guides at - https://shows.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast/episodes . ••• RESOURCE - https://www.soundcloud.com/thewaytogod/ . ••• RESOURCE - https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/kjv/john.1%20 .••• FERP 250125 Episode#365 GOT 250125 Ep365••• Power From On High, Deciding On Your Level of Supernatural EmpowermentSupport this show http://supporter.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Would you be prepared to die for the gospel? In this week's episode of The Missions Podcast, Alex and Scott sit down with Andrew Montonera, author of a new missionary biography on John and Betty Stam. They discuss the tragic story of the Stam's martyrdom in China (1934), the ordinariness of their lives, and the impact that their story has on Chinese Christians today. Andrew Montonera is the great grand nephew of John Stam. Upon finding a collection of old books owned by John and Betty Stam, Andrew felt called to write a new missionary biography, "By Life or By Death", about their incredible life and death. Want to hear more of the conversation? In this week's Overtime episode for Premium Subscribers, Alex, Scott, and Brian dive into how stories of martyrs have affected their lives and what those stories do for the global church. Become a Premium Subscriber and listen to that conversation and more at missionspodcast.com/premium. With over 3 billion people in the world who have never heard of Jesus, the global need is tremendous for workers to go into the harvest fields (Matthew 9:37-38). Is God calling you to missions? We'd love to have a conversation with you on how you can use your gifts and talents to advance the Great Commission at home and abroad. Visit abwe.org/SendMe for more information and to take your next step in missions. Do you love The Missions Podcast? Have you been blessed by the show? Then become a Premium Subscriber! Premium Subscribers get access to: Exclusive bonus content A community Signal thread with other listeners and the hosts Invite-only webinars A free gift! Support The Missions Podcast and sign up to be a Premium Subscriber at missionspodcast.com/premium The Missions Podcast is powered by ABWE. Learn more and take your next step in the Great Commission at abwe.org. Want to ask a question or suggest a topic? Email alex@missionspodcast.com.

••• Marks of True Believer . ••• Bible Study Verses: 1 John 2.18-29, 1 John 4.1-3, Romans 8.16-17, Matthew 3.17, John 10.30, John 17.21, Matthew 7.15, Matthew 24.24, 1 Peter 5.8, Acts 4.12, Matthew 1.21, 1 Corinthians 15.19, 1 John 2.24-27 . ••• “The burdens of the Spirit differ from the weights on the Spirit. A burden of the Spirit, on the other hand, is given by God to His child for the purpose of calling him to work, to pray, or to preach. It is a burden with purpose, with reason, and for spiritual profit”, Watchman Nee, 1903-1972, A Chinese Christian author & church leader during the early 20th Century. Nee founded the "Local churches." He became a Christian in 1920 at age 17 & began writing in the same year. In 1921, he met the British missionary Miss M. E. Barber, who was a great influence and introduced him to many of the Christian writings which were to have a profound influence on him & his teachings. Nee attended no seminarys. His knowledge was acquired through studying the Bible & reading various Christian spiritual books. During his 30 years of ministry, beginning in 1922, Nee traveled throughout China planting churches among the rural communities & holding Christian conferences & trainings in Shanghai. In 1952 the communists cut his tongue out for preaching & imprisoned him until his death in 1972.† ••• "And I will pray the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may abide with you forever— the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees Him nor knows Him; but you know Him, for He dwells with you and will be in you. I will not leave you orphans; I will come to you”, John 14.16-18, NKJV.••• Who did St. John call anti-Christ?••• Who does St. John call a lier?••• What are the 3-tests or marks of a true believer in the Lord, Christ Jesus?••• What are the 5-factors in denying the Christ?••• What are 3-reasons why St. John is telling us these things?••• What are 5-reasons why denying Christ Jesus is such an important issue to understand?••• What are the 2-guardrails to make sure you don't become a Christ denier?••• Are you going to ask your small group to pray that you will be more intentional about abiding in Christ through the power of Holy Spirit? ••• Pastor Godwin Otuno expounds on this and much more on the exciting journey of Fresh Encounters Radio Podcast originally aired on December 28, 2024 on WNQM, Nashville Quality Ministries and WWCR World Wide Christian Radio broadcasted to all 7-continents on this big beautiful blue marble, earth, floating through space. Please be prayerful before studying The Word of God so that you will receive the most inspiration possible .••• This Discipleship Teaching Podcast is brought to you by Christian Leadership International and all the beloved of God who believe in it's mission through prayer and support. Thank you . ••• Broadcaster's Website - https://www.lifelonganointing.com/ .•••• Exceeding Thanks to Universe Creator Christ Jesus AND Photo by Tuğba Photography, Türkiye, Pexel.com. Art Direction by gil on his mac . ••• † http://christian-quotes.ochristian.com/Watchman-Nee-Quotes/ .••• SHARING LINK: https://shows.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast/241228-abiding-in-christ-ep361 . ••• Study Guides at - https://shows.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast/episodes .••• RESOURCE - https://www.soundcloud.com/thewaytogod/ . ••• RESOURCE - https://www.biblegateway.com/audio/mclean/kjv/john.1%20••• FERP 241228 Episode#361 GOT 241228 Ep361••• Abiding In Christ: Marks of True Believer.Support this show http://supporter.acast.com/fresh-encounter-radio-podcast. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Ron shares an update on the church in China following his meetings with pastors overseas. Persecution continues to escalate, with the Communist Party employing intimidation, imprisonment, and outright theft to suppress believers. Yet, despite facing daily threats to their safety, the faith and courage of Chinese Christians remain a powerful inspiration as they steadfastly take up their cross and follow Christ. Don't miss this compelling update — listen now!

fWotD Episode 2673: Cross Temple, Fangshan Welcome to Featured Wiki of the Day, your daily dose of knowledge from Wikipedia’s finest articles.The featured article for Thursday, 29 August 2024 is Cross Temple, Fangshan.The Cross Temple (Chinese: 十字寺; pinyin: Shízì sì) is a former place of worship in Fangshan, Beijing. The temple was used during different periods by Buddhists and early Chinese Christians. Though it was originally built as a Buddhist temple, some scholars hypothesise that it saw Christian use during the Tang dynasty (618–907). The temple was used by Buddhists during the Liao dynasty (916–1125) and by Christians during the Yuan dynasty (1271–1368). It returned to Buddhist use during the Ming dynasty (1368–1644), before being sold in 1911. It was first recorded in modern scholarship in 1919, damaged during the Cultural Revolution, and re-established as a national-level protected site in 2006. Some scholars consider it to be the only place of worship of the Church of the East (also known as Nestorian Christianity) discovered in China.Today, the site features two ancient steles, as well as groundwork and the bases of several pillars. The steles date to the Liao and Yuan dynasties, but their inscriptions were tampered with during the Ming. During the early 20th century, two stone blocks carved with crosses and other patterns were also discovered at the site, with one of them also bearing an inscription in Syriac. The blocks are presently on display at the Nanjing Museum.This recording reflects the Wikipedia text as of 01:11 UTC on Thursday, 29 August 2024.For the full current version of the article, see Cross Temple, Fangshan on Wikipedia.This podcast uses content from Wikipedia under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License.Visit our archives at wikioftheday.com and subscribe to stay updated on new episodes.Follow us on Mastodon at @wikioftheday@masto.ai.Also check out Curmudgeon's Corner, a current events podcast.Until next time, I'm standard Nicole.

It's Thursday, July 25th, A.D. 2024. This is The World View in 5 Minutes written by Jonathan Clark and heard at www.TheWorldView.com. Filling in for Adam McManus I'm Ean Leppin. Christians in China Facing the Worst Persecution in Decades Bob Fu, the founder of China Aid, addressed the second International Religious Freedom Summit Asia in Tokyo this week. Fu said Christians in China are facing the worst persecution in decades. FU: “Between 100 to 130 million Chinese Christians are now currently experiencing the worst Christian persecution we have not seen since the cultural revolution in 40 years.” Fu said China has moved from trying to control Christianity to eradicating it. For example, the Chinese Communist Party forbids children from believing in Christianity. Officials encourage family members of Christians to report them. Authorities have also banned private Christian education and many foreign missionaries.  Fu goes on to say that part of eradicating Christianity involves criminalizing aspects of it. FU: “The recent trend shows the Communist party even tried to criminalize the most fundamental elements of Christian worship.  Pastors, one after another, had been arrested for simply putting up an offering box, are now being criminalized as business fraud.  So many pastors already got sentenced from three years, four years, seven years imprisonment for collecting the tithing and offerings.” Please pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters in Christ in China, ranked the 19th on the Open Doors' World Watch List of nations where it is most difficult to be a Christian.  Christians in Scotland feel Excluded A recent survey from Logos Scotland found most Christians in the country feel excluded from public life. Seventy-percent of respondents believe the Scottish government does not support them. A similar number said they are concerned about abuse leveled at Christian politicians. Most also said they have experienced discrimination for their faith.  Scotland's latest census data from 2022 found people who identify with no religion outnumbered those who do identify with a religion for the first time.  Netanyahu speaks to Congress As reported by NBC News.  Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Wednesday delivered an impassioned speech to Congress, taking on protesters inside the House chamber and thousands gathered outside the Capitol. It was his first address to U.S. lawmakers in nearly a decade and the first since Hamas' Oct. 7 terrorist attack on Israel killed 1,200 people and resulted in the taking of over 240 hostages to Gaza, where about 100 are still believed to be held captive. Netanyahu spoke about that day. NETANYAHU: “October 7th is a day that will forever live in infamy.  It was [a] Jewish holiday.  It began as a perfect day - not a cloud in the sky.  Thousands of young Israelis were celebrating at an outdoor music festival.  And suddenly, at 6:29am, 3000 Hamas terrorists stormed into Israel.  They butchered 1200 people from 41 countries, including 39 Americans.  Proportionately, compared to our population size, that's like 29 9/11s in one day.” Netanyahu also emphasized the importance of the US and Israel standing together. NETANYAHU: “This is not a clash of civilizations. It's a clash between barbarism and civilization; between those who glorify death and those who sanctify life.  America and Israel must stand together.” Vice President Harris Secures Democrat Delegates In the U.S., Vice President Kamala Harris has received enough support from Democrat delegates to become her party's nominee for president.  She has secured 3,180 delegates, well over the required 1,976. This comes after President Joe Biden dropped out of the race on Sunday and endorsed Harris. She went on to raise over $80 million for her campaign in the first 24 hours. The Democratic National Convention meets next month and plans to officially select their nominee by August 7. Trump Leads Harris in Polls Former President Donald Trump narrowly leads Vice President Kamala Harris in recent polls, according to Real Clear Politics. Trump led by three points in a CNN poll with an average lead of 1.7 points across recent polls. However, one poll from Reuters/Ipsos gave Harris a two-point lead. With many voters supporting Biden's decision to not run again, Harris is performing better against Trump than Biden did in the polls. Pro-abortion Work of Harris Speaking of Kamala Harris, the Vice President is an outspoken supporter of killing unborn babies. Emily Davis with Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America warned, “American women and babies lose if she's in office, because she will not stop. She knows whom she's beholden to financially. She is the preferred candidate of the abortion lobby.”  Harris is known for targeting pro-life voices. As California's attorney general, she prosecuted whistleblower David Daleiden in 2016. Daleiden had exposed Planned Parenthood's sale of body parts from aborted babies.  In an interview with Fox News Senator Marco Rubio of Florida said this concerning a potential presidency of Kamala Harris. RUBIO: “Kamala Harris is owned by the left.  She is a product of the left wing of the Democratic party, whether it's defunding ICE, getting rid of ICE, defunding the police.  Single payer health care- I know she's changed her positions when she became the vice presidential nominee.  But these are the things she fought for and stood for and voted for when she was a senator, and that's what she'll do when she's president.  She is a committed California left wing Democrat.  And she will be the most radically left president this country will ever have if she were elected.” Proverbs 29:2 says, “When the righteous increase, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.” Happy Birthday John Newton! And finally, this week marks the birthday of John Newton. He was born on July 24, 1725 in London. Newton was a captain of slave ships in his early life. While at sea, a severe storm brought him to his spiritual senses, leading to his eventual conversion.  Newton went on to marry, become a pastor, and work to end the slave trade. Newton is probably best known for his hymns. Each week he would write a hymn to a familiar tune. Of his hundreds of hymns, he is especially remembered for “Amazing Grace,” “Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken,” and “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds!” Newton wrote his own epitaph for his tombstone which says, “JOHN NEWTON. Clerk. Once an infidel and libertine, a servant of slaves in Africa was by the rich mercy of our LORD and SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST preserved, restored, pardoned and appointed to preach the faith he had long laboured to destroy. Near 16 years as Curate of this parish and 28 years as Rector of St. Mary Woolnoth.” Ephesians 2:8 says, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”  And that's The World View in 5 Minutes on this Thursday, July 25th, in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldView.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

Western China is an exotic land few know about. "Mike," a Christian missionary who served there for years, pulls back the curtain on this unique region. Listen as Mike shares about the Uighur Muslims living in western China, and the hardships they face at the hands of China's communist regime. But God is also on the move in western China. Learn how western missionaries - and even Chinese Christians - are taking risks to reach the Uighur people for Christ. Mike makes clear that we all have a role to play in missions. We must be praying, going or supporting the work of this grand adventure called missions. May this encore episode give you context to help you step into your role today. Mike's Blog: https://www.goconnecting.us/ Follow Mike on Twitter: @goconnecting Book recommendation from Mike: A New History of Christianity in China, by Daniel B. Hays. Follow the Christian Emergency Alliance on Twitter: @ChristianEmerg1 Follow the Christian Emergency Alliance on Facebook: @ChristianEmergency Donate to the Christian Emergency Alliance at https://www.christianemergency.com/. The Christian Emergency Podcast is a production of the Christian Emergency Alliance.

Full Text of ReadingsMonday of the Fourteenth Week in Ordinary Time Lectionary: 383The Saint of the day is Saint Gregory Grassi and CompanionsSaint Gregory Grassi and Companions’ Story Christian missionaries have often gotten caught in the crossfire of wars against their own countries. When the governments of Britain, Germany, Russia, and France forced substantial territorial concessions from the Chinese in 1898, anti-foreign sentiment grew very strong among many Chinese people. Gregory Grassi was born in Italy in 1823, ordained in 1856, and sent to China five years later. Gregory was later ordained bishop of North Shanxi. With 14 other European missionaries and 14 Chinese religious, he was martyred during the short but bloody Boxer Uprising of 1900. Twenty-six of these martyrs were arrested on the orders of Yu Hsien, the governor of Shanxi province. They were hacked to death on July 9, 1900. Five of them were Friars Minor; seven were Franciscan Missionaries of Mary—the first martyrs of their congregation. Seven were Chinese seminarians and Secular Franciscans; four martyrs were Chinese laymen and Secular Franciscans. The other three Chinese laymen killed in Shanxi simply worked for the Franciscans and were rounded up with all the others. Three Italian Franciscans were martyred that same week in the province of Hunan. All these martyrs were beatified in 1946, and were among the 120 martyrs canonized in 2000. Reflection Martyrdom is the occupational hazard of missionaries. Throughout China during the Boxer Uprising, five bishops, 50 priests, two brothers, 15 sisters and 40,000 Chinese Christians were killed. The 146,575 Catholics served by the Franciscans in China in 1906 had grown to 303,760 by 1924, and were served by 282 Franciscans and 174 local priests. Great sacrifices often bring great results. Saint of the Day, Copyright Franciscan Media

"The Holy Martyrs of China were native Chinese Orthodox Christians brought up in piety at the Russian Orthodox Mission in Peking, which had been founded in 1685. During the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 against the foreign powers occupying China, native Chinese Christians were commanded by the Boxers to renounce Christianity or be tortured to death. Two hundred and twenty-two members of the Peking Mission, led by their priest Metrophanes Tsi-Chung and his family, refused to deny Christ, and were deemed worthy of a martyric death." ( Great Horologion)

"The Holy Martyrs of China were native Chinese Orthodox Christians brought up in piety at the Russian Orthodox Mission in Peking, which had been founded in 1685. During the Boxer Rebellion of 1900 against the foreign powers occupying China, native Chinese Christians were commanded by the Boxers to renounce Christianity or be tortured to death. Two hundred and twenty-two members of the Peking Mission, led by their priest Metrophanes Tsi-Chung and his family, refused to deny Christ, and were deemed worthy of a martyric death." ( Great Horologion)

Brown v. United States, No. 22-6389 (U.S. May 23, 2024)sentence enhancement; ACCA; Pennsylvania marijuana; Florida cocaine; categorical approach point of comparison Matter of M-N-I-, 28 I&N Dec. 803 (BIA 2024)choice of law; change of venue; Matter of Garcia; administrative control court; notice of hearing Tulung v. Garland, No. 23-2430 (1st Cir. May 21, 2024)changed country condition motion to reopen; Chinese Christian; Indonesia; cumulative evidence; point of comparison; new evidenceDurakovic v. Garland, No. 23-2430 (8th Cir. May 20, 2024)Bosnian Muslims; religion and nexus; police information; one central reason vs. a reason; asylum and withholding nexus standard Leger v. U.S. Att'y Gen., No. 22-10971 (11th Cir. May 20, 2024)sexual abuse of a minor aggravated felony; INA § 101(a)(43)(A); Said and marijuana; prior precedent rule; Fla. Stat. § 800.04(4); age differential; statutory rape; generic definition and statutory construction; deficient NTA; claims processing rule argument misconstrued by BIA as jurisdictionSponsors and friends of the podcast!Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A.Immigration, serious injury, and business lawyers serving clients in Florida, California, and all over the world for over 40 years.Docketwise"Modern immigration software & case management"Filevine"Your Complete Legal Tech Stack, Supercharged by AI"Promo: Immigration.AI/ImmigrationReview Stafi"Remote staffing solutions for businesses of all sizes"Promo Code: stafi2024Get Started! Promo Code: FREEWant to become a patron?Click here to check out our Patreon Page!CONTACT INFORMATIONEmail: kgregg@kktplaw.comFacebook: @immigrationreviewInstagram: @immigrationreviewTwitter: @immreviewAbout your hostCase notesRecent criminal-immigration article (p.18)Featured in San Diego VoyagerDISCLAIMER & CREDITSSee Eps. 1-200Support the Show.

Sorto-Vasquez Kidd, et al. v. Mayorkas, et al., (C.D. Cal. May 15, 2024)knock and arrest; knock and talk; curtilage; Fourth Amendment; injunctive relief; vacating ICE policy and practice; Aleman Gonzalez; INA § 242(f) Matter of Furtado, 28 I&N Dec. 794 (BIA 2024)Hague Act Adoption and I-130; exceptions; internal USCIS policy; Central Authority letter; habitual residence Djokro v. Garland, No. 23-1712 (1st Cir. May 17, 2024)changed country condition motion to reopen; Sihotang v. Sessions; Chinese Christian; Indonesia Marquez Cruz v. Garland, No. 23-1676 (4th Cir. May 14, 2024)crimes of child abuse, neglect, or abandonment; attempted second degree child sexual abuse under D.C. Code §§ 22-3009 and 22-3018; attempt crimes and INA § 237(a)(2)(E)(i)Sponsors and friends of the podcast!Kurzban Kurzban Tetzeli and Pratt P.A.Immigration, serious injury, and business lawyers serving clients in Florida, California, and all over the world for over 40 years.Docketwise"Modern immigration software & case management"Filevine"Your Complete Legal Tech Stack, Supercharged by AI"Promo: Immigration.AI/ImmigrationReview Stafi"Remote staffing solutions for businesses of all sizes"Promo Code: stafi2024Get Started! Promo Code: FREEWant to become a patron?Click here to check out our Patreon Page!CONTACT INFORMATIONEmail: kgregg@kktplaw.comFacebook: @immigrationreviewInstagram: @immigrationreviewTwitter: @immreviewAbout your hostCase notesRecent criminal-immigration article (p.18)Featured in San Diego VoyagerDISCLAIMER & CREDITSSee Eps. 1-200Support the Show.

It's Monday, May 20th, A.D. 2024. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com. I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Adam McManus Where is Chinese Christian blogger Zhang Zhan? Zhang Zhan, a 40-year-old Chinese Christian blogger, journalist, activist, and former human rights lawyer, was scheduled to be released on May 13 after four years in Shanghai's Women Prison, reports The Associated Press. She was imprisoned in May 2020 after getting convicted of reporting on the outbreak of COVID-19 in Wuhan, China. The Free Zhang Zhan campaign issued a press release on May 13 stating that there was no confirmation of her release from prison. Plus, Zhang's family had been under immense pressure from Chinese officials not to give any media interviews about her case. The press release added, “We are left wondering where she is, how she is doing physically and mentally, what's happened to her family, and what the future holds for her. … It is totally unacceptable that the Chinese government subject many human rights defenders and their families to this kind of cruelty. Even after their release from prison, they are still deprived of their basic rights.” Zhang's case highlights the Chinese government's arbitrary arrests of Christians, journalists, and human rights lawyers who challenge the Communist government's control and policies. By contrast, Psalm 82:3 describes the Biblical obligation of the civil magistrates. “Defend the weak and the fatherless; uphold the cause of the poor and the oppressed.” Please write a polite email or letter to Xie Feng, the Chinese ambassador to America, asking for information on Zhang Zhan's whereabouts. Send it to 3505 International Place, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20008. Trump demands drug test of Biden before debate Appearing at the Minnesota Republican Party's Lincoln Reagan Dinner last Friday, former President Donald Trump said he wants President Joe Biden to be drug-tested before their first debate on Thursday, June 27th, reports The Hill.com. TRUMP: “I'm gonna demand a drug test too, by the way. (cheers) I don't want him coming in like the State of the Union. He was high as a kite. (laughter) I said, ‘Is that Joe up there?' (laughter)  And by the end of the evening, he was exhausted, right? No, we're going to demand a drug test.” Giuliani served legal notice of Arizona indictment at 80th birthday Former New York City mayor and Trump attorney Rudy Giuliani got more than cake and presents for his 80th birthday bash in Palm Beach, Florida. He was also served a legal notice of his Arizona indictment for allegedly being involved in a plot to overturn the 2020 election in favor of ex-President Donald Trump, reports the New York Post. Around 11:00pm, after most of the 200 birthday guests -- including Trump advisors Roger Stone and Steve Bannon -- were gone, two officials from Democratic Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes' office delivered the papers. Some of the party stragglers began screaming – including one woman who cried as Giuliani was handed the papers. Giuliani was the last of the 18 pro-Trump defendants to be served in the indictment returned by a grand jury last month. They're accused of partaking in a failed bid to award Arizona's 11 presidential electoral votes to Trump. Woman prayed while dangling from bridge in semi truck And finally, newly released dashcam footage of an accident that left a massive semitruck dangling from a bridge earlier this year is going viral. The shocking footage of the Kentucky four-vehicle crash, which unfolded Friday, March 1 on the Clark Memorial Bridge in Louisville, Kentucky, is absolutely terrifying, reports FaithWire.com. Trevor Branham, age 33, lost control of his vehicle, crossed into the wrong lanes, hit another car, then struck the semitruck in question. Sydney Thomas, age 26, was driving that semitruck, which was sent off the bridge and dangling 100 feet above the Ohio River. She described what happened to WHAS-TV. THOMAS: “He crossed over into the northbound lane and then he hit me. And once he hit me, he took my suspension out. It didn't matter which way I turned the wheel, the truck was going to go [in] whatever direction it wanted to go in. I felt myself veering off to the left. And then, I saw myself going over the railing and I was, like, ‘Well, this is it!' “When I went through the railing, I was just thinking, ‘Wow! This is crazy to die like this.'  I really thought that I was about to die. I can try to hurry up and take the seatbelt off and jump out of the truck if I have enough time to. I was thinking this: when I felt myself going over I'm like, ‘I'm going to have to jump.' I can't swim either. I started thinking that and then it stopped. And once it stopped, I just looked down and I saw the river. If this truck falls, I'm gonna have to jump out because, if not -- the Ohio River is 128 feet deep. Because if I don't, I'm gonna be at the bottom of the river because that truck was full!” Providentially, Thomas wasn't injured in the astonishing accident. She didn't hesitate to pray. THOMAS: “I was praying, I was crying, and I was trying to just stay calm and just hope and pray that they would be able to get me out -- because I didn't think they would be able to. If I start freaking out and screaming and moving around, the truck might fall into the river.” She confessed, “Sometimes you pray, and I'm guilty of this: I pray, and I don't think God is listening. But He was that day!” God kept that semi-truck from falling into the water for 40 minutes until firefighters were able to use a crane to lift Louisville firefighter Bryce Carden down to reach her. Amazingly, he appeared at her window mid-air, latched to a harness, and hanging from the crane. He asked if he could pray with her – and the two proceeded to invoke the Lord. CARDEN: “She was just praying. She was praying a lot. And I prayed with her. ‘Thank God!'  That's what she kept saying, ‘Thank God!' And I told her, I said, ‘Just take a deep breath, and then here's what I need you to do' -- because I needed her to assist and move in certain ways to be able to get the harness on right.” Though Sydney Thomas has no plans of traveling ever again on the Clark Memorial Bridge, she credited God for saving her. THOMAS: “God kept me here for a reason because I really shouldn't be here, but I am. So, I'm just, you know, giving Him all the honor because stuff like that don't happen every day.” Psalm 28:7 says, “The LORD is my strength and my shield; my heart trusts in Him, and He helps me. My heart leaps for joy, and with my song I praise Him.” As for Branham, the driver who caused the accident, he was arrested in March and charged with four counts of wanton endangerment and one count of operating on a suspended license. The truck driver's father, Marc Thomas, said that he too believes the Lord was watching over her. He said, “That [rescue] was nothing but God displaying Himself to me!” Check out the amazing video which we have linked in our transcript today at www.TheWorldview.com. Close And that's The Worldview on this Monday, May 20th in the year of our Lord 2024. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ.

When the Trump administration's policy of separating families at the country's borders was announced, opposition from the public and the legal community was swift. The outcry and judicial decisions led to a reversal of the administration's stated policy. But detention and family separation have a long history in this country, history professor Ana Raquel Minian says. Minian, who immigrated from Mexico to the United States right before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has made an academic career studying immigration, incarceration and detention. As a young adult, Minian followed the news of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base being used to detain people who might be connected to those attacks. But in researching their new book, In the Shadow of Liberty: The Invisible History of Immigrant Detention in the United States, Minian discovered the base was first used as a detention center under President George H.W. Bush to hold Haitian refugees. Minian uses the personal experiences of four immigrants to walk readers through the history of immigrant detention in the United States: Fu Chi Hao, a Chinese Christian attempting to escape the Boxer Rebellion in 1901; Holocaust survivor Ellen Knauff, a war bride of an American GI who arrived at Ellis Island in 1948; Gerardo Mansur, a Cuban who joined the Mariel boat lift in 1979; and Fernando Arredondo, a Guatamalan asylum seeker who was separated from his daughter by border officials in 2018.  In this episode of The Modern Law Library, Minian shares details of these stories with the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles. They also discuss the shifting motivations behind changes in the immigration system, parole versus detention, and how attorneys can help immigrants currently in detention.

When the Trump administration's policy of separating families at the country's borders was announced, opposition from the public and the legal community was swift. The outcry and judicial decisions led to a reversal of the administration's stated policy. But detention and family separation have a long history in this country, history professor Ana Raquel Minian says. Minian, who immigrated from Mexico to the United States right before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has made an academic career studying immigration, incarceration and detention. As a young adult, Minian followed the news of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base being used to detain people who might be connected to those attacks. But in researching their new book, In the Shadow of Liberty: The Invisible History of Immigrant Detention in the United States, Minian discovered the base was first used as a detention center under President George H.W. Bush to hold Haitian refugees. Minian uses the personal experiences of four immigrants to walk readers through the history of immigrant detention in the United States: Fu Chi Hao, a Chinese Christian attempting to escape the Boxer Rebellion in 1901; Holocaust survivor Ellen Knauff, a war bride of an American GI who arrived at Ellis Island in 1948; Gerardo Mansur, a Cuban who joined the Mariel boat lift in 1979; and Fernando Arredondo, a Guatamalan asylum seeker who was separated from his daughter by border officials in 2018.  In this episode of The Modern Law Library, Minian shares details of these stories with the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles. They also discuss the shifting motivations behind changes in the immigration system, parole versus detention, and how attorneys can help immigrants currently in detention.

When the Trump administration's policy of separating families at the country's borders was announced, opposition from the public and the legal community was swift. The outcry and judicial decisions led to a reversal of the administration's stated policy. But detention and family separation have a long history in this country, history professor Ana Raquel Minian says. Minian, who immigrated from Mexico to the United States right before the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, has made an academic career studying immigration, incarceration and detention. As a young adult, Minian followed the news of Guantanamo Bay Naval Base being used to detain people who might be connected to those attacks. But in researching their new book, In the Shadow of Liberty: The Invisible History of Immigrant Detention in the United States, Minian discovered the base was first used as a detention center under President George H.W. Bush to hold Haitian refugees. Minian uses the personal experiences of four immigrants to walk readers through the history of immigrant detention in the United States: Fu Chi Hao, a Chinese Christian attempting to escape the Boxer Rebellion in 1901; Holocaust survivor Ellen Knauff, a war bride of an American GI who arrived at Ellis Island in 1948; Gerardo Mansur, a Cuban who joined the Mariel boat lift in 1979; and Fernando Arredondo, a Guatamalan asylum seeker who was separated from his daughter by border officials in 2018.  In this episode of The Modern Law Library, Minian shares details of these stories with the ABA Journal's Lee Rawles. They also discuss the shifting motivations behind changes in the immigration system, parole versus detention, and how attorneys can help immigrants currently in detention.

At the end of World War II, at the Potsdam Conference on July 17, 1945, it was decided how Germany would be divided by the American, British, French, and Soviet Allied leaders. Germany was divided into four zones of occupation to be controlled by the United States, Britain, France, and Communist Russia (the Soviet Union). The city of Berlin was split up by the four powers even though it was located within the zone controlled by Russia. Because West Berlin was formed by the American, British, and French sectors, East Berlin would be marked by its stark ideological differences shaped by communism because of its control under the Soviet Union. In 1949, Germany split into two independent nations known as the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) as a democracy in stark contrast to the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) that was marked by the communism of the Soviet Union. In 1952, the East German government closed its border with West Germany; to keep people from escaping East Germany to the West, a wire barrier was constructed around West Berlin on August 12-13, 1961, with the plan to build a permanent wall designed to divide neighborhoods, separate families, and keep any influence of a freedom loving West from a restrictive and oppressive East. The Berlin Wall would eventually grow into two walls measuring 96 miles long and 13 feet tall. Anyone who attempted to gain freedom from East Berlin by entering West Berlin was shot. By 1989, more than 100 people died trying to cross the Berlin Wall and hundreds more who tried to escape from East to West. There were 302 watchtowers along the 96-mile-long wall that separated the free from the burdened. On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Regan delivered a speech in West Berlin, a speech I remember well when I heard as it aired on television when I was only 13 years old. President Regans speech has been nicknamed the Tear Down This Wall speech from a line in his magnificent speech; I want you to hear just a sampling of this marvelous and important speech for a reason that will become clear in this sermon: Behind me stands a wall that encircles the free sectors of this city, part of a vast system of barriers that divides the entire continent of Europe. From the Baltic, south, those barriers cut across Germany in a gash of barbed wire, concrete, dog runs, and guard towers. Farther south, there may be no visible, no obvious wall. But there remain armed guards and checkpoints all the same still a restriction on the right to travel, still an instrument to impose upon ordinary men and women the will of a totalitarian state. Yet it is here in Berlin where the wall emerges most clearly; here, cutting across your city, where the news photo and the television screen have imprinted this brutal division of a continent upon the mind of the world. Standing before the Brandenburg Gate, every man is a German, separated from his fellow men. Every man is a Berliner, forced to look upon a scar. As long as this gate is closed, as long as this scar of a wall is permitted to stand, it is not the German question alone that remains open, but the question of freedom for all mankind. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate.Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate!Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! On November 9, 1989, Germans from the East and West gathered and began tearing the Berlin Wall down. On October 3, 1990, East Germany and West Germany were no more; Germany was reunited as one free nation. The Christian Has Been Brought Near to God (vv. 11-13) There are four things that were true of the Christians in Ephesus; these four things are true of you if you are now a Christian; these same four things are still true of you if you are not a Christian. Because most of you in this room are Christians, I will refer to these four truths as something that once was true of you. You at one time were Christless (vv. 11-12a). There were two types of people in Ephesus and in the world: the Uncircumcision and the Circumcision. The Uncircumcision were the Gentiles in the world while the Circumcision were the Jews who prided themselves on being the physical descendants of Abraham. The Uncircumcised Gentiles were convinced that they were very different than the Circumcised Jews, and the Jews felt the same way about the Gentiles. However, there were two things that these two groups did share in common: Both groups believed that so long as they were religious enough, they would be prepared for what comes after death, and both groups were dead in their sins because both were Christless. You were homeless (v. 12b). What I mean by homeless is that the Jews had known about and looked forward to the promises of God made to the descendants of Abraham. For example, when God called Abraham out of the city of Ur, He made the following promise to both him and his wife, Sarah: Go from your country, And from your relatives And from your fathers house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you into a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed (Gen. 12:1-3). The Jews had grown to assume that the promise was not for Gentiles and failed to realize that it would be through the Jewish people that the Gentile nations would experience the blessing made to Abraham. It was not that the promises were not for the nations also, but that the Gentiles were not aware of such promises. You were hopeless (v. 12c). What were the promises given to the Jews really for? They were promises concerning Gods plan to redeem Adams fallen race. Think about the promises made to the Jews for a moment! How would all the families of the earth be blessed? The Child promised in Isaiah 9:6-7 would be Jewish and would come through Israel, and this promise is for the nations: For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this. So how were the Gentiles in Ephesus without hope? They were without hope because unlike the Jews, they were unaware that unlike emperor Nero of Rome who was reigning at the time Ephesians was written, there was coming a true and better King who would do what Rome could never do: There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. For the Gentiles, Rome was as good as it would get is the same way that many today believe that life before death is as good as it will ever get, which is pretty hopeless! You were godless (v. 12d). Finally, the gentiles were godless in the sense that they were left to their idols because they did not know God. This does not mean that the Jews were not godless either, for if they were without Christ, then they were also Godless. To be Godless is to be without God. Do you know what happens when you are Godless? You will find a way to place an idol in the place only God was meant to reside in your life. You will find something that promises the sort of things that only a real God can give and provide; such as joy, satisfaction, contentment, meaning, and purpose to your life and you will be robed of the very things that idols promise to give. The God whose image you bear is the only being who can provide lasting joy, satisfaction, contentment, meaning, and purpose to your life. If you are a Christian, you are no longer Christless. Because you are no longer Christless, you belong to the people of God and are no longer homeless when it comes to the promises of God. Because you are now the recipient of the promises of God through Jesus, you are no longer hopeless. Because your hope rests in Jesus for your salvation, Paul declares: Now in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ (v. 13). The Christian Has the Peace of God (vv. 14-18) Gods plan for the salvation of sinners always included Gentiles. Before instructions for the construction of a temple that would serve as the center of worship for Israel where the presence of God would be experienced by His people, God instructed Israel: Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel (Exod. 19:5-6). In other words, Israel was commissioned to be Gods priests before the nations to lead the nations to God. Through the prophet Malachi, as He did throughout Israels history, God reminded His people that the redemption of the nations was always the plan: For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name shall be great among the nations, and in every place frankincense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of armies ( Mal. 1:11). So, what is this dividing wall the apostle Paul refers to in verse 14? The temple that King Herod built for the Jews included a place known as, The Court of the Gentiles. The Court of the Gentiles was the place within the Temple Walls that allowed Gentiles to gather and worship the God of the Hebrews, but they were forbidden to go any further than the outer court because they were considered too dirty to come any closer to the inner courts, only the true Jew was permitted to into the holier place that was closest to the Holy of Holies where the presence of God was. There was a wall that stood about 4.5 feet high that separated the Court of the Gentiles from the inner courts and signs that were posted that stated in Greek: No foreigner may enter within the balustrade around the sanctuary and the enclosure. Whoever is caught, on himself shall he put blame for the death which will ensue.[1] The Court of the Gentiles is also the place where Jesus taught while in the Temple (Matt. 21:23; 26:55; Luke 19:47; John 7:14). The Court of the Gentiles is also the place where money was changed because the required coinage for people to use for the Temple tax had to be Tyrian shekels (aka the shekel of the sanctuary) because of the uneven value of other coinages and the idolatrous images on other coins. During Passover, it is estimated that over 200,000 lambs were sacrificed for the sins of the people; the Court of the Gentiles was the place where people could purchase their sacrifice. The Court of the Gentiles was where the money was made and exchanged, and for many, became more important than worship itself. The Court of the Gentiles was not in the original plans God gave His people for the Temple (see Numbers 15:14-15), nor were they ever a part of Gods plans for the place where His people would worship Him. Here is what Isaiah said of the place of Gods worship: Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to attend to His service and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, every one who keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane it, And holds firmly to My covenant; Even those I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples. It was the Court of the Gentiles that Jesus entered into during Passover week before He would die on the Cross as the perfect and true Lamb of God, and was enraged over the way Israel had perverted the Temple: And He entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying on the temple grounds, and He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; and He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple grounds. And He began to teach and say to them, Is it not written: my house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations? But you have made it a den of robbers. (Mark 11:15-17). They crucified Jesus because the Jews who were convinced that their religion was enough, but what Israel failed to see was that their problem was the same as the problem of the Gentiles. There exists before all of humanity a far greater wall than the one that separated the Gentiles from the Jews in the Temple! It is a wall that only One Lamb can remedy and of all the peoples of the nations that should have known that such a wall exists, it should have been those who had before them from the commandments, writings, and the prophets, the covenants of the promise (v. 12). The wall is greater than any other wall, for it is the great wall of mankinds sin and guilt before a Holy God and there is nothing that the Jews or the Gentiles could do to tear it down, nor is there anything that you and I can do to remove the wall. For the Jew, the Law simply pointed to the wall of our own sin and that there is only One who is able to tear down the wall (see Gal. 3:23-29). Jesus tore down the wall by going to the Cross, He redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us (Ga. 3:13). It is only through the blood He shed for sins we are guilty of that, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings (Eph. 1:7). The wall was our sin, the hostility was ours before a Holy God, and our only hope for a peace with Him was and is the Prince of Peace! This is why Paul wrote, For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace (vv. 14-15). How did He do it? Through His cross: and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the hostility (v. 16). Conclusion Through Christ, the wall that alienated and separated us from any hope of knowing God or being known by God was blown to ashes through the Cross! The Christian, regardless of culture, skin color, or language, is now reconciled to the One whose image we all bearHe is our peace! Christian, because the wall of your sin was torn down by the Lamb of God, you share the same thing that the Chinese Christian, the Korean Christian, the Indian Christian, the Burmese Christian, the Iranian Christian, the Sudanese Christian, the Canadian Christian, and the Mexican Christian all have that you now have through Jesus Christ: Access in one Spirit to the Father through the Son! What better news could there possibly be than what we read in these verses: For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace; and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the hostility. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. Regardless of your ethnicity, the thing that you share with every other Christian rescued, ransomed, and redeemed by the blood of Jesus is that we now belong to His Tribe and our colors are the same because we are covered by the blood of the perfect Lamb of God! To be a Christian is to be the Church, and to be the Church is to be the People of God! Your identity is no longer in the nation you live, the color of your skin, the language you speak, or the culture that has shaped and formed you. No! Your identity is now in Christ! If you are not a Christian, the great wall of your sin still stands, and your greatest need remains! There is only One who is able to remove the wall of your sin, so why wait any longer to be reconciled to God through the blood of the Lamb of God? [1] One such sign is on display at the Israel Museum and a second in the Istanbul Archaeology Museum.

At the end of World War II, at the Potsdam Conference on July 17, 1945, it was decided how Germany would be divided by the American, British, French, and Soviet Allied leaders. Germany was divided into four zones of occupation to be controlled by the United States, Britain, France, and Communist Russia (the Soviet Union). The city of Berlin was split up by the four powers even though it was located within the zone controlled by Russia. Because West Berlin was formed by the American, British, and French sectors, East Berlin would be marked by its stark ideological differences shaped by communism because of its control under the Soviet Union. In 1949, Germany split into two independent nations known as the Federal Republic of Germany (West Germany) as a democracy in stark contrast to the German Democratic Republic (East Germany) that was marked by the communism of the Soviet Union. In 1952, the East German government closed its border with West Germany; to keep people from escaping East Germany to the West, a wire barrier was constructed around West Berlin on August 12-13, 1961, with the plan to build a permanent wall designed to divide neighborhoods, separate families, and keep any influence of a freedom loving West from a restrictive and oppressive East. The Berlin Wall would eventually grow into two walls measuring 96 miles long and 13 feet tall. Anyone who attempted to gain freedom from East Berlin by entering West Berlin was shot. By 1989, more than 100 people died trying to cross the Berlin Wall and hundreds more who tried to escape from East to West. There were 302 watchtowers along the 96-mile-long wall that separated the free from the burdened. On June 12, 1987, President Ronald Regan delivered a speech in West Berlin, a speech I remember well when I heard as it aired on television when I was only 13 years old. President Regans speech has been nicknamed the Tear Down This Wall speech from a line in his magnificent speech; I want you to hear just a sampling of this marvelous and important speech for a reason that will become clear in this sermon: Behind me stands a wall that encircles the free sectors of this city, part of a vast system of barriers that divides the entire continent of Europe. From the Baltic, south, those barriers cut across Germany in a gash of barbed wire, concrete, dog runs, and guard towers. Farther south, there may be no visible, no obvious wall. But there remain armed guards and checkpoints all the same still a restriction on the right to travel, still an instrument to impose upon ordinary men and women the will of a totalitarian state. Yet it is here in Berlin where the wall emerges most clearly; here, cutting across your city, where the news photo and the television screen have imprinted this brutal division of a continent upon the mind of the world. Standing before the Brandenburg Gate, every man is a German, separated from his fellow men. Every man is a Berliner, forced to look upon a scar. As long as this gate is closed, as long as this scar of a wall is permitted to stand, it is not the German question alone that remains open, but the question of freedom for all mankind. General Secretary Gorbachev, if you seek peace, if you seek prosperity for the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe, if you seek liberalization, come here to this gate.Mr. Gorbachev, open this gate!Mr. Gorbachev, tear down this wall! On November 9, 1989, Germans from the East and West gathered and began tearing the Berlin Wall down. On October 3, 1990, East Germany and West Germany were no more; Germany was reunited as one free nation. The Christian Has Been Brought Near to God (vv. 11-13) There are four things that were true of the Christians in Ephesus; these four things are true of you if you are now a Christian; these same four things are still true of you if you are not a Christian. Because most of you in this room are Christians, I will refer to these four truths as something that once was true of you. You at one time were Christless (vv. 11-12a). There were two types of people in Ephesus and in the world: the Uncircumcision and the Circumcision. The Uncircumcision were the Gentiles in the world while the Circumcision were the Jews who prided themselves on being the physical descendants of Abraham. The Uncircumcised Gentiles were convinced that they were very different than the Circumcised Jews, and the Jews felt the same way about the Gentiles. However, there were two things that these two groups did share in common: Both groups believed that so long as they were religious enough, they would be prepared for what comes after death, and both groups were dead in their sins because both were Christless. You were homeless (v. 12b). What I mean by homeless is that the Jews had known about and looked forward to the promises of God made to the descendants of Abraham. For example, when God called Abraham out of the city of Ur, He made the following promise to both him and his wife, Sarah: Go from your country, And from your relatives And from your fathers house, To the land which I will show you; And I will make you into a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed (Gen. 12:1-3). The Jews had grown to assume that the promise was not for Gentiles and failed to realize that it would be through the Jewish people that the Gentile nations would experience the blessing made to Abraham. It was not that the promises were not for the nations also, but that the Gentiles were not aware of such promises. You were hopeless (v. 12c). What were the promises given to the Jews really for? They were promises concerning Gods plan to redeem Adams fallen race. Think about the promises made to the Jews for a moment! How would all the families of the earth be blessed? The Child promised in Isaiah 9:6-7 would be Jewish and would come through Israel, and this promise is for the nations: For a Child will be born to us, a Son will be given to us; And the government will rest on His shoulders; And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. The zeal of the Lord of armies will accomplish this. So how were the Gentiles in Ephesus without hope? They were without hope because unlike the Jews, they were unaware that unlike emperor Nero of Rome who was reigning at the time Ephesians was written, there was coming a true and better King who would do what Rome could never do: There will be no end to the increase of His government or of peace on the throne of David to uphold it with justice and righteousness from then on and forevermore. For the Gentiles, Rome was as good as it would get is the same way that many today believe that life before death is as good as it will ever get, which is pretty hopeless! You were godless (v. 12d). Finally, the gentiles were godless in the sense that they were left to their idols because they did not know God. This does not mean that the Jews were not godless either, for if they were without Christ, then they were also Godless. To be Godless is to be without God. Do you know what happens when you are Godless? You will find a way to place an idol in the place only God was meant to reside in your life. You will find something that promises the sort of things that only a real God can give and provide; such as joy, satisfaction, contentment, meaning, and purpose to your life and you will be robed of the very things that idols promise to give. The God whose image you bear is the only being who can provide lasting joy, satisfaction, contentment, meaning, and purpose to your life. If you are a Christian, you are no longer Christless. Because you are no longer Christless, you belong to the people of God and are no longer homeless when it comes to the promises of God. Because you are now the recipient of the promises of God through Jesus, you are no longer hopeless. Because your hope rests in Jesus for your salvation, Paul declares: Now in Christ Jesus you who previously were far away have been brought near by the blood of Christ (v. 13). The Christian Has the Peace of God (vv. 14-18) Gods plan for the salvation of sinners always included Gentiles. Before instructions for the construction of a temple that would serve as the center of worship for Israel where the presence of God would be experienced by His people, God instructed Israel: Now then, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, then you shall be My own possession among all the peoples, for all the earth is Mine; and you shall be to Me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These are the words that you shall speak to the sons of Israel (Exod. 19:5-6). In other words, Israel was commissioned to be Gods priests before the nations to lead the nations to God. Through the prophet Malachi, as He did throughout Israels history, God reminded His people that the redemption of the nations was always the plan: For from the rising of the sun even to its setting, My name shall be great among the nations, and in every place frankincense is going to be offered to My name, and a grain offering that is pure; for My name shall be great among the nations, says the Lord of armies ( Mal. 1:11). So, what is this dividing wall the apostle Paul refers to in verse 14? The temple that King Herod built for the Jews included a place known as, The Court of the Gentiles. The Court of the Gentiles was the place within the Temple Walls that allowed Gentiles to gather and worship the God of the Hebrews, but they were forbidden to go any further than the outer court because they were considered too dirty to come any closer to the inner courts, only the true Jew was permitted to into the holier place that was closest to the Holy of Holies where the presence of God was. There was a wall that stood about 4.5 feet high that separated the Court of the Gentiles from the inner courts and signs that were posted that stated in Greek: No foreigner may enter within the balustrade around the sanctuary and the enclosure. Whoever is caught, on himself shall he put blame for the death which will ensue.[1] The Court of the Gentiles is also the place where Jesus taught while in the Temple (Matt. 21:23; 26:55; Luke 19:47; John 7:14). The Court of the Gentiles is also the place where money was changed because the required coinage for people to use for the Temple tax had to be Tyrian shekels (aka the shekel of the sanctuary) because of the uneven value of other coinages and the idolatrous images on other coins. During Passover, it is estimated that over 200,000 lambs were sacrificed for the sins of the people; the Court of the Gentiles was the place where people could purchase their sacrifice. The Court of the Gentiles was where the money was made and exchanged, and for many, became more important than worship itself. The Court of the Gentiles was not in the original plans God gave His people for the Temple (see Numbers 15:14-15), nor were they ever a part of Gods plans for the place where His people would worship Him. Here is what Isaiah said of the place of Gods worship: Also the foreigners who join themselves to the Lord, to attend to His service and to love the name of the Lord, to be His servants, every one who keeps the Sabbath so as not to profane it, And holds firmly to My covenant; Even those I will bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer. Their burnt offerings and their sacrifices will be acceptable on My altar; for My house will be called a house of prayer for all the peoples. It was the Court of the Gentiles that Jesus entered into during Passover week before He would die on the Cross as the perfect and true Lamb of God, and was enraged over the way Israel had perverted the Temple: And He entered the temple area and began to drive out those who were selling and buying on the temple grounds, and He overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves; and He would not allow anyone to carry merchandise through the temple grounds. And He began to teach and say to them, Is it not written: my house will be called a house of prayer for all the nations? But you have made it a den of robbers. (Mark 11:15-17). They crucified Jesus because the Jews who were convinced that their religion was enough, but what Israel failed to see was that their problem was the same as the problem of the Gentiles. There exists before all of humanity a far greater wall than the one that separated the Gentiles from the Jews in the Temple! It is a wall that only One Lamb can remedy and of all the peoples of the nations that should have known that such a wall exists, it should have been those who had before them from the commandments, writings, and the prophets, the covenants of the promise (v. 12). The wall is greater than any other wall, for it is the great wall of mankinds sin and guilt before a Holy God and there is nothing that the Jews or the Gentiles could do to tear it down, nor is there anything that you and I can do to remove the wall. For the Jew, the Law simply pointed to the wall of our own sin and that there is only One who is able to tear down the wall (see Gal. 3:23-29). Jesus tore down the wall by going to the Cross, He redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us (Ga. 3:13). It is only through the blood He shed for sins we are guilty of that, we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our wrongdoings (Eph. 1:7). The wall was our sin, the hostility was ours before a Holy God, and our only hope for a peace with Him was and is the Prince of Peace! This is why Paul wrote, For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace (vv. 14-15). How did He do it? Through His cross: and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the hostility (v. 16). Conclusion Through Christ, the wall that alienated and separated us from any hope of knowing God or being known by God was blown to ashes through the Cross! The Christian, regardless of culture, skin color, or language, is now reconciled to the One whose image we all bearHe is our peace! Christian, because the wall of your sin was torn down by the Lamb of God, you share the same thing that the Chinese Christian, the Korean Christian, the Indian Christian, the Burmese Christian, the Iranian Christian, the Sudanese Christian, the Canadian Christian, and the Mexican Christian all have that you now have through Jesus Christ: Access in one Spirit to the Father through the Son! What better news could there possibly be than what we read in these verses: For He Himself is our peace, who made both groups into one and broke down the barrier of the dividing wall, by abolishing in His flesh the hostility, which is the Law composed of commandments expressed in ordinances, so that in Himself He might make the two one new person, in this way establishing peace; and that He might reconcile them both in one body to God through the cross, by it having put to death the hostility. And He came and preached peace to you who were far away, and peace to those who were near; for through Him we both have our access in one Spirit to the Father. Regardless of your ethnicity, the thing that you share with every other Christian rescued, ransomed, and redeemed by the blood of Jesus is that we now belong to His Tribe and our colors are the same because we are covered by the blood of the perfect Lamb of God! To be a Christian is to be the Church, and to be the Church is to be the People of God! Your identity is no longer in the nation you live, the color of your skin, the language you speak, or the culture that has shaped and formed you. No! Your identity is now in Christ! If you are not a Christian, the great wall of your sin still stands, and your greatest need remains! There is only One who is able to remove the wall of your sin, so why wait any longer to be reconciled to God through the blood of the Lamb of God? [1] One such sign is on display at the Israel Museum and a second in the Istanbul Archaeology Museum.

Glen L Thompson's The Jingjiao: the Earliest Christian Church in China (Eerdmans Press, 2024) provides a thorough introduction to a very little known history of the centuries old story of Christians in China. Dr. Thompson comes on the podcast to provide some background on the book and some really fascinating stories, including how a Chinese Christian was once the head of the Syriac Church! As a historian of early Christianity, this is a history I knew nothing about and I am sure listeners will learn a lot from this great book. Links:Glen Thompson's BookSupport our Show on Patreon for exclusive content, early release episodes, and a forum for listeners and the hosts.Glen's website on Christianity in the Fourth Centurytwitter: @theologyxian Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ahistoryofchristiantheology

The Christian Outlook – January 20, 2024 Bill Bunkley questions U.S. government transparency on global persecution, and Jeff King, President of International Christian Concern, criticizes the politicization of the State Department's list, citing Nigeria's exclusion due to political and geopolitical factors, including oil interests and the influence of radical Islamists.  Rick Probst and Todd Nettleton of Voice of the Martyrs discuss attacks on Nigerian Christians over Christmas, highlighting the religious targeting. Nettleton also mentions financial charges against Chinese Christians and expresses concerns about the potential reelection of Prime Minister Modi in India, predicting increased persecution for Christians under his leadership. Kathy Emmons asks Chris Davis about his latest book, “Bright Hope for Tomorrow,” He highlights the anticipation of Christ's return and its role in providing hope, clarity for ministry, and prophetic patience in afflictions, suggesting Sabbath rest as a rhythm to stay aware of the Lord's return and reorder priorities. Georgene Rice and David Closson, author of “Male and Female He Created Them: A Study on Gender, Sexuality, & Marriage,” discuss the challenges of maintaining biblical views on gender, sexuality, and marriage in a hostile culture.See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

In the Boxer Rebellion of 1900, a Chinese secret organization called the Society of the Righteous and Harmonious Fists led an uprising in northern China against the spread of Western and Japanese influence there. The rebels, referred to by Westerners as Boxers because they performed physical exercises they believed would make them able to withstand bullets, killed foreigners and Chinese Christians and destroyed foreign property. From June to August, the Boxers besieged the foreign district of China's capital city Beijing (then called Peking) until an international force that included American troops subdued the uprising. By the terms of the Boxer Protocol, which officially ended the rebellion in 1901, China agreed to pay more than $330 million in reparations. Check out our sister podcast the Mystery of Everything Coffee Collab With The Lore Lodge COFFEE Travel to Peru with me here Travel to Italy With Me here Bonus episodes as well as ad-free episodes on Patreon. Find us on Instagram. Join us on Discord. Submit your relatives on our website Podcast Youtube Channel Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

“We are ready and prepared to be imprisoned. We are not afraid of being imprisoned. But we are afraid of losing the fear of the Lord.” —House Church leaders in China Bob Fu, founder, and president of ChinaAid, is regularly in contact with Christians all over China. He says that, in an era of harsh government restrictions and a complete lack of religious freedom, churches are still being planted and leaders continue to baptize new believers in China. Author of God's Double Agent, Bob sheds light China's new “patriotic education” law instigated earlier this year by Xi Jinping and the Communist Party – including its mandate for Chinese living overseas. He will also discuss protests that broke out across Chinese universities early in 2023 as young people displayed their discontent with the government. Communist Party leaders continue to sweep their Christian persecution under the rug, categorizing the arrest of pastors and Christians as “illegal business activity” or financial fraud rather than violating religious regulations. As the government continues its tight reign over technology, they have removed Bible apps to eliminate access to God's Word. In spite of these efforts, ministries including The Voice of the Martyrs continue to deliver Bibles into the hands of Chinese believers. Listen as Bob shares updates on Pastor Wang Yi, serving a 9-year prison sentence, and Pastor Pan, who recently moved to America with his Mayflower Church congregation. Bob will also share a letter from Pastor John Cao, serving a 7-year sentence in prison, in which he writes, “Please rejoice for me. Jesus has died on the cross for me. It is my utter joy to be imprisoned for my Lord.” As you pray for Chinese Christians like Pastor Wang Yi, John Cao, and others who are imprisoned, ask the Lord to sustain them through the Holy Spirit. Pray for their persecutors to find hope in Jesus. As they go through intense persecution, pray they would continue to fear the Lord above everything. Listen to Bob Fu's previous conversations on VOM Radio. During the month of December, when you make a donation to support persecuted Christians in China and other nations, you will receive a FREE 2024 VOM Prayer Calendar. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or you can listen each week—and get daily reminders to pray for persecuted Christians—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

Guest Bios Show Transcript How did loving your enemies—a command of Jesus—suddenly become a sign that you're “woke”? And why is “owning the libs” now the answer to “What would Jesus do?”  On this edition of The Roys Report, bestselling author and journalist Tim Alberta joins host Julie Roys to explore a disturbing phenomenon in American evangelicalism. Though once evangelicals understood that the Kingdom of God and the kingdom of man were separate, now the two are being combined into an unholy mix. And sadly, for millions of conservative Christians, America is their kingdom—and proper adherence to their political ideology is their litmus test for Christian orthodoxy! On this podcast, you'll hear Julie's compelling conversation with Tim, exploring how evangelicals got into this mess—and if, and how, we can get ourselves out. Yet Tim doesn't speak as an outside critic passing judgment, but as a practicing Christian and the son of an evangelical pastor.  Tim spent years sifting through the wreckage of American evangelicalism, interviewing pastors, evangelical/political activists, congregants, and scholars. The result is his new book, The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory, which tells story after illuminating story of major players and institutions within the evangelical movement that have succumbed to political idolatry.  One example is Liberty University, founded in 1971 by Jerry Falwell Sr. Recent headlines have exposed how Senior's now-disgraced son, Jerry Falwell, Jr., made Liberty into a far-right, culture warring, money-making powerhouse. But is this mixing of the kingdom of God and the kingdom of man a corruption of Senior's vision—or, is it the culmination of it? And what does it say that everyone—the administration, board, and Liberty supporters—were all fine with it, as long as the money was coming in?  Tim also shares stunning admissions he got during one-on-one interviews with major evangelical/political figures, like Robert Jeffress and Ralph Reed. In private, these men confessed that they know mixing political advocacy with the gospel is misleading and wrong. Yet, as Tim documents, these men keep doing it! Yet Tim also offers stories of hope—like his chapter on Rev. Dr. John Dickson, who teaches at the flagship evangelical school, Wheaton College in Wheaton, Ill. In it, Tim explains why Dickson has become a missionary to America—and how Christians can lose the culture wars yet live joyfully and winsomely among unbelievers. Tim's book also includes a chapter on exposing abuse and corruption, featuring Rachel Denhollander's work and our work at The Roys Report. On the podcast, we discuss why our reporting is so important and why this chapter is Tim's mother's favorite! This is such an important podcast for Christians wanting to remain true to their calling to worship God first and foremost, rather than succumb to political idolatry.  Guests Tim Alberta Tim Alberta is a staff writer for The Atlantic and has written for dozens of other publications, including the Wall Street Journal and National Review. He is the author of The Kingdom, the Power, and the Glory: American Evangelicals in an Age of Extremism and the New York Times bestseller American Carnage: On the Front Lines of the Republican Civil War and the Rise of President Trump. He lives in southeast Michigan with his wife and three sons. Show Transcript SPEAKERS TIM ALBERTA, Julie Roys Julie Roys  00:04 How did loving your enemies, a command of Jesus, suddenly become a sign that you're woke? And why is owning the libs now the answer to what would Jesus do? Welcome to The Roys Report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. I'm Julie Roys and joining me on this podcast is New York Times bestselling author Tim Alberta, whose latest book explores what happened to American evangelicalism. Decades ago, Americans viewed evangelicalism favorably. In 1976, author and historian Gary Wills called evangelicalism, the major religious force in America, both in numbers and an impact. And leading evangelical thinkers claimed that evangelicalism could no longer be regarded as reactionary but was vigorously and sometimes creatively speaking to the needs of the contemporary world. Fast forward to today and evangelicalism has become synonymous with Donald Trump, a thrice married vulgar opportunist who said he doesn't need to repent or ask for forgiveness. A recent poll by Pew Research found that the only religious group that views evangelicals favorably are evangelicals. And as Tim Alberta notes in his book in 1991 90% of Americans identified as Christians, but today, only 63% do. What happened to this once vibrant movement? And can it be saved, or has it passed beyond the point of no return? Un his new book, The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory. Tim Alberta does a masterful job of exploring these questions, but he doesn't do it as an outside critic passing judgment. But as a practicing Christian and the son of an evangelical pastor. I found Tim's book eye opening on many levels, and I'm so excited to share this interview with you. Julie Roys  01:47 But before I do, I want to thank the sponsors of this podcast, Judson University, and Marquardt of Barrington. If you're looking for a top ranked Christian University, providing a caring community and an excellent college experience, Judson University is for you. Judson is located on 90 acres just 40 miles west of Chicago in Elgin, Illinois. The school offers more than 60 majors, great leadership opportunities, and strong financial aid. Plus, you can take classes online as well as in person. Judson University is shaping lives that shaped the world. For more information, just go to JUDSONU.EDU. Also, if you're looking for a quality new or used car, I highly recommend my friends at Marquardt of Barrington. Marquardt is a Buick GMC dealership where you can expect honesty, integrity, and transparency. That's because the owners there Dan and Kurt Marquardt, are men of integrity, to check them out, just go to BUYACAR123.COM. Julie Roys  02:51 Well, again, joining me is Tim Alberta, a staff writer for The Atlantic and the former chief political correspondent for Politico. Tim also is the author of The New York Times best seller American Carnage on the Frontlines of the Republican Civil War, and the Rise of President Trump. And his latest book, The Kingdom, The Power, and The Glory, explores American evangelicals in an age of extremism. So, Tim, welcome. It is just such a pleasure to be with you again. TIM ALBERTA  03:16 Yes, Julie, it is. It's great to catch up with you and come sort of full circle from where we were a couple of years ago talking about all of this. Julie Roys  03:24 That's right. We spent a couple of well, more than a couple of hours. I think it was supposed to be like maybe an hour and a half, and we got so into our discussion. I think we closed down one coffee shop and went to another. TIM ALBERTA  03:35 We did. I hijacked your whole day. Julie Roys  03:38 Oh, it was fantastic. And so, encouraging to me, but always fun to talk to a fellow journalist with similar convictions. And I was excited about this book when we had our discussion. I'm so honored, I have to say, you know, to get the galley of the book, and I figured because we spent so much time that I'd be in it, but you know, just what you wrote, and the way that you captured some things just so honored to be featured in a chapter with Rachel den Hollander. So, thank you so much for that. I just really appreciate it. TIM ALBERTA  04:07 I should tell you that is my mother's favorite chapter of the book. Oh, for what it's worth, because she's big into strong feminine Christian leadership. And so, she was particularly smitten with you and with Rachel. So, I thought you should know that. Julie Roys  04:21 Oh, wow. Well, I'm honored. I really am. And I should mention that we are offering your book as a premium to anybody who gives $50 or more to The Roys Report in this month. Again, this is just a way that you're able to support the work that we do, but also get this fantastic book. Just go to JULIEROYS.COM/DONATE if you're able to help us out and continue the work that we do, and also get what could be a great Christmas present for somebody or for yourself. So anyway, encourage you to do that. Well, Tim, as I mentioned in the open, you're not writing this book as sort of an outsider critiquing evangelicalism. You grew up evangelical, your dad was an evangelical pastor. And oddly enough, it was at your dad's funeral in 2019, that something sort of awakened you to the severity of what's happening right now within evangelicalism. Tell us a bit about that story. TIM ALBERTA  05:17 Yeah, so my dad, Reverend Richard Alberta, was an amazing, amazing guy. We were very close. And he had a pretty crazy come to Jesus story himself where he was actually kind of a hotshot New York finance guy. And my mom was kind of a hotshot, young journalist with ABC Radio. They lived in New York and my dad, despite having all of this worldly material success, just felt this emptiness. And he was an atheist. He grew up in an unbelieving home. And he, one day stumbled into this church in the Hudson Valley, and heard the gospel and he gave his life to Christ. And it was already a pretty dramatic conversion because he became completely unrecognizable to people around him, including my mom, who was not yet a Christian. Everybody who knew him just thought he was sort of losing it. Suddenly, he's waking up at four in the morning to read his Bible and meditate in prayer for hours. And they're all like, what is this guy doing? And then pretty soon after that, he feels the Lord calling him to ministry. And now they all think he's like certifiable, right? You know, but he follows the Lord's calling. And, you know, he and my mom who became a Christian, they sell all the possessions so he can go to seminary, and they basically they give up this pretty lavish lifestyle they'd had. And for the next like, 20 years, they just work in small churches and live on food stamps and serve the Lord that way. And then when I come along, some years later, we eventually settle in Brighton, which is a suburb of Detroit. And my dad builds this kind of small startup church there into kind of a mega church. And that was my home. It was my community. It was my whole life, really. My mom was on the staff there at the church as well. It was called Cornerstone Evangelical Presbyterian Church. I was raised physically, literally, inside of that church. TIM ALBERTA  07:11 And so, my dad dies a few years back. And when I came back to the church for the funeral, because of the work I've done in politics, and because I had just recently written this book about Trumpism and his takeover of the Republican Party, I was kind of in the crosshairs of right-wing media at that time, because of the book. And so, at the funeral or at the wake during the visitation, I had a bunch of people at the church kind of confronting me and wanting to argue about politics and about Trump and asking me if I was still a Christian and how I could be criticizing him this way. And it was pretty ugly. And as you said, sort of a wakeup call. Julie Roys  07:52 Yeah. And it is something isn't it when you don't support these people that certain evangelicalism believe you have to your, you know, I've got people praying for my salvation, because I've taken on John MacArthur, you know, It's craziness. But there is this tribalism now, within evangelicalism, and it's probably at its very worst when it comes to former President Trump and what he typified. It's interesting to me, you know, as I look at the evangelical movement, you know, I was a card-carrying conservative right? Before Trump came along, and then something really happened. And I feel like I was going back and reading a little bit of Chuck Colson's, Kingdoms in Conflict. Do you remember that book? TIM ALBERTA  08:34 I do. Yeah. Julie Roys  08:35 I mean, he was pretty even handed. I mean, he's very clear in there that being in the kingdom of heaven means it's not about ruling others, it's about being under God's rule. And yet something has tripped, where we're not saying that anymore. We're really become about this whole Dominionism. And he talks about the cultural mandate and things like that, but it's from a very, very different perspective. So here we are dealing with all of this Christian nationalism, and according to your book, a lot of this began, and it's funny because now, Lynchburg Virginia has become synonymous with the Falwell's and with Liberty University. But I've got to say, growing up in the 80s, you know, I knew about the Moral Majority, and some of that, but it just wasn't that big to me. And yet it has grown and grown, and I guess I wasn't even aware of the influence it had. But talk about how a lot of this has its roots really there, in Lynchburg, Virginia, and with what Jerry Falwell Senior. started in, like the late 70s, early 80s. TIM ALBERTA  09:42 Sure, in the context of the American church experience, it is Lynchburg, Virginia. It is the mid-1970s. And it is Jerry Falwell Senior who was a brilliant businessman who, you know, this guy could sell anyone on anything, and he was kind of a master entrepreneur, also a master manipulator. And what Falwell Senior. effectively did, he had already built out Thomas Road Baptist Church into a massive congregation. And then he had tapped into the relatively new medium of television to broadcast his sermons around the country. At one point, he became the single most telecasted program in the entire country. And so, he's reaching millions of people and he's raising a lot of money. This is pretty cutting-edge stuff at the time, but he's building out a mailing list with like more than 10 million names on it, and they are raking in money. So, then he already has his church. But Falwell, Senior is really almost the early archetype of the Christian nationalist. He believes that sort of fighting for God and fighting for America is one in the same and that if America falls, then almost God's kingdom on earth will fall. And so he recognizes that he needs something more than a church; that he needs kind of a cultural stronghold. So, he does two things. First, he takes this little Baptist College Lynchburg Baptist College, and at the time of the bicentennial in 1976, he rebrands it to Liberty University, and he changes the colors from green and gold to red, white, and blue. And basically, they do this whole patriotic rebranding exercise, which is aimed at tapping into not only patriotism in the church, but also tapping into the percolating low simmering at the time, fear in the church and grievance in the church. This sense that, you know, abortion is now legal. Pornography is prevalent, the drug culture is out of control. Prayer is banned in public schools. Secularism is on the march and they're coming for us like they are coming for Christianity in America. And so, Jerry Falwell turns Liberty University into this cause, and then piggybacks onto that with this new organization, The Moral Majority. So suddenly, he's got these three cogs. And he builds out this machine, Falwell Senior does, and it is incredibly effective. They mobilize 10s of millions of voters and sort of bring them under this banner of not just, you know, Christianity, not just following Jesus, but a very particular type of Christianity, a sort of subculture of a subculture. And in many ways, those seeds planted by Falwell 50 years ago, we are harvesting them now. And what we are dealing with, you know, the fracturing of the modern evangelical movement, I think you can trace it directly back to that period. Julie Roys  12:36 It's so interesting, because I think when you talk about Jerry Falwell Senior, and I've talked to a lot of people from Liberty, I've done a lot of reporting about Liberty. And a lot of folks look very wistfully back to the early days, and these are good people, you know, I've talked extensively to them. They're really good people, sincere believers. They look at what's happened to Liberty, and they're like, this isn't Senior. Like Senior loved the Lord and he really was sincere in his walk with the Lord and Junior just was like, we don't know how Junior happened, right? I mean, that's how they often talk about it. I'm going to have you come back to that, because I think what you present is a very, very different picture and honestly, one that I've begun to suspect myself. But let's talk about what happens with you know, Senior dies pretty abruptly right of a heart attack. And then Jerry Falwell, Junior, who is the lawyer, right? He takes over not Jonathan Falwell, who's the pastor, much more of the spiritual leader, but Jerry Falwell, Junior takes over. Very clearly, I'm not a spiritual leader. I mean, he really assued that whole entire title. But when he takes over, despite all the success that his dad had, the school was on the brink of bankruptcy at this point, right? And he kind of turns it around. 13:57 So, Falwell, Junior. is the yes, the UVA trained lawyer, businessman, real estate developer, who is a smart guy. He knows business. And he had really kept the church and organized religion at arm's length. His younger brother Jonathan was the preacher in the family. But Jerry Junior, he'd gone to Liberty for his undergraduate studies. And he says that, you know, he believes in the teachings of Jesus but rejects a lot of the other stuff that comes with it, including Liberty itself. Jerry Junior never wanted to really be a part of Liberty. And suddenly as he's working in the private sector, the school is about to go under. Jerry Senior has really badly mismanaged the finances and he tells his son that basically the school is on the brink of insolvency. And so, Jerry Junior kind of reluctantly comes aboard and he helps to stabilize everything, and he makes a lot of drastic cuts to the different programs and kind of rejiggers the whole balance sheet operation. And he saves Liberty in a lot of ways that, you know, his father gave him credit for that. And it's interesting though, Julie, that when Jerry Falwell senior dies, it's not an accident that Jerry Junior. takes over. That was the plan of succession. It's notable that here is Jerry Falwell senior, who is both businessman and culture warrior, but also a preacher. And he's got these two sons that exemplify one of each, right? He's got the son who's a preacher. And he's got the other son who's the kind of culture warrior businessman. And he appoints the latter to take over Liberty after he's gone. And that in and of itself, I think, speaks volumes. And then more to the point, Jerry Junior, as you said, he comes in and he tells anybody who will listen, look, I'm not a religious leader, I'm not here charged with the spiritual well-being of this school. I'm here to turn us into a powerhouse, I'm here to turn us into a highly profitable, highly influential organization that can sort of, you know, push back against the forces of secularism in the left in this country. But he doesn't, to his credit, I suppose. Falwell Junior, he doesn't pretend that he's something that he's not. And the irony of it all, Julie is that everybody was fine with it. They were fine with it. Right? They were, as you know, when the money was coming in, and the buildings were going up at a rapid clip, and the endowment was bulging, everybody was fine with it. Because he's Jerry Senior's namesake, and he's a Falwell, and the school is doing great. Clearly God is blessing this project. So, what's not to like? Julie Roys  16:47 Well, and you say everyone was fine with it. And it's true on a public face, everyone was fine with it. I will say I started hearing from a lot of people who weren't fine with it from I mean, obviously the Jane DOE's and now we know about who were victims of sexual assault, and their cases got just horribly mismanaged. In fact, not even reported. And you know, now we have the Department of Education looking into how badly Liberty bungled these cases and violated Title Nine mandates, and they could face like a 30 some million dollar fine, which could be one of the largest ever. So, this was percolating under the surface, but nobody knew about it at the time. And I also talked to a lot of professors who were like, the way this place is being run is abysmal. There's nothing Christian about it. The way the administration handles things, there's nothing Christian about it. And we know too, from some of the people you interviewed, it was less like a religious institution and more like a mafia like a mob boss. Like Jerry turned into I think Jerry is very, he's very likable when you meet him. I mean, obviously very socially gifted, even though he's an introvert. He seems like this kind of your good old boy that, you know, everybody likes. But he began to become very controlling, and lock that place down where Jerry ruled with really an iron fist. And by the time some of the stuff started coming out about him, that place I mean, am I right, that it was a lot less like a Christian institution a lot more like the organized crime syndicate? TIM ALBERTA  18:24 Yeah, well, and listen like this is so Julie. It's funny, because obviously, you and I are in the same line of work. We're coming at this from pretty similar worldviews, and we're having similar conversations, with some of the same people. And you're exactly right when they're using the term family business. You know, Liberty is a family business. They're not just talking about like the Falwell family. There's, you know, the implication there is like very clearly that there is almost a mafioso-esque quality to, you don't cross the Falwell's, the power is concentrated in a few hands here. If you get a seat at the table, you are just lucky to be there and you nod and you know, at one point, I think I make sort of an offhand smart aleck comparison to like the North Korean military where, you know, you stand and salute the dear leader and don't dare step out of line. And of course, that's tragic on a number of levels, one of them being that Liberty has been filled over the years with really good and godly students and good and godly professors who are there for the right reasons. Some of these professors who started to really see the rot from the inside., they chose to stick around because on the one hand, they could see the success around them. The kind of observable material success that you know that the campus is absolutely stunning. Maybe God is doing something really marvelous here and I just have to kind of see my way through this part of it. But I also think that there's a level of devotion, and a feeling for some of these people that they wanted to help right the ship, that they wanted to be a part of the solution. And obviously, those are some of the characters I talk to in the book who now have finally gotten to a breaking point where they say, you know what? I just can't do it anymore. And not only can I not do it anymore, but the world needs to know, the whistle needs to be blown here that like this is not okay. Julie Roys  20:21 What does it say about evangelicalism, Tim, that when the money was coming in, and the money still is coming in, that everybody was okay with how godless this place was? And anybody that was in administration knew and saw it. The Board, who it's astounding to me that when Jerry Falwell Junior, got embroiled in this big sex scandal, and he gets fired, that Jerry Prevo takes over. And we think that that is a change of the guard. This was the man who was the chairman of the board the whole time that Jerry was doing all of this stuff. It's shocking to me, but yet I see it so much in so many different Christian organizations. And so, what is it about us that we're okay with these things, with really what is just absolute rampant hypocrisy? TIM ALBERTA  21:15 I'm afraid that in many ways, we're actually worse than some of those secular institutions. Because of this idea of the prosperity gospel, it's almost become like this proper noun. And so, people feel like well, those are those people are crazy. I'm not one of them, I'm not a part of that, right? But the idea inherent to the prosperity gospel, right is that, well, if you give to the Lord, and if you serve the Lord, if you follow the Lord, then you will be blessed. But that is so conveniently and so easily reverse engineered by a lot of Christians, either at a conscious or at a subconscious level, where when you see any sort of material success around you, you then say, well, clearly, I'm blessed. Clearly, the Lord is blessing this project. And that creates a kind of a permission structure, I think, for a lot of us to then turn a blind eye to things that are very obviously wrong, or kind of downplay things that you otherwise would never downplay. And whether that's an individual church congregation, whether that's a big college campus, whether it's the President of the United States, this can manifest in a lot of different ways. It's so much based on that kind of material thinking that I think we are particularly vulnerable, particularly susceptible to it here in the American church. I think the saddest part about it is that many of us just don't see it, or maybe don't want to see it. I don't know. Julie Roys  22:44 Your book has a stunning quote, stunning quote by a former professor, Dr. Aaron Warner. And he says, and I quote, Jerry, Senior, was always a bit of a scoundrel, and Jerry Junior, perfected the art of using fear and hatred as a growth strategy. Christianity happens to be the thing that they used to build a multibillion-dollar institution. It could have been anything else. It could have been moonshine, but they chose Christianity. And it's gained them a lot of power and a lot of money; the two things these people truly worship. You talked to a lot of people, interviewed a lot of people at Liberty. Is that characterization fair? Or do you think it's a little too harsh? TIM ALBERTA  23:23 It's harsh, that's for sure. It might contain some traces of hyperbole. But I will say this, Aaron Werner is another guy who knows that institution very well. Went there as an undergraduate, has deep longstanding ties to Liberty And the stories he tells from the inside are stunning. One of the other quotes, actually, I thought it might be the one that you're going to read because it kind of runs right along in parallel to that one is from a current professor. Now, at the time of this recording, he's a current professor. My sense is that when the book releases and when this gets back to the administration that he could be dismissed and he's expecting that that will happen. But his name is Nick Olsen, and he's an English professor, very popular English professor there. Brilliant, godly young guy. And he's a legacy at Liberty. His dad was one of the first students at Liberty and a contemporary of Falwell Senior. And Nick has sort of agonized in recent years with this inheritance at Liberty and everything that he's seen and struggled with there. And he says to me, this is not quite verbatim, but he says this to me in the final chapter of the book, he says, Jerry Junior, thought that he was fulfilling his father's vision by assuing spiritual stuff and by building out this massive multibillion dollar like culture warring Republican institution. And he says, and it is heartbreaking, because that's exactly what he's done, and he did fulfill Jerry Senior's vision. And I think that piece of it, Julie is not hyperbole. I think that when you spend enough time digging through the archives and talking to people who were there in the room where it happened, so to speak, it becomes pretty self-evident. And by the way, you know, you mentioned earlier that there are people who will say, Yeah, but you know, Jerry Senior, he really loved the Lord. Yeah, well, these things aren't mutually exclusive. I mean, I'm not suggesting that he didn't love the Lord. But I'm suggesting that like many people who love the Lord, he got his priorities out of whack. And by the way, we are all susceptible to this. But it's very hard to evaluate the history of Liberty University, the decisions made there, the structure of the place and the personnel and how they've treated people and what the benchmarks have been. It's very hard to assess all of that and reach any other conclusion than the one that Nick Olsen reaches at the end of the book. Julie Roys  25:41 And yet Liberty continues to be the largest Christian university in the country. It still has this dominance, there's still a lot of people that I know sending their kids there. And it's heartbreaking to me. I mean, I just wonder at what point do we say enough, and we stand up to this? And I'm glad that people are starting to speak out. But sometimes I wonder if it's too little too late, when we have just these juggernaut organizations and it really has been a marrying of two kingdoms that should be in conflict, and we're trying to say that they can be married together the kingdom of this world, the kingdom, the political realm, and the kingdom of Christ. And Jesus never became a political leader. It's stunning to me some of these quotes that are in your book, that are just like you expect a lightning to fall out of the sky, the way that scripture and Jesus are being misrepresented. It's just so awful. Julie Roys  26:37 In your first section, though, I have to say there's always some redeeming thing in each section, which I'm like, Thank You, Lord. It's like a palate cleanser in a lot of just awful stuff. But you have this beautiful chapter. And it's on a guy, John Dixon, who I actually got to know in my reporting on Ravi Zacharias, because John used to be a speaker for Ravi Zacharias International Ministries. And he was one of those who, you know, pretty early in the game as things were starting to come out, recognized that there were some lies being told by the institution he had been a part of, and he quickly made a break, and he boldly took a stand. I mean, I really respected him for that, that he didn't seem to have this Oh, fear of, if I say something, what's going to happen to me? I mean, he just said what was right, and what was what was true. And now he's at Wheaton College, which is right in my backyard. And what I love is that he's so joyfully on the losing team. You know, we've got all of these people, all these Christians out there telling us we have to be on the winning team, we got to take America back. And here's John Dixon saying, No, we're on the losing team right now. I mean, eventually, when Christ comes back, we'll be you know, he will set things right, and we'll be on the winning team. But for now, we're kind of on the losing team. And it's okay, people. So, talk about John and what we can learn from him and his example, because again, he's from Australia, which is probably about 10 or 15 years ahead of us in sort of this post Christian era that, you know, is beginning to happen here as well. Julie Roys  28:16 And that is so tough for us. I mean, it's not tough for Chinese Christians to get this, right? I mean they get it right away. Because to be a believer means you have to get rid of everything, you can't hold on to anything, you're gonna lose all your power, all your position. But I think we've been, actually it's the curse of being prosperous. And being in a country where Christians have had the majority and where it actually was a plus, probably for my parents to be believers. I think it won't be for my children. But maybe that'll be a good thing. And maybe that's precisely what the church needs. We already think we're being persecuted, which is funny. We really aren't. But we may see it. And right now, I think most of the persecution we're getting is because of what you said that we're not because we're so holy, but because we're actually worse than the world in so many different ways. And we deserve it. TIM ALBERTA  28:16 John is really one of my favorite people I've met in all of the journeys that I was on, and one of my favorite characters in the book for exactly the reasons that you mentioned there. And the fact that he is not an American is, I think, a big part of his perspective, right? But I think also, there's something deeper embedded in the American psyche, about winning, about the need to dominate. I have a funny quote somewhere else in the book from somebody who had spent years living and studying and teaching in Canada, who talks about how Canadians just want fourth place, and then when they get the bronze, they're thrilled. And in America, if you don't get the gold, you're a total loser, right? And so, there's something, you know, about the American Christian experience that's so different. And so, John, one of my favorite scenes in all of this reporting that I did was, we're sitting in the cafeteria there at Wheaton College, surrounded by the flags of the world all around us in the cafeteria. And I say, Why did you come here? Like, really? Why did you come here? And he says, like, this is my mission field now, like the US is my mission field because of this, this stuff. Everything you and I are discussing right now. He said this stuff is like so toxic and so unhealthy. And the church is caught in this terrible pattern. That, by the way, is not new. Right? You go back to Constantine, there has been this obsession with worldly power this inclination to merge two kingdoms into one. So, what we're living through here is not new, in a lot of ways. And I think John is so brilliant in kind of illuminating the appropriate Christian perspective here, which is to say that if you care so much about winning and losing, then the good news is you've already won, right? The tomb is empty, Jesus conquered death, and you believe in him. So therefore, you're already a part of the kingdom. But this place, which is meant to be ephemeral, and unimportant ultimately, and just, you know, a step among the stairs, that if your identity here is wrapped up in winning and losing, then you can't really have your identity there. And he says, ultimately, you know, we're the death and resurrection people. Like losing, and losing well, is a part of the Christian experience. TIM ALBERTA  31:24 John Dixon talks about how there's sort of this inverse relationship historically, between the amount of cultural and social and political power held by Christians in a society and the health of Christianity in that society, right? In other words, when you hold the commanding heights, the Christian influence it actually tends to be pretty weak and pretty corrupted and pretty compromised. When you are at the margins and when you are truly countercultural, the witness thrives. And we've seen that throughout history. Another favorite character of mine in the book, Brian Zahnd, who's the pastor of a church out in Missouri, he talks about how difficult it is for American Christians to really appreciate how the Bible is written from the perspective of the underdog, right? The Hebrew slaves fleeing Egypt, and the first century Christians living under a brutal Roman occupation. Like they had no power, they had no influence. And yet they were so joyful, and they were so content because they had their kingdom, right? And it does give me unease even in my own personal life, just the things I enjoy the materials, the prosperity, the comforts; can I fully appreciate the baby born in a manger? can I fully identify with the vagrant preacher from the ghettos of Nazareth? You know, it's a hard thing. Julie Roys  32:42 And here's the reality; that message, which is Christ's message really doesn't sell well in America. Having your best life now sells in America. And what we're seeing right now, and this, you know, brings me to the second section in your book dealing with power, which again, we've got to take back, America, has become sort of the mantra that we're hearing from so many of these, you know, political rights. And it has just morphed into something where, and again, I said at the outset, I used to be very much politically engaged with the conservative movement. I am not anymore because I can't stomach it and what it's become. I felt like we were being salt. But now it's about dominating and doing it by any means possible, where we just get rid of our morality. And I was always brought up to believe and I think this is what Scripture teaches, that the means is as important as the end. And so, if we achieve a righteous end through an unrighteous means, then we've lost. We've completely lost because we have given up what makes us unique, and what makes us God honoring for something that we're saying is a God honoring, you know end. But again, this is what has happened in our country. And, and what's interesting in this section that just captured my imagination. I mean, I've wondered this, like, you take a Robert Jeffress, right? This guy's not dumb. He's a smart Southern Baptist preacher, clearly a savvy guy. He has built this mega church, but the things that came out of his mouth, especially when Trump was in power, but it's still there. The things that come out of his mouth, and I think, he's got to know that this is not in line with the Gospels. He's got to see this. And yet, publicly, you wouldn't hear that. But when you met with him privately, you began to hear some doubt in there and allowing you to see a little bit of vulnerability, although it didn't seem to last all that long. But talk about that, because I'm not sensing much doubt in the masses that follow these men. But when you get them one on one, tell me what you see. TIM ALBERTA  34:50 And it's not just Robert Jeffress, Greg Locke, Greg Locke, Ralph Reed. Yeah, yeah, a lot of these guys. It's the pastor who in my hometown, grew his church tenfold by basically turning Sunday morning worship services into Fox news segments. And giving a Nazi salute to Gretchen Whitmer from his pulpit. I mean, but then you get them one on one. And you press them a little bit. I mean, you know, politely, respectfully, but you press them. Suddenly, they not only back off a little bit, but they do a little bit of like winking and nodding at you to basically say, like, you're right, I'm definitely putting on a bit of a song and dance here for the masses. But I think that they will ultimately justify it by saying, Well, yeah, but look at all these people who are coming in and look at the opportunity, we have to reach them now with the gospel? So, you know, those ends really do justify the means. I think the problem with that, as you hinted it, is but look, I mean, there's a lot of problems with it. You know, Mark 8:36 is not a rhetorical question, right? Like, what does it profit a man to gain the whole world yet forfeit his soul? But I think for some of these people, some of these leaders, the thing that really grates at me and I know it grates at you, Julie, is like, they're the shepherds, they're the ones who are supposed to know better, because a lot of their flock, you know, and I'm not being condescending or patronizing when I say this, they don't necessarily know better, they are the sheep, right? They need to be shepherded. And instead of shepherding, a lot of these people have just themselves become wolves. And they become wolves for what? So that you can have a seat at the table? So that you can get on Fox News? So that you can raise some money? So that for what ultimately? You're so right, when you press them on it almost to a person, they will acknowledge at some level that what they're doing is kind of gross, and kind of anti-biblical, and then they just keep on doing it. Julie Roys  36:46 So, speak to the person who is listening. And we probably don't have a ton of these. But there may be some who are listening, who have bought this hook, line, and sinker that we do need to take America back. And Franklin Graham told us it's all for the Supreme Court justices, and we got the Supreme Court justices and Roe v. Wade was just overturned and, you know, look at what was accomplished. So, you know, politics is a dirty business, Tim. I mean, come on, if we're gonna win in politics, which, you know, we're talking about babies here, babies are being slaughtered left and right. And then, you know, some of these people would allow a baby to be born alive and kill it. You know, that's who these people are. So, I mean, come on. This is the world we live in, and we've got to fight the way that the world fights. What do you say? TIM ALBERTA  37:35 I'd say a couple of things. I think you can go round and round about Roe v. Wade, and about Trump and about Supreme Court justices. But be careful what you wish for in this space. Because the fact of the matter is that Roe v Wade fell, and the total number of abortions in this country went up. I live in Michigan, where prior to Roe v Wade falling, there were pretty tight abortion restrictions in Michigan. Now, it is the wild west. It is some of the most liberalized abortion laws in the country. And that is true in seven or eight other states that have had ballot initiatives passed since Roe v. Wade, dramatically liberalizing abortion laws, and it's going to happen in a number of other states next year. So, let's be really clear eyed and fact based when we talk about what our political involvement does and what it doesn't do. At the end of the day, if you want to win hearts and minds to stop the scourge of abortion, if you are a Christian, and you view this as your great crusade, then is voting for a candidate or putting a bumper sticker on your car, is that the way to win those hearts and minds? Because the fact is, if American evangelicals had put a fraction of the energy into the social side of abortion, of doing the hard work in the clinics, and helping the single mothers and doing the foster care that is needed to address this at its root, if they had been willing to do that over the last 50 years, my guess is that public opinion would be dramatically different as it pertains to abortion. And we wouldn't even be talking about Roe v. Wade, because the number of abortions would be so low in this country that it wouldn't even register. But we've sort of self-selected into this alternate universe where politicians are our savior, and that politics is the mechanism by which we right the wrongs in this country. And I'm sorry, but if you are citizens of another kingdom?, then you can't possibly believe that. You can't possibly believe that Donald Trump or that any other politician is the person who's going to ultimately right these great moral wrongs. But unfortunately, I think that's the trap we've fallen into. Julie Roys  39:51 You know, I used to be very involved in the prolife movement. I will say, almost all of the people that I knew when I was involved in the pro-life movement, were actually involved in reaching out to single moms and caring for them and caring for their unborn children. But I think what we've forgotten so much is that politics is downstream of culture. So, if you're losing the culture, which we clearly are to change the politics, if you've got a kid that's rebellious, a teenager who's rebellious in your home, locking down all the windows and the doors in your house, that's not going to keep your kid from sinning. What's going to keep your kid from sinning, is if you can winsomely love your child into relationship with Jesus Christ and to want to be like you and to want to adopt your values. But we've forgotten about that, we've become this, you know, Midas right. And I remember in 2016, writing a commentary, The Rise of Trump, The Fall of Evangelicalism, and I said, we may win this one, but we will lose in the long run, if we throw our convictions out the window, and we alienate everyone around us, by our you know, the way that we talk and the way that we relate to people. This is not how you win people to the Lord. That fell on, you know, really deaf ears. It actually lost me some key supporters too. But I just was stunned because I did not know who these people were that I thought believed the same way that I did and had the same values. And then I went, Wow, we are just on different planets, we really don't have that. Julie Roys  41:29 I want to look at one person, again, you have these palate cleansers within all of these sections. And one of them to me is Cal Thomas, who was very much a part of the right and so I can relate to that, because that was I mean, I used to be emceeing the banquet to raise money for you know, the political cause, or whatever it was. I don't do that anymore. Cal Thomas doesn't do that anymore. What changed Cal? TIM ALBERTA  41:58 It's so funny, Julie, because just a minute ago, when you were talking about what are the weapons of our warfare? I was thinking about Cal., because Cal for those who don't know his story, you know, he was Jerry Falwell Senior's lieutenant in the Moral Majority. And he was their spokesman for the Moral Majority. And the vice president of that organization, and, you know, was really heavily involved in the kind of crusading era of the Religious Right, he was a central figure. And then Cal really started to feel uneasy with what he was seeing around him. And he doesn't even sugarcoat it. We have this very raw conversation in the book where he talks about, you know, the corruption and the greed and the grift. And how he just couldn't justify it. He justified it for a while by saying, Well, look how many people we're reaching, and look at all this money coming in. So clearly, you know, God must be doing something here. And then he eventually just gets to a point where he says, No, this is a scam. It's just immoral. And he finally walks away. And then years later, he writes this book called Blinded by Might, where he kind of tries to atone. And he just says, Listen, I was a total believer in winning the culture war to protect Christian America, as you know, part of our duty, you know, to God's kingdom. And in fact, not only has it failed, but it has backfired spectacularly, that we have driven away so many people who need Jesus, but who won't have anything to do with us anymore, They won't even let us in the door to have a conversation because of the way we've treated them because of the way we've treated the culture. So, to your point about locking down the teenager in the house, right? Cal really eloquently and powerfully was giving voice to this when he wrote that book. And then, you know, in our interviews for this book, he's an older guy now he's 80. And he's looking back with such regret on those years and thinking about how did he in some way contribute to laying the groundwork for Trump ism as this kind of sub cult in the evangelical world. And what's most interesting to me from that whole conversation, and I said this to him, is that the more things have changed, the more they've stayed the exact same. I mean, this break that he's describing in the 1980s. And this kind of crisis of conscience that he's feeling is exactly what we're trying to address today. What I'm trying to address in the book now, which is that, listen, it doesn't have to be this way. You have a choice, right? We all have a choice. It was so incredibly unpleasant for me to write this book in a lot of ways, Julie. If I'm being totally honest, I probably couldn't have written it while my dad was still alive. It would have been too hard. Like I've had some people writing me emails this past week saying, oh, like thank you for your courage. Thank you for your brave, I don't feel courageous. I don't feel brave. I feel like a coward in a lot of ways that it took me so long and that a lot of ways took my dad dying and having those experiences at his funeral to finally be willing to acknowledge and use my platform, my relatively high profile journalistically speaking to address this thing that has been so clearly wrong for such a long time. And so, for anybody listening, whether it's in your individual congregation, your faith community, your family, whatever it is like, it doesn't have to be this way. And it takes people like Cal Thomas, kind of blowing up his own life, blowing up his tribal affiliations and walking away. It takes Pastor Brian Zahnd, who I write about in Chapter 15, who had a mega church of 5000 people, and they were making money hand over fist. And then he just woke up one day and had this like epiphany from the Lord that it was all wrong, and that it was so shallow, and it was doing such a disservice to the Gospel. And he blew up his mega church. He's got like 150 people who come every Sunday now and the sanctuary seats like 2000. And he made a choice, right? Cal Thomas made a choice. You've made a choice, Julie. And I just think like, at the end of the day, the people who make that choice and who decide to reckon with what this has become? I don't think they're going to regret it. I really don't. Julie Roys  46:05 I have not regretted it once being free of the whole evangelical industrial complex as it's called, and just being free to follow your conscience without thinking, what are the consequences if I speak the truth publicly? Like what's going to happen to me? Like I see so many Christians just living in fear that if they speak out, or they tell the truth that they know that something, you know, there will be bad consequences for me, and it just makes me wonder, do we believe the gospel, like do we believe the gospel? What gospel are we living on day-to-day basis? And I love Pastor Zahnd's story that was like one of my favorite stories. And it reminded me of the book because I just interviewed Scott McKnight and Laura Behringer and their book pivot, which talks about similar things, other churches that realized church is toxic. It's huge, it's successful, but I feel empty inside, you know, and I feel thin, and they made that pivot. And it may be to smaller church, it may be and it's interesting, though, you were saying how Zahnd's church is now starting to maybe even start to grow and become a little bit healthier. And so, when I hear that I say, it's going to take a while. But in this, you know, these ashes, do you see something growing that's beautiful there that can replace this ugliness that quite frankly, I think I just think it's doomed. I think it's coming down. I don't know that it will come down quickly. This complex that we've built, but I think it will come down eventually. It may take decades. But I think there will be a Christianity I hope this was my prayer that replaces it. And it's more organic and more Grassroots less big leadership and more the Body of Christ. TIM ALBERTA  47:48 Yes,  I do see something rising from the ashes. I can sense it, particularly among the younger generation. One of the things that consistently surprised me in all of my reporting, and it was a pleasant surprise, to be clear, was spending time with younger believers. They ideologically, culturally, politically, like they're really no different from their parents, like they check those boxes on paper. But then you kind of get into some of this with them. And they want nothing to do with Trumpism. They want nothing to do with Charlie Kirk, and I'm talking about like the serious believers. I'm not talking about like the very casual kids who identify as Christian, but then go to a Turning Point USA event. I mean, like, you spend time around Liberty, and like, yes, there are some MAGA kids at Liberty. But most of the kids you spend time with  at Liberty, including those who would self-identify as like, sure I guess on paper, I would be a Republican, because of abortion because of other issues, they will really eloquently and gracefully speak to these schisms. And they're so perceptive. I think that's the big thing, Julie, is that they can see it. Right? My generation, I kind of think of us as like the children of the Moral Majority. And we can now very clearly diagnose this in a way that my dad's generation probably couldn't, they were too close to it. They were too wrapped up in it. And I think, you know, in some ways, they almost I kind of tend to maybe just give them a little bit of a pass for that because they didn't have the appropriate distance to really assess it and analyze it in the way that I think I'm able to, and certainly in the way that the generations behind me are able to. They see what this is doing to the church, and they are saying no, thank you. Even at my home church, the guy who took over for my dad, almost run out of the place. He came very close to just quitting because it got so bad for him because he hears this young guy taking over this, this mega church congregation in a very conservative Republican community. And he's not particularly a conservative Republican. He's not like some big Democrat either. He's just a guy who like loves Jesus and who processes news events through the eyes of like the gospel, right? What's so interesting is that he lost a ton of his congregation. And then this past summer, I went back for the first time since my dad's funeral, and the place was packed, and I didn't recognize anybody there. And he comes out and gives this sort of fire and brimstone sermon, challenging them on the culture wars, challenging them on like, where are your priorities, really? What kingdom do you really belong to? And so that actually, I didn't aim to end the book on that optimistic note, but I was so encouraged by it, because it makes me think that in this market of supply and demand that you and I have talked about, and mostly we focused on the perverted nature of the supply and demand, that there is also maybe more demand out there than we realize for that true, pure form of the gospel. And so that is my hope, moving forward, and particularly with these younger Christians, who will demand something better than what we've seen so far. Julie Roys  50:53 I loved that I don't often read the epilogue, but in your book I did. And that was beautiful to read about Pastor Winans and the way that, you know, you kind of left them in the early chapters really disillusioned and discouraged. And then he comes back invigorated for the gospel, and preaching it so boldly and that really, pastors like that give me hope. And I know that there's probably a lot more of them than I encounter in you know, the line of work that I do, which usually means I hear about the worst of the worst all the time. Julie Roys  51:28 Let me just ask you about this most of your chapters are about political power and about the way that these kingdoms  and the power has sort of become an idolatrous thing. And then you turn your eye to corruption going on in the church and the abuse, the abuse in the Southern Baptist Convention, how that's been addressed recently, how Rachel den Hollander stood up to it and she went, you know, most people I'm sure listening know Rachel's story. But you know, one of the first gymnasts who came forward and told her story about Larry Nasser, and how he had abused so much of the, you know, US Olympic gymnasts team. And she went from being just Joan of Arc, I think you call it to being Jezebel, right? Or from Esther to Jezebel, because she spoke out about the evil in the church. And that's what I found. When I was at Moody Radio I was allowed to speak about Joel Osteen, right? Or I was allowed to speak about the liberals in politics. But when I turned my critique on our own tribe, man, I would get shut down, you know. That's one of the reasons I left Moody besides the others that I talked about. I couldn't speak out about the evil in our own house. And I feel that at this point, we have no moral platform as Christians to be speaking about the evil out in the world anymore, until we deal with the evil in our own house and the way that it's crept in. You know, judgment begins with the house of God. He doesn't expect, you know, the people who don't know him, to act any differently than they're acting, but He expects us to, and we're not. So, I appreciated that you put this chapter in the book, dealing with some of the abuse and the corruption within the church. But you could have easily left it out and just talked about the way that politics has, you know, really usurped the gospel. Why did you put this chapter in? TIM ALBERTA  53:28 One of the things that really bugs me, is how the New Testament model here and you were just alluding to this a moment ago. The New Testament model is not ambiguous. We are to treat outsiders with unlimited grace and kindness and compassion and forgiveness, because they don't know God, and they don't know any better. That is clear. And what is also clear is that we are to treat the insiders with the utmost accountability, and they are to be held to the highest standard because they do know God, and they do know better. That is the New Testament model. And we in the American church have completely flipped it. We have nothing but hostility, and animus and enmity towards the outside world. And we practice nothing but grace and forgiveness and cheap grace and cheap forgiveness inside the church. Right? And it drives me a little bit nuts. Because if you are the person out there in the world, who is sort of curious about Jesus, and you feel something missing in your life, what are the odds today that you're going to go to a local church and try to learn a little bit more? I mean, you know, you might say, Well, some people will, some people do Sure. But the statistics here don't lie, Julie. Like when you look back 30 or 40 years, the perception of the church among unbelievers in this country was incredibly positive. People who did not know Jesus looked at the church as a beacon of moral rectitude, of compassion, of social good. Even if they were never going to sit in the pews with us, even if they didn't believe any of the doctrine, they respected the church and they admire the church. And that has completely changed. It's just completely fallen apart. There are some people who will tell you like Robert Jeffers and I go back and forth on this in the book, he said, Well, that it doesn't matter, right? Those people aren't looking for the Lord. I completely disagree. I think the credibility of the church matters enormously. TIM ALBERTA  55:37 To your question of why did I feel compelled to include that chapter? Well, who's going to hold the church accountable? Is the church going to hold itself accountable? No, I mean, typically, institutions are not very good at self-policing. We know that from working in journalism, right? By the way, the media is not very good at self-policing. Actually, I could argue the media is terrible at self-policing. I mean, any big institution, it can't be expected to hold itself accountable. Okay, so what are the mechanisms for accountability here? If we care about the Bride of Christ, if we care about the credibility of the church, if we care about how the outside world perceives the church, which I think matters enormously, then what do we do to ensure that the church is on the up and up and is doing its duty before God and it's carrying out its purpose and its mission? You know, journalism has to play a role in that. I think, you know, the law has to play a role in that. I think that there are external forces, even, you know, gasp secular forces that have to play a role in that, because otherwise, we just leave these churches, these pastors to their own devices. And I'm sorry, but you don't need to read any other source then the Bible itself. You pick up the Bible itself, read from Old Testament to new and see how well that works out. We see it time and again. I there are not accountability structures in place, then things go very badly, very quickly. And so that's a long answer to your question. Julie Roys  57:06 Hmm. Well, I appreciate that. And I appreciate your book. And I know you're getting interviews all over the country. I saw you on CBS, Good Morning America; that was so exciting to see but really wonderful that you've gotten this platform to winsomely speak to the rest of society who I remember a couple of times, I got to be on NPR. They would ask me about evangelicalism, and they are always amazed, I think that I could even string two sentences together. And I was actually an evangelical right? But I am so thrilled that you are representing evangelicals because you're a face that and I don't know, do you still identify as Evangelical? TIM ALBERTA  57:49 not really, I don't fight the label, but I would not volunteer it for myself just because of exactly what we just described, you know. Somebody outside the church hears it, and they quickly shut down the conversation, because they don't really want anything to do with you. Julie Roys  58:01 I don't know if I would take that term, either. I'm kind of where you are, as well. But you're a Christian, and you love Jesus. And even when I heard you in that one interview recently said, How's your faith? and you're like, it's as strong as it's ever been. I thank you for that and for your witness, and for this book, and for giving me so much of your time. I really appreciate it. So, thank you, TIM ALBERTA  58:21 Thank you for all that you're doing. And thank you for saying that. It's very kind of you. We're ultimately playing some small part here in trying to get this thing back on track and doing it as humbly as possible. I hope that we can make a difference. Thank you for having me on. And I know that we'll continue to talk. Julie Roys  58:39 Absolutely. And thanks so much for listening to The Roys Report, a podcast dedicated to reporting the truth and restoring the church. I'm Julie Roys. And just a quick reminder, if you'd like a copy of Tim Alberta's book, The Kingdome, The Power, and The Glory, we'd be happy to send you one for a gift of $50 or more to The Roys Report this month. Again, we don't have any large donors or advertising, we simply have you, the people who care about exposing evil and restoring the church. So, if you'd like to support our work and get Tim's book, just go to JULIEROYS.COM/DONATE. Also, I want to let you know that next week, I'll be releasing another talk from the RESTORE conference. This one is by veteran church planter Lance Ford, who gave an amazing talk on the Christian addiction to leadership and why it's so toxic. I love this talk and I think you will too. So be watching for that. We'll release the talk as both an audio podcast and as a video at my YouTube channel. Also, just a quick reminder to subscribe to The Roys Report on Apple podcast, Google podcasts or Spotify. That way you'll never miss an episode. And while you're at it, I'd really appreciate it if you'd help us spread the word about the podcast by leaving a review. And then please share the podcast on social media. So, more people can hear about this great content. Again, thanks so much for joining me today hope you are blessed and encouraged. Read more

It's Tuesday, November 28th, A.D. 2023. This is The Worldview in 5 Minutes heard at www.TheWorldview.com.  I'm Adam McManus. (Adam@TheWorldview.com) By Kevin Swanson Nigerian police now persecuting Christians there Christians in Nigeria have experienced a great deal of persecution at the hands of Muslim terrorist organizations. And now, the Nigerian police have added to the persecution of Christians. The International Center for Investigative Reporting finds that religious police, the Hisbah, are now arresting women who profess to be Christian in the Kano State. Apparently, some Muslim women are also subjected to beatings by the police for not playing by certain religious rules. Also, five Christian girls were recently arrested by police, and prevented from attending church in the repressive state, reports International Christian Concern. Why the Chinese Christian population is hard to pin down How many Christians are there in China?   Official government numbers put it at 28 million.  Another survey put the number at 43 million. David Curry, President of Global Christian Relief, wrote a column for Fox News Digital in which he pointed out that government numbers may be inaccurate in that they may not count children. Plus, the Chinese may be reticent to respond to government inquiries concerning faith issues. In addition, 72% of self-identified Christians in the survey are women, according to Pew Research. Iran close to going nuclear In the ongoing nuclear arms race, Iran has achieved what America had at Los Alamos, New Mexico in July of 1945. According to the most recent report from the International Atomic Energy Agency, Iran has finally accumulated sufficient uranium to make two nuclear bombs, about the size dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Southeast Asia is a “nuclear tinderbox” Writing for The Japan Times, Susan Thornton, former U.S. assistant Secretary of State for East Asia, called Southeast Asia a “nuclear tinderbox.” She wrote, “A full-scale arms race is under way. North Korea's stockpile of nuclear weapons and missiles has grown and Kim [Jong Un] has called for an ‘exponential increase' in its arsenal.” The Council on Foreign Relations estimates that North Korea has enough material for more than 100 nuclear weapons. The group said, “It has successfully tested missiles that could strike the United States with a nuclear warhead, and the country touts the world's fourth-largest military.” Vatican not open to ordination of women or changes on homosexuality While mainline Protestant denominations have given way to women and homosexuals in church office, the Vatican is pushing back against the German Catholic Synod seeking liberalization of church regulation. The Catholic News Agency reports that an October 23rd letter reminds the Catholic bishops of “potential disciplinary consequences for any defying the teaching of the Church” on the ordination of women and changes in the Church's teaching on homosexuality. And furthermore, these matters are off the table for discussions in the upcoming meetings. CNN horrified that Speaker Johnson has advocated righteous laws CNN's K-file, their investigative team, dutifully studied 100 radio interviews of U.S. House Speaker Mike Johnson, an evangelical Christian. They discovered that he suggested “imprisoning doctors who perform abortions after six weeks; the Ten Commandments [should be] prominently displayed in public buildings; an elimination of anti-hate-crime laws; Bible study in public schools; criminalization of homosexuality.”   The left wing news source was also shocked that Johnson testified that “one of the primary purposes of the law in civil government is to restrain evil.”  He also said, “We have to acknowledge collectively that man is inherently evil and needs to be restrained.” Romans 13:4 reminds us that “[the ruler] is God's servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for He does not bear the sword in vain. For He is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer.” To thank House Speaker Mike Johnson for his bold, Christian stands, you can call (202) 225-2777 or write 568 Cannon House Office Building, Washington, DC, 20515-1804. Speaker Johnson has endorsed Trump for president In other House Speaker news, Johnson has endorsed Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential race, reports U.S. News and World Report. Only 10% of small businesses looking for college degrees A recent Red Balloon survey of 905 small business owners found that two-thirds of them do not believe that college graduates have "relevant skills" which would be of any benefit to their companies, reports the Washington Times. Big concerns were a lack of maturity and a decent work ethic. Only 10% of these business owners are looking for candidates with college degrees. Gold, the Nasdaq, and home prices Since January 2019, gold is up 68% — as compared to the 20% inflation increase.  To compare, Monday's Nasdaq index is also up exactly 68% since January 2019.  Over the same time frame, the median home price increased by 58%.   The median new home price is up 17.6%, year over year, now at $409,300. Economy squeezing Americans Americans are feeling the squeeze in the pocket book.   WalletHub found that 28% of Americans plan to spend less on Christmas gifts this year over last year, while only 14% are spending more. 34% of Americans are foregoing gifts altogether and a quarter of the population are still working on paying off debt from last Christmas.  Consumer spending is up And finally, Bloomberg and Adobe Analytics report that consumer spending is up. Black Friday retail sales were up 7.5% year over year. But the business site is reporting a huge increase in credit card purchases.  These buy now/pay later purchases increased by 72% the week before Thanksgiving.  Let's remember the words of Jesus this Christmas season. “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (Matthew 6:24) Close And that's The Worldview in 5 Minutes on this Tuesday, November 28th in the year of our Lord 2023. Subscribe by iTunes or email to our unique Christian newscast at www.TheWorldview.com. Or get the Generations app through Google Play or The App Store. I'm Adam McManus (Adam@TheWorldview.com). Seize the day for Jesus Christ. Print story Russia wants to prohibit adoptions to sex-change-affirming countries Russian lawmakers are considering a law which would ban all Russian adoptions to most Western nations including the U.S The legislation would not allow adoptions to citizens of countries where sex changes are allowed. 

Ashley Al Saliby grew up in Texas. She spent five years in full time ministry for teen girls. She has lived in Lebanon and currently lives in Switzerland with my husband and kids, volunteering with preteen and teen girls at her local church and just released a brand new book for Christian teens called, "My Refuge."She wants so much for teen girls around the world to know that Jesus is worthy of all your heart and all your trust.On today's episode, Ashley talks a little about each of the 4 characters in her book from different countries and different walks of life, and how they all felt imprisoned by the circumstances in their lives.Eden is a 15 year old from Houston, Texas and is in the ICU waiting for a heart transplant. As she's looking at her social media, she's seeing how all of her friends are living life and her life is on hold and she's having a hard time fighting bitterness and anger.Zahra is a 15 year old form Syrian living in a Syrian refugee camp. Life as she knew it was completely uprooted and now she's fighting dispair as she feels her life will never be the same again and the dreams she had for her life are now never going to happen.Mei is a 15 tear old Chinese Christian living in Canada and is in the midst of some of the hardest restrictions during the pandemic. As life for Mei is moved online, she is now fighting temptations that she never faced before...especially when a classmate of hers, a guy she has a crush on asks her to send her inappropriate pictures online. Katya is a 15 year old in Ukraine and as war breaks out, she finds herself hiding in a bomb shelter, fearing for her life. She struggles with fear, panic attacks and anxiety not knowing what her future is going to hold or if she'll be safe.Even though your story may not be the exact situations that you or your friends might be facing today, you might find that you can relate to these girls...the struggles that they are facing...and the emotions that they are walking through.But in the midst of all these stories...and in the midst of your story, it may feel like you're being imprisoned by your circumstances, but God is pursuing you with hope!He doesn't want you to walk through this alone! Learn how. you can overcome any circumstance you're facing as you listen in to this week's episode of the UncommonTEEN Podcast.CONNECT WITH ASHLEY!IG: @ashleyalsalibywritesWebsite: ashleyalsaliby.comAmazon Link: My Refuge BookSOAR COACHING COMMUNITY The month of November, we are opening back up our SOAR Friday Informational calls so you and your parents can learn more about the SOAR Coaching Community. We want to give back to you by letting you try out SOAR for one month to see if it's a good fit for you! More information about these calls will be coming to your email soon! Be sure you're signed up on our email list. Go to UncommonTEEN.com and scroll down to where it says, "Don't Miss A Thing." Put your name and email address in there and be sure not to miss all the exciting things going on with UncommonTEEN! Connect with Us!Website: UncommonTEEN.comInstagram: @uncommon.teenUncommonTEEN Live Conference: UncommonTEENlive.com

Last time we spoke about the battle of Beijing. General Gaselee and the 8 nation alliance began a grand march upon Beijing. They fought numerous battles at places like Beicang and Yangcun utterly routing the Qing and Boxer forces. The road to Beijing was laid bare open to them, lest it not be for the extreme summer heat which took the lives of many. The Russians attempted to outrace everyone else to Beijing, but quickly bit off more than they could chew. Ultimately the British were the first ones to enter the foreign legations. The besieged foreigners in the legations had been met with a last ditch effort by the Qing to overrun them, but they held on for dear life. Now Beijing was being occupied by the 8 nation alliance. What was to become of the Qing officials, of Empress Dowager Cixi? How would justice be served?   #67 The Boxer Rebellion part 7: The Boxer Protocol   Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Usually you would assume the story was won and done. The 8 national alliance was flooding into Beijing, as they say “the cavalry had arrived”, but it was not over. The next day of August 15th saw more violence. The French deployed 4 artillery pieces onto the Tartar wall and began bombarding the pink walls of the Imperial City. Meanwhile General Chaffee was mounting an assault upon the Imperial city alongside the American forces who were battering their way through a series of courtyards trying to get to the Imperial Cities southern gate. Their ultimate objective was the Forbidden City. When it seemed they were within reach of the Forbidden City, suddenly General Chaffee commanded a withdrawal. The commanders had been arguing at a conference and they all agreed that the 8 nation alliance should take a more conciliatory approach towards the Qing government. Everyone was wondering whether the Emperor and Empress Dowager remained within the Forbidden city. If there was to be a conciliation at all, they would be needed. Rumors began to emerge stating if the Empress Dowager were still in the city, she would most likely commit suicide rather than be taken prisoner. Lenox Simpson was trying to investigate the situation, riding up to the Imperial City where he discovered a terrified Eunuch huddled in a Qing guardhouse in the outer wall. He asked the eunuch how many forces guarded the Forbidden city and the whereabouts of the Emperor and Empress Dowager. The Eunuch blurted out “The Emperor, the Empress Dowager, and indeed, the whole Court, had disappeared—had fled, was gone.” There are countless tales of how it occurred, the dramatic flight of the Qing court. It is most likely the decision to flee Beijing came about in the early hours of August 15th. One account given by magistrate Wu Yung claimed he helped the Empress Dowager flee. Cixi was disguised in dark blue clothes of a Chinese peasant woman, they even clipped her nails, go google a picture of Cixi, imagine clipping those things haha. Allegedly Cixi told Wu Yung as she was hastily grabbing some personal belongs “Who would have thought it would come to this?” Of the things she hastily grabbed, one was a precious bloodstone that she believed protect her through all dangers. She boarded one of three wooden carts, and Cixi forcefully grabbed the emperor not allowing him to be taken as a hostage, alongside her niece and the heir apparent. The Imperial concubines were forbidden to accompany them and made tearful farewell. It is said Emperor Guangxu's favorite concubine begged to take her with him, prompting Cixi who hated the girl to demand she be tossed down a well. Apparently the Eunuchs rolled the poor girl up in a carpet and literally tossed her down a well in front of Emperor Guangxu, which is hardcore? Another account has it that Cixi tricked the girl by telling her “We will all stay where we are, but we cannot allow ourselves to be taken alive by Western barbarians. There is only one way out for you and me—we must both die. It is easy. You go first—I promise to follow you.” Then the Eunuch tossed her in the well, one other account has the Eunuchs simply tossing the girl down the well after the imperial party departed because they didn't like her. Can't help but picture Varies from GOT leading eunuchs to get revenge on a royal family haha.  Empress Dowager Cixi had fled the Imperial city once before, in fact 40 years prior during the 2nd opium war. Was a symbolic moment. Back then she had apparently told the Emperor to stay in the city lest the British and French raze Beijing to the ground, this time she did the opposite. On August 10th, Cixi had made an imperial decree ordering General Jung Lu and some other Qing officials to remain in Beijing and maintain the government in exile. The royal party fled through roads filled with others fleeing the city. Their eunuch planners assumed they would buy provisions along the way, but when they entered the countryside they found it completely devastated. On August 17th the royal party made it to the small town of Huailai, north of Beijing. The Boxers and disaffected troops had devastated the town so much, there was only a bowl of millet and green bean porridge to serve the Empress Dowager. Apparently to this she said to her host “In time of distress this is enough. Can I at this time say what is good and what is not good?” From Huailai they traveled to Kalgan and Tatung, near the Mongolian plateau, before they turned towards Taiyuan. Now being so far from Beijing they felt safer and thus instead of conducting themselves under the guise as peasants they now openly showed themselves and told people they were performing an official tour of inspection. It is said by Wu Yung the empress dowager enjoyed talking to him and told him “talk as you please”, and she herself took a large interest in talking to locals and visiting temples and attractions. Wu Yung theorized she had been cooped up for so long in the imperial city, the outside world fascinated her. The mule litters were replaced with sedan chairs, Cixi began wearing luxurious Manchu garb and regrew her fingernails.  Soon the royal party were issuing edicts and receiving reports on the situation of the court in Beijing. Countless governors, viceroys and other Qing officials flocked to pay respects and tribute to the royal party. They stayed in Taiyuan for 3 weeks at the home of Yuxiang where he boasted to Cixi of how many foreigners he executed. However the Taiyuan massacre meant the foreigners might come to the city for revenge, so the royal party continued southwest towards Sian, the old capital of the Tang dynasty. This was territory held by General Dong Fuxiang whose troops were the primary ones escorting the royal party. It was under Dong Fuxiang's protection the royal party now hunkered down for winter. It is said Guangxu's nephew began drawing pictures of demons and would often sketch a large tortoise with the name Yuan Shikai on its back. You see the tortoise was a symbol of homosexuality, thus it was to insult Yuan Shikai who was seen as an enemy who betrayed Guangxu. It is also said Guangxu took the pictures, hung them up on walls and fired crossbows at them. Personally this story to me sounds like an author giving a bit of foreshadowing flavor, for Yuan Shikai would perform even greater betrayals later on. Indeed Yuan Shikai is kind of a meme on my personal channel, over there I have to the point of me writing this script, covered 1830-1932 thus far for Chinese-Japanese history. Yuan Shikai is a behemoth when it comes to the formation of modern day China and honestly his story is interesting to say the least. If you ever want to jump into the future, just check out my content at the Pacific War channel on the Xinhai revolution and China's warlord era episodes, or better yet the full China warlord documentary that encompasses pretty much all of it. Anyways. Back over in Beijing, news of the flight of the Qing court was not met with surprise by the foreigners. Now the foreigners were uncertain what to do next. For some it was a bit reminiscent of Napoleon's arrival to a deserted Moscow, without the highest ranking Qing officials, what could they do? Meanwhile, one place that was still under threat was Peitang. Over at the Peitang Cathedral the foreigners had been fighting for their lives the entire time. When news emerged that the foreign legations had been rescued, everyone in the Cathedral at Peitang rejoiced awaiting their own rescue. The Cathedral was the only Christian building within the Imperial city that was able to hold on and defend itself. It was a miracle they managed to do so. The commander of 30 French marines sent by Pichon on June 1st to help out at Peitang was Lt Paul Henry. At the age of just 23, Bishop Favier had to say of his conduct “he was as pious as he is brave— a true Breton.” Henry had been given an impossible task, to defend an area with around 1400 yards of wall 12-15 feet high with a tiny amount of troops. Henry had the men dig trenches, erect parapets, and used the Cathedral as a last stronghold if they were overrun. The first week of June saw fires erupt throughout the capital and gunfire could be heard everywhere. Bishop Favier looked out from the top of the cathedral to see on the 13th and 14th churches and cathedrals in Beijing being razed to the ground. Refugees poured into Peitang Cathedral more and more, and on the 15th a group of Catholic sisters and children were running from Boxers to the cathedral with Favier giving this account of the scene “Their leader, on horse, is a lama or bonze [priest]; he precedes an immense red flag, surrounded by young Boxers who have undergone the incantations and are likewise dressed in red. They burned perfumed sticks, prostrated themselves on entering our street to the south, and then advanced in compact bands”. The French marines allowed them to reach 200 yards from the barricades before unleashing a volley wounded 50 and sending them fleeing. By June 18th, Henry worried about enemy artillery and tried to fortify the defenses more so. On the 20th, news of von Kettelers death came, Pichon sent a message to Favier, there was no hope of fleeing Beijing. 3420 people, two thirds of which were women and children were trapped in Peitang. Their defenses were comically small, 30 French and a dozen Italian marines, whose commander was Lt Olivieri aged 25. The able bodied Chinese christians volunteered to bolster the forces, making spears, brandishing some knives and a few were given rifles by the marines. June 22nd saw Krupp guns firing upon Peitang shattering windows and sending bricks flying. The main gate to Peitang was being battered by shells. Lt Henry led a sortie of 4 marines and 30 Chinese christians to seize the artillery piece hitting the main gate. They managed to seize it, losing 2 Chinese in the process. The next day simply saw more artillery bombardment. By the 26th, all the buildings near Peitang were ablaze and Boxers were seen erecting ladders and scaffoldings against the walls. The defenders were being pot shotted at every day. On the 27th Henrys second in command Jouannic was shot in the shoulder and would die 3 days later. By July 1st the defenders of Peitang began to eat mule and horse as they ran out of vegetables. Smallpox broke out amongst the children, by July 3rd 15 were dying per day.  The french marines began making scarecrows to help against snipers. It turned out the watchmakers amongst their Chinese christians were capable of creating cartridges for Mausers and other guns. The defenders were able to manufacture powder for cannons with things they seized from the surrounding enemy during sorties. The men fired only 100 rounds per day, Henry noted on July 5th 13 rounds were only fired, on the 14th 74. Famine was more threatening than lack of ammunition. On July 6th Henry checked rations and estimated they could hold out for 20 days. The Boxers began manufacturing exploding missiles that they lobbed at the cathedral. These were a sort of fire pot, a container carrying around three pounds of gunpowder with long fuses. On a single day the Boxers tossed more than 250 of these, but the defenders ingeniously put buckets, casks and even bathtubs full of water everywhere to fight the emerging fires.  The Qing artillery smashed the cathedrals clock tower and walls without mercy. On July 18th, the defenders were countermining when a mine exploded killing 25 and injuring 28. One French marine described the carnage “where bits of waste meat were being dragged out, fragments of flesh and severed limbs were spattered about and part of someone's chest was smashed against a wall”. Qing troops atop the Imperial City walls fired down upon the defenders at all times. By July 28th rations were a meager 8 ounces of food per day. On July 30th the Qing assaulted the north wall, setting the cathedral roof on fire. Henry tried rallying the men and took a bullet in the neck and another into his side. Henry died in the arms of a priest 20 minutes later and was buried beneath a statue of Our Lady of Lourdes in the Cathedral garden. Olivieri took command after his death. The Qing and Boxers seemed emboldened and began firing arrows with messages to the Christian Chinese urging them to abandon the foreigners and return to the old ways. “You, Christians, shut up in the Pei-tang, reduced to the greatest misery, eating leaves of trees, why do you resist? We have leveled cannon and set mines against you, and you will be destroyed in a short time. You have been deceived by the devils of Europe; return to the ancient religion . . . deliver up Bishop Favier and the others, and you will have saved your lives, and we will give you to eat. If you do not do so, you, your wives and children, will all be cut into pieces.” It is said the Boxers believed Bishop Favier was a demon who was using an invulnerability spell by smearing menstrual blood over his faced and nailing naked women and dead fetuses to the Cathedral walls. They also believed the foreigners posed a weapon called “the ten thousand woman flag” woven from female pubic hair which stole power from the Boxer gods. Gotta hand it to their imagination. Despite the messages, the Chinese Christians stayed put. By August 2nd the besieged were starving and began trying to capture stray dogs to eat. On August 5th, Favier wrote this “we can resist balls, bullets, and bombs, but there is no defense against famine.” On August 10th, 400 pounds of rice and a mule were all that remained. Favier was forced to send Christian Chinese out in desperation to try and reach the foreign legation for help. Many were flayed, beheaded and put in spikes near Peitang. On August 12th a violent explosion shook Peitang a giant mine had gone off causing a crater 7 yards deep and 40 yards wide. It buried 5 Italian marines with Olivieri and 80 Chinese. Olivieri recounted being saved with the burial “They succeeded in uncovering one of my hands, and finding it still warm, redoubled their efforts until my whole body was free”. However his men were mutilated and dying. The mine had caused a large breach in the wall and the enemy could easily have stormed Peitang, but they didn't. Another mine went off the following day, but the enemy did not storm Peitang. Just when it seemed they were all going to die on August 14th the defender heard Boxers scream out “The devils from Europe are approaching!” The Boxers were also screaming at the defenders of Peitang that they would all be massacred before their rescuers got to them. But Oliveiri and the defenders watch as Qing banners were lowered from walls, Qing soldiers and Boxers were beginning to flee.  By 5pm they saw europeans on the walls waving an american flag.  The defenders waited for their rescue on August 15th, but no one was coming. Olivieri worried the relief force had been repelled. Then suddenly Japanese troops climbed over the walls and stormed into Peitang. Olivieri rushed over shouting “we are saved!”. The other members of the 8 nation alliance were rather shocked by the actions of the Japanese, Peitang was a French responsibility. The French force that entered Beijing however was too small to fight their way to Peitang. As General Frey noted “What was our surprise to see ahead of us between 250 and 300 Japanese whose presence nobody could explain.” The Japanese without any fuss simply did the deed on their own merit.  Peitang saw 400 people including 166 children die during the siege, unlike the fight for the legations Peitang never had a single day of rest. There was no truce for Peitang, the defenders fought every single day. As Favier assessed the damage in Beijing he had this to say “In Pekin, three churches, seven large chapels, the colleges, hospitals—all are destroyed. . . . The Peitang . . . damaged by shells, is the only building undestroyed. . . . In short, the ruin is almost entire, the work of forty years is nearly annihilated; the courage of missionaries, nevertheless, is not on the wane; we shall begin over again.” As Bishop Favier wandered Beijing, he estimated perhaps 30,000 catholics had been killed. News emerged that 200 foreign nuns, priests, missionaries and their family members had been murdered. Half the population of Beijing fled in terror as the foreign armies flooded in. Many Qing officials committed suicide, many Chinese women with bound feet likewise did so. The special correspondent of the Daily Telegraph, Dr. E.J Dillon wrote “Chinese women honestly believed that no more terrible fate could overtake them than to fall alive into the hands of Europeans and Christians. It is to be feared that they were right.” Dillon personally saw the corpses of women who had been raped and bayoneted to death. Luella Miner within the foreign legation had this to say of the matter “The conduct of the Russian soldiers is atrocious, the French are not much better, and the Japanese are looting and burning without mercy.... Women and girls by hundreds have committed suicide to escape a worse fate at the hands of Russian and Japanese brutes. Our American soldiers saw them jumping into the river and into wells, in Tungchow. Twelve girls in one well, and one mother was drowning two of her little children in a large water jar.” Roger Keyes added his own account “Every Chinaman . . . was treated as a Boxer by the Russian and French troops, and the slaughter of men, women, and children in retaliation was revolting.” A British officer, Major Luke, told Keyes that “he had never seen anything more horrible, and some of his young Marines were literally sick”. Lenox Simpson stated he say British Indian forces molesting female Chinese christians until they were flogged by some foreign women. It is said the Japanese had planned ahead of time for the situation. According to Roger Keyes “their Government had wisely taken the precaution of sending their ‘regimental wives' [prostitutes] with them, and they were established in houses at Tientsin and Peking directly the troops settled down”. The first days of the occupation saw indiscriminate looting and rape by all nationalities. The allied commander in chief von Waldersee who only arrived in late september wrote “Every nationality accords the palm to some other in respect to the art of plundering, but it remains the fact that each and all of them went in hot and strong for plunder.” On August 18th all the diplomats and military commanders met at the Russian legation to discuss how to go about reprisals against the Qing. The Germans argued for severe punishment because of Von Kettelers murder, they wanted a punitive expedition and to raze the Imperial city. The Russians favored a more conciliatory line in northern China, but of course something I have not talked about was going on, the Russians had basically invaded Manchuria. One thing they all agreed upon was an enormous victory parade through the Imperial City, a grand humiliation. Each nation scrambled to be the first in the parade, the Russians argued they had the largest force, which was a lie, it was the Japanese. There are countless photographs of the foreign armies in the city and of the parade, but to give a brief description on August 28th George Morrison stated “the appearance of the French troops, complaining that there was every excuse for their uniforms to be dirty but that the faces of many of the men should be so too was quite inexcusable. The French looked singularly decadent in blue dungaree and that their commander, General Frey, was small and pot-bellied. He thought the Cossacks were “heavy” and “rough” but that the Germans looked “splendid” and the Japanese officers “very smart.” The British, by contrast, looked ather “rag tag and bobtail.” The dignity of the occasion was further undermined by the ineptitude of the Russian band, which could not keep pace with eight successive national anthems and found itself blasting out the “Marseillaise” as the Italians marched past the saluting base”. An army of eunuchs escorted by Qing officials brought the foreigners into the Forbidden city which saw looting. Indeed the looting of the capital of China by the 8 nation alliance is probably one of the largest looting accounts in human history, one of the sources I am using has an entire chapter dedicated to only story accounts of what was stolen and by whom, but its simply too much to delve into. Many museums today hold stolen items from this event. Within 24 hours of taking the city not a race of Boxers existed. There was a wild Boxer hunt that saw much horror. Daily executions occurred as described to us by George Morrison “The execution and the long drawn out neck. The butcher with his apron. The executioner tearing open his long coat—the grunt as he brought down the knife—the dogs lapping up the blood—the closeness of the head to the ground, the face nearly touching.” Apparently the Germans got their prisoners to dig their own trench before being shot in the back of the head. During september the allies were awaiting the arrival of von Waldersee, but a number of military operations were mounted against Boxer strongholds in the Beijing region.  Von Waldersee arrived to Beijing in October assuming command and established his HQ in Cixi's palace in the forbidden city. Von Waldersee decided punitive expeditions needed to be increased and Germany began taking the lead in several dozen. The countryside was butchered in a wild hunt for Boxers. Civilians, Qing soldiers, Qing officials, just about anyone faced numerous foreign troops who killed or abused them. Von Waldersee faced a more daunting task however, peace negotiations. There was a mutual distrust amongst the nations and conflicts broke out often. Li Hongzhang, poor old Li Hongzhang and Prince Qing were appointed the imperial plenipotentiary powers and only arrived in Beijing in October. The first meeting was held on Christmas Eve between them and the foreign ministers. Li Hongzhang was not present due to illness. The foreign ministers questioned whether the Qing plenipotentiaries were even real agents of the Emperor or Qing government in exile. Prince Qing managed to convince them he held authority. The allies pondered if the dynasty should change, but it was quickly apparent the Manchu would never allow for such a thing. All the ministers agreed the Manchu dynasty should remain on the throne. Then they pondered punishment of the guilty and a large indemnity on behalf of the Qing dynasty. The indemnity fee first brought up was 67,500,000 roughly 4.3 or so billion dollars by todays figures. The Americans argued it was far too high and would bankrupt China. American secretary of state John Hay sent a telegram to the great powers stating “America's policy was to bring permanent safety and peace to China and to preserve China's territorial integrity”. Von Waldersee would go on the record to say  “the United States it seems to desire that nobody shall get anything out of China.” However on May 26th an imperial edict announced that the indemnity payment would be 67,500,000$ to be paid in full over 39 years. The sum was to be distributed as follows: Russia 28.97%, Germany 20.02%, France 15.75%, Britain 11.25%, Japan 7.73%, United States 7.32%, Italy 7.32%, Belgium 1.89%, Austria-Hungary 0.89%, Netherlands 0.17%, Spain 0.03%, Portugal 0.021%, Sweden and Norway 0.014%. The payment by the way would only be amortized on December 31st of 1940.  Now the negotiations for punishments were a lot more complicated. The allies first wanted to see the executions of prominent pro-Boxer officials, which Empress Dowager Cixi wanted to avoid. Cixi made many counter proposals, but eventually was forced to hand over some officials. Yuxiang, the mastermind behind the Taiyuan massacre was reportedly executed, though notably there is a myth he simply went into exile. Qing official Ying Nien straggled himself, some other officials apparently were killed by having their mouths and nostrils stuffed with rice paper by eunuchs, which is a pretty weird one I must say, many were poisoned. Prince Duan and his brother escaped the death penalty and were exiled to Turkestan. Dong Fuxiang was too powerful to kill much to the dismay of the foreigners. Indeed his Muslim army in the northwest was the bulwark at the time, all he suffered was a demotion, but in reality he was now a major leading figure. Over 100 Qing officials were executed or exiled in the end.  A peace treaty containing 12 articles was signed in the Spanish legation on September 7th of 1901 known as the Boxer Protocol. The Qing were prohibited from importing arms and ammunition for 2 years; the Taku forts were ordered to be destroyed; the legation quarters would receive special status; Boxers and Qing officials who had supported them would face justice; the Zongli Yamen was replaced with a foreign office; the Qing government was to prohibit under the pain of death, any membership for anti-foreign societies; civil examinations were suspended for 5 years in any area that saw violence against foreigners; the Emperor Guangxu was to apologize to Kaiser Wilhelm for the murder of Baron von Ketteler; Emperor Guangxu was to appoint Na't'ung to be a special envoy to be sent to apologize the Emperor Meiji for the murder of Mr. Sugiyama; the Qing government was to erect a commemorative arch over the spot Baron von Ketteler was killed; and at last the great powers would be allowed to occupy numerous important cities so as to make sure their legations were protected. Empress Dowager Cixi was surprised by the terms of the treaty and that she was not punished personally. Hell China was not required to surrender any more territory. Some members of her court argued China should continue the war and that the 8 nation alliance could not hope to face the interior of China. Some argued if Dong Fuxiang were to be allowed to raise his force to 50,000 he could dislodge the foreign encroachment. Cixi however was as much a pragmatist as she was conservative in her ways. If the allied nations would allow Emperor Guangxu and her to return to Beijing retaining their honor, she believed she had little to lose. She also was not a moron and understood exactly why the Boxer Protocol was made in the way it was, the great powers wanted to received payments and in order to do so, needed the Manchu to sit on the throne. She ordered Li Hongzhang to do all he could to re-establish relations with the foreign governments. She also ordered any decrees she made praising the Boxers to be expunged from the official records and secretly ordered all blame to be placed on Guangxu. She gave posthumous honors to all the progressive Qing officials she had beheaded during the siege and disinherited the heir apparent son of Prince Duan, whom apparently she did not like much. An imperial decree in the name of Emperor Guangxu announced “Our Sacred Mother's advanced age renders it necessary that we should take the greatest care of her health, so that she may attain to peaceful longevity; a long journey in the heat being evidently undesirable, we have fixed on the 19th day of the 7th Moon [1 September] to commence our return journey and are now preparing to escort Her Majesty.” The return to Beijing should be held as one of the greatest feats of public relations exercises in history, second only to Robert Downey Jr. The 700 mile journey began in October of 1901 seeing the imperial family carried in yellow sedan chairs, sparing no expense. George Morrison details it quite well  “Along the frost-bound uneven tracks which serve for roads in northern China, an unending stream of laden wagons croaked and groaned through the short winter's day and on, guided by soldier torch-bearers through bitter nights to the appointed stopping places. But for the Empress Dowager and the Emperor there was easy journeying and a way literally made smooth. Throughout its entire distance the road over which the Imperial palanquins were carried had been converted into a smooth, even surface of shining clay, soft and noiseless under foot; not only had every stone been removed but as the procession approached gangs of men were employed in brushing the surface with feather brooms. At intervals of about ten miles, well-appointed rest-houses had been built.The cost of this King's highway, quite useless of course for the ordinary traffic of the country, was stated by a native contractor to amount to fifty Mexican dollars for every eight yards—say, £1,000 per mile—the clay having to be carried in some places from a great distance. As an example of the lavish expenditure of the Court and its officials in a land where squalor is a pervading feature, this is typical.” The Empress Dowager crossed the yellow river in a gilded, lacquered, dragon shaped barge after offering wine and incense to the river god. Believe it or not, the last part of the journey was done by train and Empress Dowager Cixi looked excited to be in what she called an “iron centipede”. Everyone in Beijing was given an imperial decree to graciously permit them to watch the royal family return to the Imperial Court. We are told “As Cixi got out of her chair, the Empress glanced up at the smoke-blackened walls and saw us: a row of foreigners . . . and, looking up at us, lifted her closed hands under her chin, and made a series of little bows.” Cixi was a lover of theatricals and made sure it was a hell of a show.  Within days foreign ministers were summoned to present themselves to the Emperor and for the first time officially enter the forbidden city. On February the 1st Cixi invited the ladies of diplomats to her. The foreign community nor Cixi could know it, but the Boxer rebellion was to be one of the last nails in a coffin made for the Qing dynasty.  I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. And so the Boxer rebellion excluding some events in Manchuria was ended. The Boxer protocol ushered in a brand new Qing dynasty that surely would survive the test of time and not succumb to an agonizing death as the people of China could take it no longer.   

Last time we spoke about the darkest days of the siege of the foreign legation quarters in Beijing. The Hanlin Academy was burnt down taking with it irreplaceable books. The Fu Palace and French Legation were falling to pieces. Colonel Shiba and his men fought for weeks without changing their closes or sleeping more than 3-4 hours. Countless friends and colleagues were dead or wounded, funerals were becoming a daily event. Ammunition was running low, men were running low, medical supplies were running low, everything was running low. Suddenly some messages began to trickle in allegedly from Prince Qing. The Ministers were weary to trust them, but gradually pushed Prince Qing to show the Qing's good faith by establishing a truce. It seemed the darkest hours were just before the dawn as Prince Qing established a truce on July 17th, and now all wondered, what was next?    #65 The Boxer Rebellion part 5: The Battle for Tientsin   Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. The July 17th truce came at a perfect time, the defenders were exhausted. Food had become so scarce, they had begun sending raiding parties to the Mongol Market, but for most the regular diet consisted of horse, pony, mule meat and rice. Random note, I am from Quebec and we eat horse meat here, typically for tartar, not all the time, but if you go to the grocery store 9/10 its there, apparently this is pretty weird for everyone else in North America, I dunno, a bit on the dry side as meat goes. One thing that was easy to come by was champagne and wine, there was a enormous supply of it in the legation buildings. As Lenox Simpson put it “had it not been for the Monopole, of which there are great stores in the hotel and the club—a thousand cases in all . . . I should have collapsed.” There was a enormous concern for the Chinese Christians in the Fu Palace who were constantly attacked and very isolated. Lenox Simpson investigated them and wrote this “The feeding of our native Christians, an army of nearly two thousand, is still progressing, but babies are dying rapidly, and nothing further can be done. There is only just so much rice, and the men who are doing the heavy coolie work on the fortifications must be fed better than the rest, or else no food at all would be needed. . . . The native children, with hunger gnawing savagely at their stomachs, wander about stripping the trees of their leaves.They had terrible water-swollen stomachs and “pitiful sticks of legs. To the babies we give all the scraps of food we can gather up after our own rough food is eaten, and to see the little disappointed faces when there is nothing is sadder than to watch the wounded being carried in. . . . Thus enclosed in our brickbound lines, each of us is spinning out his fate. The Europeans still have as much food as they need; the Chinese are half starving.” The CHristian Chinese laborers complained about working for the British legation telling supervisors “the work at the British legation is crushing and they don't feed you enough. And if you do not carry out their orders to the letter, they flog you. . . . Therefore, we don't want to go there.” The Chinese CHristian laborers preferred working for the non-Christian Japanese and Colonel Shiba even raised a force of Christian Chinese volunteers as riflemen who he trained personally. There were also incidents of Chinese Christian girls being sexually assaulted, particularly by Russian guards whose barricades were close to their girls lodgings. A written notice was erected forbidding anyone to approach the girls lodgings prompting the Russian commander Baron von Rahen to quote “Take off his cap, and assuming a very polite air of doubt and perplexity, he inquired of the lady missionary committee which oversees the welfare of these girls: ‘Pardon, mes dames,' he said purposely in French, ‘cette affiche est-ce seulement pour les civils ou aussi pour les militaires?'”—“Excuse me, ladies, does this apply only to civilians or also to the military?” Sexual assault was not the only thing going on, apparently the British legation gardens saw people come together each night to make romance.  Over in Taku forces were coming over to help lift the siege of Tientsin. Men of the US 9th infantry came over from the Philippines. Now that the situation looked more land based than naval, Vice Admiral Seymour was sent back to his squadron on July 11th, leaving Brigadier General Dorward in command of British forces, but there was no supreme allied commander. There were tremendous delays as each nations officers argued who should lead and finally it was agreed the Qing held part of Tientsin had to be taken before any talks of marching upon Beijing. A plan was formed to attack the Qing held part of the city beginning on July 13th. They were widely outnumbered, around 6900 to a Qing force of around 30,000, half of which were Boxers. There were 2500 Russians, 2000 Japanese, 900 Americans, 800 British and 600 French. They would be facing the formidable walls of Tientsin, which were 20 feet high and 16 feet thick. Within the city and nearby forts were around 12,000 Qing soldiers well armed with artillery, machine guns and modern rifles.  The French, Americans, British and Japanese were to advance upon the south gate in three columns while the Germans and Russians circled around to hit the east gate. The approach was a flat marshy plain, intersected by canals and lagoons, by no means ideal. Herbert Hoover knew the land quite well and volunteered to guide forces and had this to write of his experience  “We came under sharp fire from the Chinese located on its old walls. We were out in the open plains with little cover except Chinese graves. I was completely scared, especially when some of the Marines next to me were hit. I was unarmed and I could scarcely make my feet move forward. I asked the officer I was with for a rifle and at once I experienced a curious psychological change for I was no longer scared, although I never fired a shot. I can recommend that men carry weapons when they go into battle—it is a great comfort.” Hoover described how the attack was badly coordinated, riddled with miscommunication and ill tempered men. The main force was pinned down in front of the south gate taking fire from the city walls. The allied forces were huddled face down in mud with the American troops standing out like sorethumbs wearing their dark blue uniforms. The Qing wielding Winchesters, Mannlichers and Mausers were exacting terrible casualties upon them. Lt Harry Rotherham of the Royal Welch Fusiliers recalled “the whole of the city wall was lined with Chinese firing through loop-holes and they just fired all day as hard as they could. They also attacked our left flank and we were told off to keep them back, so we were under fire all day from the front and the left flank as well. I never want anything quite so warm again.” Captain David Beatty noted the British forces took a entirely exposed position while the 9th US infantry were extremely exposed to Qing sharpshooters. Their commander, Colonel Emerson Liscum was fatally shot as he was trying to grab the regimental flags from a standard bearer who was falling. His dying words were “keep up the fire, men!” Beatty led a company of British to rush over to help the Americans and gradually they pulled back as it got dark. They had no news on how the Russians were doing with the east gate.  It was to be the Japanese who turned failure into success. General Fukushima Yasumasa who had fought the Chinese during the first sino-Japanese war sent word to some of the other commanders that Qing forces would fight to the death if they were trapped, but if you left an escape route, like two gates open, they would retreat. At 3am the Japanese blew up the south gate, in a scene I can only describe as the one Uruk-hai in the film the Lord of the Rings the Two Towers. The Japanese had been trying to light fuses to explode bombs, but the Qing kept stopping them so one Japanese soldier ran with a short fuse to blow up the gate and was killed by the explosion. He would have made Saruman proud. As told to us by Herbert Hirschinger of the US Marines “The Japanese had been trying to accomplish it for some time, but the Chinks would cut the fuse. In the end a Japanese officer volunteered to light a short fuse. The gate was blown in . . . but the officer went up with the gate. This only goes to show the mettle of which the little fellows are made.” After the breach was made, the Japanese stormed into the city followed by the second battalion, the Royal Welch Fusiliers and Beatty's men. A bit later that morning  the Russians charged the esat gate on July 9th led by General Anatoly Stessel, General Nie Shicheng personally led a counterattack to try and stop them. An allied artillery shell exploded nearby him, showering him with shrapnel and fatally wounding him. As the Russians broke through the east gate prompting the Qing soldiers to withdraw from the city. French doctor Matignon was irritated to see that although the Japanese did the lionshare of work in the southern sector, the Union Jack was flying side by side with the Rising Sun over the south gate. In his words “trois ou quatre soldats anglais . . . flegmatiquement, fument leur pipe”—“three or four English soldiers . . . calmly smoking their pipes.” Sounds like Merry and Pippin after Isengarde fell, what is with the LOTR references?  Countless Boxers and Qing soldiers slipped away, leaving little fighting over the city. The civilians bore the brunt of what became an orgy of looting and murder. A Chinese eyewitness had this to say “People rushed about in all directions in dread of what was to come next. When someone shouted that the North gate was open and that it was possible to leave by it, the whole city converged on the North Gate. In an instant the press of the crowd was such that one couldn't move.... The foreigners and Christians . . . fired repeatedly on it [the crowd], each volley resulting in the deaths of several tens of people.... The greater the numbers of people killed, the greater became the numbers of those fighting to escape. . . . Dead from bullets, dead from artillery shells, dead from swords, dead from trampling. It was horrible. . . . The corpses were piled several feet high. After three days of cleaning up, following the foreigners' entry into the city, the streets still were not clean.” The photographer James Ricalton stormed into the city as well to record what he say.  “a holocaust of human life, lines of homeless, weeping human beings—their homes in ashes, without food, friendless, and, in many cases, their kindred left charred in the ruins of homes. Doors were smashed; shops were entered and plundered; men and women were fleeing, carrying their precious heirlooms—their jewels, their silks, their embroidery, their money. These much-prized valuables were snatched from them, and they dared not protest.” American Marine Harold Kinman recalled “the streets wet and slippery with blood” while a British sailor described “brains strewn over the streets and dead Chinese pinned to the walls by Japanese swords and bayonets”. Many of the accounts place atrocities upon the Russians and Japanese. But soldiers from each nation took part in the orgy and there are many photographs for those with the stomachs to google them,  On July 15th, in an attempt to stop the looting, the British put up pickets with orders to not allow anyone to get past except for the French whose authorities had not agreed to suppress looting, haha. So as a result many British just pretended to be French, apparently doing bad french singing impressions to get by and spoke terrible French phrases to another. Notably British civilians took part in this as they knew which houses and shops had the best goods. It was to be the bloodiest battle for the 8 nation alliance during the Boxer rebellion. 250 allied soldiers had died with 500 wounded. Of this the Japanese paid the most with 320 casualties, the Russians and Germans around 140, the Americans 25 dead, 98 wounded, the British 17 dead, 87 wounded and the French 13 dead with 50 wounded. There was no official calculation of the losses for the Boxers and Qing forces, but it was expected to be very heavy. I think for you long time listeners you can see a distinct difference now from our Opium Wars days to the turn of the 20th century. Warfare had changed considerably, casualties were much higher now, something that would be proved to a horrifying extent during the Russo-Japanese War of 1904-1905, or as many like to call it World War Zero. Tientsin was now being secured as a launching point for the future advance upon Beijing. Back over in Beijing, the foreign community found it surreal after the July 17th truce was announced. The sudden silence of guns was more disconcerting than comforting, some even found it difficult to sleep. The Qing war banners were brought down and white flags were hoisted all around in their place. Countless Qing soldiers began peering over walls and barricades to look at the legations. Likewise the defenders looked out into the desolate landscape around them, corpses were everywhere, dogs were picking at them. As everyone's confidence built up some Qing soldiers went over to the defenders positions and began fraternizing with the foreigners. Many began to talk to the foreigners, giving them news the Taku Forts and Tientsin had fallen to the allied nations and that General Dong Fuxiangs Kansu army and many Boxers were now performing offensives between Tientsin and Beijing. Many of the Qing troops who came forward explained they did not want to be part of the battle, but were being were being coerced into it. The foreigners were beginning to suspect the truce had been made because of the Qing losses at the Taku forts and Tientsin, perhaps a relief force was already on its way.  Within the Qing court, the loss at Tientsin had proved the progressive and moderates right that joining the Boxers was a doomed cause. This was a view shared by most of the governors and viceroys in the southern and eastern provinces who were actively holding their troops back, not daring to attack foreigners. Going back to early June when edicts were being made declaring war, most viceroys and governors ignored it and refused to send troops. In fact, the foreign community had no idea, but their most valuable allies were amongst the Qing high command. The Manchu General Ronglu, whom Empress Dowager Cixi appointed as Imperial Commissioner in command of the Wuwei Corps consisting of the 5 most modern armies led by Nie Shicheng, Dong Fuxiang, Song Qing, Yuan Shikai and Ronglu himself was helping the foreigners! When the Boxer rebellion broke out, Prince Duan was pressuring Dong Fuxiang and his Kansu Army to seize the foreign legations. It was Ronglu who behind the scenes was sand bagging the entire situation. At first he tried to countermand orders to Dong Fuxiang, trying to stop him from attacking the foreign legations, but that gradually failed when Prince Duan began ordering anyone hampering the war effort to be arrested or killed. Then when Dong Fuxiang requested artillery to breach the legation defenses, Ronglu began blocking the transfer of artillery pieces and constantly made up excuses. Ronglu and Prince Qing coordinated efforts to sneak some food into the legations and even used their most loyal Manchu bannermen to perform minor attacks on the Kansu army and Boxers who were besieging the foreigners. Ronglu also withheld orders that were to be sent to General Nie Shicheng in Tientsin, telling him they were at war with the foreigners, so for the majority of the time Nie Shicheng had thousands of his men still fighting the Boxers! Seymour getting past Nie Shicheng and the Tientsin settlement surviving as long as it did was specifically because of this action. Ronglu even tossed blame for inaction all upon Nie Shicheng, who luckily for Ronglu ended up dying before he could explain what had occurred. During the siege of the legations the major reason so many riflemen were aiming so high was because of Ronglu countermanning orders. As Dong Fuxiang would order the men to kill the foreigners, Ronglu continuously ordered men to just make it seem like they were helping the siege but not to kill the foreigners.  Yes one can argue the MVP of the 8 nation alliance was Qing Generals like Ronglu or Prince Qing.  The foreigners knew none of this, but they would received enormous intelligence on July 18th from one of Colonel Shiba's messengers who went over to Tientsin and returned confirming it was in allied hands. The messenger also told them a force of 11,000 British, Russian, Japanese, American and French would begin a march upon Beijing, starting on the 20th. MacDonald then invited a nearby Kansu officer to parley with him and the man reluctantly acquiesced. The men shared cigars and spoke using an interpreter. The officer asked MacDonald who the men wearing the big funny hats were and MacDonald explained they were American marines. The officer shrugged and stated his men were afraid of them because they were good shots. The officer then explained his superior was not Dong Fuxiang, but General Ronglu who had overall command. He also stated Ronglu wished the fighting to stop. MacDonald was puzzled by this and explained the fighting was never started by the foreigners. The officer was puzzled by that statement and said perhaps he should write to Ronglu to explain his views. Both men shook hands and departed. MacDonald before departing the wall took one last look at the scenery and described the situation “I could see the enemy's positions stretching away to the north until they disappeared in the direction of the Imperial City. There were barricades in the streets below the wall; a large temple was loopholed and . . . full of men; more men were amongst the ruins west of the Russian Legation and a species of mound which commanded this Legation and the Mongol Market was gay with the uniforms of hundreds of Imperial infantry. Following the line west of the Mongol Market, the tops of the houses carried nests of these bright-coated soldiery; altogether from my position I saw some 1,500 to 2,000 men, and many more must have been hidden behind the walls and ruined houses.” MacDonald wrote to Ronglu proposing rules of conduct going forward. He promised the foreigner forces would only fire if being attacked, except in the case of seeing Qing forces building barricades closer to them. Any unarmed persons who approached the legation defenses could do so safely but only two men at a time. MacDonald gave the letter to the officer he had talked to who delivered it to Ronglu. The very next day Ronglu sent a man carrying a flag of truce who came over to officially accept the proposals. However there was a catch. The man explained this would be on behalf of the forces loyal to Ronglu and Prince Qing, they were commanding the south and eastern portions of the siege, but Dong Fuxiang's troops held the north and west. In fact the officials explained the officer whom MacDonald had spoken to was one of the very few Kansu soldiers who was willing to follow commands from Ronglu, Dong Fuxiang was quite the renegade. It became clear after a few days the word truce was a bit of a misnomer, it was more of a half armistice. Some Qing were still mining close to the Hanlin and various barricade forces continued to fire upon the legations. Some Qing soldiers east of the Fu Palace began using a dog to send communications to the Japanese as noted by their officers “One day a large dog trotted into the Japanese barricade with a note tied round its neck; this was from the Chinese general commanding in that quarter pointing out the futility of further defense and recommending unconditional surrender. A reply, declining the suggestion in somewhat forcible terms, was tied on the dog's neck, with which it trotted back, this was repeated several times, the dog seeming to enjoy the fun, the advisability of surrender being urged with greater insistence each time, the answers varied only in the strength of their language.” Some Qing troops began offering fruit, vegetables and chickens to the foreigners, bargaining for money. The Japanese even were able to barter for rifles and ammunition from some Qing soldiers. The Zongli Yamen began sending gifts of fruit, vegetables, even ice to the besieged, all in the name of Emperor Guangxu. Many worried the food was poisoned so they first gave it to a dog. A constant stream of letters began to go back and forth between the foreigners, Prince Qing and other moderate Qing officials. The recurring theme on behalf of the Qing was that the foreigners needed to depart Beijing and that the Zongli Yamen would provide protection to Tientsin. This was constantly ignored. The Qing government also began mediating on behalf of the ministers and their governments, ferrying messages back and forth. On July 28th, the foreigners received word from the Shandong youth who had been sent out to Tientsin. He sent a letter back to them stating this “Your letter 4 July. There are now 24,000 troops landed, and 19,000 here. General Gaselee expected Ta-ku to-morrow. Russian troops are at Peitsang. Tientsin city is under foreign government and ‘Boxer' power here is exploded. There are plenty of troops on the way if you can keep yourselves in food. Almost all the ladies have left Tientsin.” On August the 1st, another letter arrived dated from July 26th addressed to the Japanese Minister Baron Nishi. It officially stated troops were on their way, but they were delayed because of the railway damage, but their vanguard should arrive in two to three days. The foreigners checked their food stores noting they had 600 lbs of white rice, 11,5000 lbs of yellow rice and 34,000 pds of wheat left. They estimated it would last them 5 more weeks of siege alongside the 30 ponies they had left…poor ponies. Nigel Oliphant also noted “cigars and tobacco are running out, which is more serious to some of us than want of food.” The condition of the Christian Chinese at the Fu was horrible. As written in the diary of Lenox Simpson on July 24th “the miserable natives imprisoned by our warfare are in a terrible state of starvation. Their bones are cracking through their skin; their eyes have an insane look; yet nothing is being done for them. They are afraid to attempt escape even in this quiet, as the Water Gate is watched on the outside night and day by Chinese sharpshooters....Tortured by the sight of these starving wretches, who moan and mutter night and day, the posts nearby shoot down dogs and crows and drag them there. They say everything is devoured raw with cannibal-like cries.” I should note, while you hear sympathies from some accounts by the foreigners in regards to the Christian Chinese, by no means were they distributing out food equally amongst them. As you can only imagine with the 19th century attitudes, the Chinese were treated like subhumans. After a few days it seemed the half armistice was fading away. The Qing were constructing a large barricade across the north bridge which the foreigners began to use the International gun against. Qing sharpshooters took up positions to thwart the men using the international gun. The barricade reached 6 feet high over the length of the bridge. The foreigners reacted by building their own barricade over the south bridge securing communications between the British and the other legations. All the while the Zongli Yamen was sending reassurances and advising the foreign community to take their offer to depart under their protection. By August the 4th, there was still no sign of a relief force and the truce was certainly all but over as artillery were pounding the legations heavily. Back on July 26th, the former governor of Shandong, Li Bingheng had come to Beijing and began pressuring the Boxers and Qing to ramp up the siege efforts. Empress Dowager Cixi favored Li Bingheng and gave him the rare honor of riding within the forbidden city before the received the promotion to Deputy commander of the Northern armies. Two days after he showed up, two moderate Qing officials were executed as traitors for criticizing the Boxers and advocating to lift the siege. Three other moderate officials would follow days later in what was becoming a purge within the court. More Boxers began to flood Beijing, cowing the surviving moderates into submission. A very nervous Prince Qing wrote to some southern viceroys and governors who all agreed the Boxers needed to be suppressed, but Prince Qing did not dare publicly give the order. When Vice Admiral Seymour  was rescued from his rescue attempt he sent word to the British admiralty that at least 40,000 troops would be needed to lift the siege at Beijing. The other nations such as American thought it should be 80,000, Japan estimated 70,000. But the logistics of mounting an international rescue became difficult quickly. Not all the great powers involved could afford to muster troops at this time, hell America was fighting a war in the Philippines; Britain was fighting the Boer war; the French were fighting in IndoChina and the Russias had a full on war in Manchuria, that we will tackle later. Japan was one of the few nations free and quite able to send a large force, so the other nations appealed to Japan who agreed to send an additional 20,000 men to Tientsin. Then there was the issue of a supreme allied commander. Kaiser Wilhelm, as usual sought to grab the reigns for Germany and used von Ketteler's murder as justification. Kaiser Wilhelm nominated Field Marshal Count von Waldersee whom would go on to say of the appointment “a Japanese Supreme Command, no less than an American, was out of the question from the start. The French had not made any effort to get the Supreme Command, leaving only Russia and Britain as Germany's rivals. But, neither would concede it to the other, and, moreover, no one favored England, as the reputation of the English Generalship had suffered a set-back in the Boer War.” The Kaiser persuaded Russia and Japan to back his nominee and everyone abided by the decision. Von Waldersee was set to depart for China on August 18th. Meanwhile in Berlin, the Kaiser gave a speech, tossing away the prepared text for his own words “You must know, my men, that you are about to meet a crafty, well-armed foe! Meet him and beat him! Give no quarter! Take no prisoners! Kill him when he falls into your hands! Even as, a thousand years ago, the Huns under their King Attila made such a name for themselves as still resounds in terror through legend and fable, so may the name of Germany resound through Chinese history . . . that never again will a Chinese dare to so much as look askance at a German.” Ironic he made the link about the Huns and Attila haha. By the end of July, 25,000 men were at Taku and Tientsin with a lot more on the way. Britain was calling up forces from India, America from the Philippines. Tientsin was swimming with foreign troops, so much so, Doctors began vaccinating their men against smallpox. Tensions were mounting, as most of these nations were in proxy wars with another. The Russians and Japanese particularly did not like each other.  Then on July 27th, as quite a cheeky maneuver, the British commander in chief General Gaselee, began to argue there was a need for quick action. He was met by resistance from the French and Russians who cautioned delay, but Gaselee argued “The rainy season will set in in a few day and the whole place will be under water.” Gaselee determined to take control of the situation suddenly told the other leaders Britain would go it alone if necessary. The Americans backed him thus forcing the hand of the others, for none of the other great powers wanted to see Britain and America steal the glory. It was agreed they would all march on August 5th as an international relief force and they would be quite a sight to behold as told to us by US Marine officer Smedley Butler :“French Zouaves in red and blue, blond Germans in pointy helmets, Italian Bersaglieri with tossing plumes, Bengal cavalry on Arabian stallions, turbaned Sikhs, Japanese, Russians, English. we are going to fight the greatest battle at Pekin that has been fought for one hundred years.” I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The Qing were at war with 8 different great powers and even amongst themselves in many ways. The Taku forts had fallen, Tientsin had fallen and now the 8 nation alliance was going to march upon Beijing, by all means it was time to toss in the towel wasn't it?  

Last time we spoke about the battle of the Taku Forts and the siege of Tientsin. The allied admirals gave an ultimatum to the Qing to hand over the Taku Forts, which they declined. The western navies attacked the Taku Forts officially beginning a war with the Qing dynasty. The seizure of the Taku Forts led the Qing to fully support the Boxers who raised a siege against the foreign legations in Beijing and the foreign settlement in Tientsin. The foreign community at Tientsin found themselves surrounded by 30,000 Boxers and 15,000 Qing with only 2400 troops of various nationalities to defend them. The siege was grueling and the Chinese forces nearly overran them, but the allies were able to hold out until reinforcements arrived from Taku. Despite receiving extra troops and restoring communications to Taku, the allies were still greatly outnumbered and now those in Beijing were in more severe danger.    #64 The Boxer Rebellion part 4:Darkest Days before the Dawn in Peking   Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. Much of China's national library, the Hanlin Academy and other buildings had been burnt down by the Boxers. The firefighter teams did their best to stop the fires, which threatened to spread towards the British legation. Countless, irreplaceable books had perished in the fires. Within the legation quarters, they all awaited Seymours rescue force eagerly, none knowing the truth that he had been forced to withdraw. On June 24th, Qing forces deployed a 3 inch krupp gun on the charred Chien Men, the gate opposite of the Forbidden city. They began firing shells into the legation quarters, some managing to hit the British legation. Then the Chinese turned their attention to the Fu Palace being guarded by Lt Colonel Goro Shiba with a small force of Japanese soldiers. A part of the Fu's walls was breached allowed Boxers and Qing soldiers to swarm in. They were met with Japanese riflemen behind loopholed barricades who unleashed volleys upon them. The Japanese were vastly outnumbered, prompting Colonel Shiba to request urgent reinforcements as the Christian Chinese began fleeing the Fu in panic. The fleeing Christian Chinese soon realized it was even more dangerous outside the Fu than in and quickly scrambled back. A detachment of Americans and Germans dashed along the Tartar Wall behind their legations, scattering the enemy before them back towards the Cheinmen as they made their way to help the Japanese at the FU. The Americans under the command of Captain John T. Myers with aid from Christian Chinese managed to build a breastwork across the width of the wall while the Germans built their own fortification. There positions were 500 yards apart, a critical defense to deny the enemy access to the Tartar Wall. Just yards in front of them were Chinese barricades. Boxer corpses lay in heaps with the hot sun just feet away from most of the legation defensive lines. The stench was putrefying, gangs of Chinese laborers would risk their lives tossing corpses over walls when they could. During the evening of the 25th, as the sun was dying down, British author Bertram Lenox Simpson recalled this “The sun . . . was sinking down slowly towards the west, flooding the pink walls of the Imperial City with a golden light and softening the black outline of the somber Tartar Wall that towers so high above us, when all round our battered lines the dropping rifle-fire drooped more and more until single shots alone punctuated the silence.... All of us listened attentively, and presently on all sides the fierce music of the long Chinese trumpets blared out uproariously—blare, blare, sobbing on a high note tremulously, and then, boom, boom, suddenly dropping to a thrilling basso profondissimo.” Gunfire suddenly ceased and created an eerie silence. The foreign troops watched with suspicion from their barricades as the Chinese departed their barricades. A giant white placard then appeared on the north bridge. It was an imperial edict announcing “in accordance with Imperial orders to protect the foreign ministers, firing shall be stopped at once”. The placard also stated a dispatch should be delivered to the Imperial canal bridge, so the defenders sent one extremely nervous Chinese laborer with a written note over. The man was so scared, when the Qing troops began chanting at him, he simply bolted back. The foreigner community were baffled, why was there now a ceasefire? Was it some sort of hoax? Was Seymours force here? Some felt safe enough to go atop the walls and look out into the city. Lenox Simpson was one of them who had this to say of the scenery. “Just outside the Palace gates were crowds of Manchu and Chinese soldiery—infantry, cavalry, and gunners grouped all together in one vast mass of color. Never in my life have I seen such a wonderful panorama—such a brilliant blaze in such rude and barbaric surroundings. There were jackets and tunics of every color; trouserings of blood-red embroidered with black dragons; great two-handed swords in some hands; men armed with bows and arrows mixing with Tung Fuhsiang's Kansu horsemen, who had the most modern carbines slung across their backs. There were blue banners, yellow banners embroidered with black, white, and red flags, both triangular and square, all presented in a jumble to our wondering eyes. The Kansu soldiery of Tung Fu-hsiang's command were easy to pick out from amongst the milder-looking Peking Banner troops . . . but of Boxers there was not a sign.”The foreigners looked on to see the Chinese were busily fortifying their positions, at midnight the firing resumed. Meanwhile the Qing Court had been tossing out quite a few imperial edicts as the conflict escalated. On the 21st of June an imperial edict told the Chinese “with tears have we announced in our ancestral shrines the outbreak of war”. This edict wa accompanied by some words describing the Boxers as patriotic soldiers and that they were being incorporated into the militia's and rewarded for their bravery with silver and food. On the 23rd another decree “ the work now undertaken in Peking by Dong Fuxiang should be completed as soon as possible, so that troops can be spared and sent to Tientsin for defense” It should be noted the word used for “work” “shih” was intentionally vague and a euphemism for a swift massacre, obviously of the foreigners. No one in the foreign legations were aware of these edicts, nor did they know of the plight of their comrades outside Beijing. The one thing the foreigners know in the legation quarter was that they did not just face Boxers, it was obvious to all that the Qing government was now helping them. On June 29th a message from the legations managed to sneak out via a Chinese courier. He slipped out all the way to Tientsin with two messages in hand. The first was from Sirt Robert Hart “Foreign community besieged in the legations. Situation desperate. MAKE HASTE!” The second was from a missionary, telling the tale of what happened to Von Ketteler. The allied admirals were in despair for they all knew Seymours mission had failed and Tientsin was again under siege. The first child born inside the legation quarter since the conflict began was named Siege in the hopes he might actually be raised. Over five Qing armies were now in Beijing increasing the ferocity of the attacks on the legations. The foreigners estimated that on a single night over 200,000 bullets were fired at them by riflemen, but what baffled them all was why the riflemen aimed so high? Casualties should have been massively worse than they were. Some began to theorize the Qing were keeping up a barrage to force them to surrender or flee. By July 3rd 38 legation troops had been killed with 55 wounded. Every window was bricked up to protect occupants from bullets and shrapnel. Doctors and nurses struggled to keep pace with the number of operations. They had no X-rays to help find shrapnel or bullets in patients making it gruesome work. Several ministers' wives were working as nurses, everyone was trying their best to survive. Dysentery was becoming rampant. As bad as things seemed for the foreigners, it was terribly much worse for the Chinese Christians at the Fu. On July 1st, British civilian Nigel Oliphant wrote this in his diary  “the Chinese Christians were dying like sheep from smallpox, we do not reckon Chinese converts in our casualty lists and that he could not therefore be more precise. Morrison went to inspect the Fu, where the Chinese refugees were crowded like bugs in a rug, and was appalled. His doctor's sensibilities were outraged by conditions that were stinking and insanitary . . . children ill with scarlet fever and small-pox, with diptheria [sic] and dysentery.” MacDonald was directing the defensive efforts as the Boxers and Qing assaulted their barricades. Gaps were continuously being made and plugged up. On June 30th, another major attack was directed at the Fu. The 3 inch Krupp gun was battering the Fu's walls prompting the commander of the Italian forces supported the Japanese, Lt Paolini to led a brave sortie against it. Captain Poole had this to say of Paolini's sortie ‘Paolini appeared to have lost his head and taken the wrong turnings.” Yes the poor Italian Lt had led his small party through some alleyways and it seems they got a bit lost. They also ran into Qing forces who fired upon them, Paolini was hit. They desperately tried to escape, finding a small gap between a wall and the Fu. The most desperate fight would be for the Tartar Wall, which if it fell, all hope was lost. On July 1st, Qing soldiers were spotted creeping up the ramp to its top. The Qing surprised the German barricade who according to Nigel Oliphant “fled before the Chinese had fired a single shot, and without having had a man even wounded” The flight of the Germans left the American barricade 500 yards away exposed. This prompted the Americans to pull back, the situation was extremely dire. MacDonald called for a war council and it was decided a mixed force of British, Russian and Americans would storm back up the wall to reoccupy the American position. Fortunately for the foreigners, the Qing had not pressed home their advantage to bolster the barricades. On July 3rd the men gathered under a bell tower and Captain John T Myers who would lead the assault made a speech as told to us by Nigel Oliphant. ““because it was so utterly unlike what a British officer would have said under similar circumstances. He began by saying that we were about to embark on a desperate enterprise, that he himself had advised against it, but that orders had been given, and we must do it or lose every man in the attempt. He then explained what we had to do—viz. line up on the wall and rush the covering wall . . . then follow up that covering wall till we got to the back of the Chinese barricade. He ended up by saying that . . . if there was anyone whose heart was not in the business he had better say so and clear out. One man said he had a sore arm and went down—not one of ours, I am glad to say.” At 2:00am on July 3rd, the mixed force of 26 British, 15 American and 15 Russians stormed up the Tartar Wall led by Captain Myer's. The Americans were hollaring like natives from their homeland as they they caught 20 Qing soldiers sleeping who they butchered and sent survivors fleeing in panic. Two American marines were killed and Captain Myers tripped over a spear wounding himself in the thigh,  but the wall was recaptured. Retaking the wall was the key pivotal moment of the fight. For the rest of the siege the barricade atop the Tartar wall was nicknamed Fort Myers. It was a fitting action to be a prelude to the American celebration of July 4th the next day. The American marines celebrated the 4th with som well earned drinks atop the Tartar wall, must of been hella awkward for the Brits.  Meanwhile Colonel Shiba was struggling to keep the assaults upon the Fu at bay. By late June nearly a third of the Fu had to be abandoned forcing the Japanese to pull back to their second line of defense. All the other nations forces agreed, Colonel Shiba was an outstanding commander and led his small but efficient force to their admiration. Late June brought in some rainstorms that made everyones guard life hell. Many of the Chinese beleived thunder and lighting was a signal from their gods. Temperatures reached 43 degrees, in freedom units thats 110. Black flies were everywhere because of the corpses. The men began smoking cigars from morning till night to overcome the stench and bugs, even the women began chain smoking cigarettes. The situation was becoming worse and worse, taking a toll on everyone. Apparently the French Minister Pichon began pacing around telling everyone who was near him ‘La situation est excessivement grave; nous allons tous mourir ce soir.' [“The situation is exceedingly grave; we are all going to die tonight.” I can be quite annoying with my french, if any francophones listen to this podcast I am actually releasing a episode in french on my youtube channel about France's role during the Pacific War and you will be happy to know I got my wife to narrate it instead of my anglophone accent self.  By the way apparently by this point most of the ministers were doing pretty much nothing to aid the situation. As one of my sources put it, the Russian Minister de Giers took walks between his legation and the British making himself look like he was working. The Spanish minister Senor Cologan was extremely ill. The Dutch Minister Knobel offered his services as a sentry, but also acknowledged he did not know not know how to fire a gun and was extremely shortsighted. The American Minister Conger just walked about, taking a cue from his Russian counterpart. The Japanese minister Baron Nishi, kept silent as he spoke only Japanese and Russian, and the Japanese and Russians were certainly not friends. The German minister, Von Below went into his legation and began playing Wagners Ride of the Valkyries on the Piano, apparently he was determined to die in a storm of music. Thus MacDonald had his hands full and had this to say of his colleagues “The Russian Minister asks, twice, that the British should remove a sandbag barricade which is blocking his withdrawal route to the British Legation. . . . Sir Claude replied that he is being heavily attacked from the north and can spare no men for this duty. ‘Indeed I may have to call upon you and Mr. Conger for help to repulse this attack—so please have some men ready.' . . . Mr. Conger's comment is: ‘We are having the heaviest attack we have ever had here and every man is engaged.' . . . At 2:30 P.M. Sir Claude writes again: ‘It is absolutely essential that the Fu should be held at all hazards. I hope therefore you will order over as many men as possible.' . . . The Russian Minister complies: ‘I am sending you my last ten men, but I must have them back as soon as you no longer need them.'” Being the middle man to all was certainly not the best logistical setup.  At one point the Chinese turned their 3 inch Krupp gun upon the Union Jack flying over the British legation's gateway. Three shells hit the gateway and one went over hitting the tennis court. It was decided the flag was too provocative and MacDonald had it hauled down. Luckily for British pride, the Chinese turned their attention to other targets, thus Mcdonald canceled the order to haul it down. Aside from mediating between all the other nations, MacDonald was greatly frustrated by the lack of news from outside the legations. A young Chinese boy from Shandong province volunteered to carry a message out on July 4th. The message was directed to the British consul in Tientsin and was put inside a rice bowl filled with rice. The little boy was the first messenger to reach Tientsin since late June, he got there on July 21st after a hard and long journey.  Meanwhile casualties were piling up, the French consul general in Shanghai's son was shot dead during an attack against the French legation on July 1st. On July 5th David Oliphant if the british consular service and brother to Nigel was shot while trying to cut down a tree in the Hanlin. David died of his wound and would be buried shortly after. On the 8th Austrian captain von Thomann, the chaos maker, was hit by a shell burst that took him in the chest killing him instantly. Funerals were becoming a daily thing whenever the enemy let up their attacks. By early July the shelling began to concentrate upon the French legation. To make matters worse there were rumors the Qing were sapping mines towards the French legation. Two Qing were then caught and interrogated by Paul Pelliot an archeologist and member of the French volunteer corps who recounted “We killed two prisoners with rifle shots and with bayonets. One said little of significance . . . the other revealed without being asked the existence of a mine being dug in the East.” The Qing began aiming 4 and 8 pound guns at the British Legation, some shot piercing its walls.  After the first week of July, the defenders were in despair finding the ammunition running low. They had 14 shells left for the Italian one pound artillery piece that had been deployed all over the legation. In desperation a munitions expert from the HMS Orlando began melting down pewter vessels, teapots, candlesticks, vases and such to make conical shot fitted with old copper shell casings. The defenders also began filling fireworks with nails and scrap iron, pretty innovative stuff if you ask me. By this point the Qing had only brought to bear 10 artillery pieces into the siege and they were antiquated at that. They most definitely had larger and more modern pieces, but they were not deploying them, puzzling the defenders. Some of the foreigners questioned the Qing gunnery as well, it was as if their riflemen were all at Tientsin and the Beijing troops were all novices. Many of the Qing were able to fire on the outer walls of the Fu at point blank range, but they were not hitting anyone. The Qin barricades were getting closer and closer and the defenders could physically see them mining. On July 7th the defenders came across a rusty old muzzle gun which looked like it came from the 2nd opium war, most likely it was just an old Qing iron cannon. To everyone's surprise it still worked and a American gunner, Sergeant Mitchell cleaned it up and outfitted some Russian shells to it which fired! The new gun was not very accurate, had terrible recoil and made a ton of black smoke when it was shot. But it was another artillery piece and could fire upon the Qing barricades to great effect. Allegedly, Empress Dowager Cixi would go on the record stating to a minister that the cannon was so noisy it kept her awake during her afternoon naps. The rickety old cannon was nicknamed “the international'.  Meanwhile over in Tientsin, Boxers were continuing to terrorize the Chinese Christians and any unfortunate Chinese who had connections to foreigners. The river nearby was said to be clogged with mutilated bodies and human limbs. In early July a photographer named James Ricalton was sent to China to record the Boxer uprising and he had this to say of his travels over to Tientsin “Many mud villages were passed . . . from most of which the inhabitants had fled back into the country. We were constantly passing dead bodies floating down, and on either bank of the river, at every turn, hungry dogs from the deserted villages could be seen tearing at the swollen corpses left on the banks by the ebb tide. It was forty miles of country laid waste, deserted homes, burned villages, along a river polluted and malodorous with human putrefaction.” When Ricalton made it to Tientsin on July 5th he saw buildings in shambles, barricades, smoke and corpses floating in the river. The Qing continued their bombardment of the foreign settlement at Tientsin and snipers made pot shots all day long. The reinforcements from Taku had reached Tientsin on June 23rd, but they were not nearly enough to lift the siege. The Qing were firing 3 and 4 inch quick firing guns from within the Chinese part of the city. Casualties were mounting to around 20 a day. The foreigners stuck within the siege heard rumors that there was conflict between the force of Nie Shicheng and the Boxers, apparently they were not a united front. According to one reporter, Nie Shicheng had deliberately put himself in danger because he believed the orders coming from the Qing Court were impossible to fulfill. Vice Admiral Seymour was no longer in command at Tientsin and a lot of disorderly conduct would be found. Take for example one instance where some French sentries left their position, exposing the position of some nearby British Indian Sikh guards. Herbert Hoover had this to say about what they did “Not knowing what it meant for other than traitors to run under attack without orders, the Sikhs set about exterminating the squad of Frenchmen, which only the most frantic commands of the English officers prevented.”  With the arrival of over 10,000 reinforcements to Tientsin from Taku people were breathing easier, but these were by far not crack troops, many were sailors. The new forces managed to seize two Qing arsenals nearby Tientsin aiding their situation significantly. But all knew their job was to lift the siege and lift it quickly for their comrades in Beijing were in much more peril. By July 9th, with Seymours rescue party still not in sight, the foreigners in Beijing began to doubt it was still coming. In fact that very day a Christian Chinese messenger was sent into the city and returned with some bad news. He told them all Emperor Guangxu and Empress Dowager Cixi were still in the capital and that nothing was known about approaching foreign forces. Everyone fell into despair. Also on that day the British government sent a warning to the Qing envoy in London that his government would be held personally guilty for any damage to the foreigners in Beijing. July the 13th, which yes was a Friday, was a truly grim day for those under siege in Beijing. As dawn rose, the Fu Palace was met with shell fire from the Krupp gun. The Japanese and Italian guards were dodging a hailstorm of shells and shrapnel. The buildings all around were burning and collapsing. Colonel Shiba was forced to order a retreat, he had originally set up 9 lines of defense, but they had fallen back to the last one. No one could blame him, he had led his men fanatically. Captain Poole went on the record to say “I put Colonel Shiba . . . on a golden pedestal for endurance and perseverance.” At 4pm, the Qing attacked from all sides. The alarm bell went off as MacDonald frantically gave our orders for men to dash to the most vulnerable positions. MacDonald was about to order the Russian marines over to the Fu when he received word from Colonel Shiba that he had regained his hold over it again. It was at that exact moment the German second secretary Von Bergen screamed the German Legation was nearly overrun. The Russian marines rush over in the nick of time to meet some Kansu troops charging in. The Russian and Germans led by Lt Von Soden counter charged with bayonets driving them off in melee combat. Then as evening was coming up them a tremendous explosion was heard and the earth around them shook. Two mines had been exploded under the French Legation. The blast completely destroyed the second secretaries house and the ministers house and killed two French sailors as they collapsed. But it would be the Qing who suffered the most, as they had misjudged the force of the blast. The foreigners would watch throughout the night as they were frantically digging the tunnels out trying to save countless who got buried alive. Qing carts carried away perhaps 30 bodies from the crater. With the legation so battered, many predicted the French would be forced to pull back to the Hotel de Pekin.  In the meantime in the Hanlin area, Captain Poole led a small group through some broken down walls to take up a position in the ruined library. The men grabbed bricks and sand bags to create new defensive positions. They were so close to the Qing soldiers, they could hear them complaining to another about terrible rice rations. Although there was no breakthrough and many Qing had died in the blast, the French Legation and Fu Palace had shrunk considerably, 5 men were dead and 10 wounded. The most important position, the Tartar Wall had Captain Newt Hall replacing the wounded Captain Myers to command the US Marines. The Marines were all suffering from diarrhea and drank far too much.  On July 14th, a Chinese messenger who had been sent out on the 10th returned. He had been captured by the Boxers and beaten quite badly, before he was grabbed by some Qing forces working on behalf of Prince Qing. They helped him recover and Prince Qing gave him a message that blamed the attacks on the legations actions and that of the foreign soldiers at Taku. It advised any ministers alive to come take the protection of the Zongli Yamen, promising them safe conduct as long as they did not bring armed guards to accompany them. As you can imagine the message was not trusted one bit. However two days later the French took a Qing soldier prisoner and he told them there was conflict between Prince Duan and Prince Qing. This led some to think perhaps Prince Qing could be trusted. MacDonald sent out a messenger to tell the Zongli Yamen that they would not stop defending themselves and if they wanted to negotiate, they should send a official with a white flag.  While they waited for a response, Colonel Shiba sent word that all his sailors and volunteers were exhausted. They had been on duty since June 20th and not a single man had even changed his clothes, nor any had taken more than 3-4 hours of consecutive sleep. Shiba asked that his men be taken off duty for 24 hours to recuperate and if the British could sent help. MacDonald could only agree as all knew the Japanese had fought like lions for weeks. On July 16th, Captain Strouts led a relief party to the Fu, accompanied by George Morrison who recalled a traumatic event “we were caught in a shower of bullets. I . . . felt a cut in my right thigh. At the same moment, ‘My God,' said Strouts, and he fell over into the arms of Shiba, who was on his left. Shiba ran for a surgeon while I tried to apply a tourniquet but it was no good. The thighbone was shattered and Strouts's body was “soaking in blood.” Both myself and Strouts were carried by stretcher to the hospital, under such heavy fire that a bullet passed through Shiba's coat. It was immediately obvious that nothing could be done for Strouts, who had a severed artery in his thigh. He died three hours later”. Captain Wray replaced Strouts to command the British Marines taking up the Fu position. MacDonald figured by the end of July, there would be nobody left to oppose Dong Fuxiangs forces from storming in and killing men, women and children all. The night they were burying Strouts, the messenger they had sent to the Zongli Yamen was returning with a letter. The message was stated to be from Prince Qing “and others”. It begged the ministers to refrain from attacking the Qing soldiers and promised their government would “continue to exert all its efforts to keep order and give protection”. The messenger also carried a cipher telegram for Conger the official from the United States. It read “communicate tidings bearer” it had no date and no indication of who it was from, but it was the first communication received from the outside world since mid june. Conger wrote a cipher response stating “For one month we have been besieged in British Legation under continued shot and shell from Chinese soldiers. Quick relief only can prevent general massacre.” The next day Conger found out the telegram had been sent on June 11th and was transmitted by the Qing envoy to Washington Wu Tingfang. When Washington received Congers message, they assumed it was a forgery and that all the foreigners had been massacred.  By mid July, most of the world assumed the foreigners in Beijing were dead. In fact many newspapers wrote of how everyone had died and even made obituaries for some of the ministers. Many news outlets would be embarrassed come August when it became known the foreigners were alive and fighting still. MacDonald replied to the message from Prince Qing et al, by suggesting a ceasefire might be a goodway to show some goodwill. Prince Qing agreed and gave the ministers assurance there would be no fighting and a truce would begin on July 17th. The foreigners were in shock, what was to happen next? I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The darkest days come just before the dawn as they say. The foreign defenders within Beijing were barely holding on losing men, food and ammunition. Then as if a miracle, the Qing provided them a truce…or was it all some foul trick to finally deal the killing blow?

Last time we spoke about the Qing - Boxer siege of Beijing and the 8 nation alliance expedition led by Seymour. Baron Von Ketteler was murdered by Kansu soldiers, ushering in a real siege of the foreign legation's in Beijing. The situation was dire, communications were cut and soon the railways also. The foreign ministers called for aid and thus came an expedition of 8 nations led by Seymour to the rescue. Seymours expedition started out quite well, but soon the Boxers disrupted the tracks stopping them in…well their tracks. To the dismay of the westerners it turned out the Qing were joining the Boxers in battle against them and Seymour's force had to make a fighting withdrawal back to Tientsin. They fought all the way to a secret arsenal where they dug in, until another relief force rescued them! Now they all marched back to Tientsin as gunfire could be heard.   #63 The Boxer Rebellion part 3: The Siege of Tientsin & Battle of the Taku Forts   Welcome to the Fall and Rise of China Podcast, I am your dutiful host Craig Watson. But, before we start I want to also remind you this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Perhaps you want to learn more about the history of Asia? Kings and Generals have an assortment of episodes on history of asia and much more  so go give them a look over on Youtube. So please subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry for some more history related content, over on my channel, the Pacific War Channel where I cover the history of China and Japan from the 19th century until the end of the Pacific War. When Seymour set out on his expedition a lot of events had unfolded. I mentioned it a few times, but gunfire could be heard by his expeditionary forces coming from Tientsin. When thousands of Boxers began storming the region looking to kill christians and foreigners, many flocked to Tientsin. Tientsin consisted of two adjacent but quite different subdivisions. To the northwest was an ancient high walled chinese city around 1 mile per side. 2 miles southeast along the Hai River were the foreign settlements around half a mile wide. The chinese city held around a million Chinese, the foreign settlements around 700 foreign civilians with their thousands of Chinese servants. The Boxers came at first to the railway station carrying placards and chain letters stating “Those who see this sheet and distribute six copies will deliver a whole family from calamity. If ten sheets are circulated they will save an entire district. If any see this hand-bill and fail to disseminate it they will certainly be beheaded.” Within mere hours of Seymour's expedition departing, reinforcements were landed at Taku to head over to the foreign settlements at Tientsin to defend them. On June 11th, Commander Beatty of the Royal Navy had 150 sailors, marines and 2 Maxim machine guns with him. He would be joined a few days later by 1600 Russians who rushed to the scene from Port Arthur, before their railway lines were cut by Boxers. Alongside the other nations forces, Tientsin had roughly 2400 troops to defend the foreign settlements, facing a force of 30,000 Boxers and 15,000 Qing soldiers camped nearby.  On June 15th the Boxers began burned down all the missions outside the Chinese city like the Notre Dame Des Victories. They stormed the streets attacking Chinese christians, massacring as they went. They destroyed all christian and foreign goods or property they could find. The foreigners in the settlement watched this unfold in horror from a distance, then at 2am on the 16th they were attacked. Beatty recalled seeing Boxers “came in great strength, setting fire to all the Houses and outlying Villages they could. . . . They came on quite heedless of the Volleys we opened on them, never replying because the poor beggars had no arms to reply with, and coming up to within 300 and 400 yards armed with swords, spears, and torches. So there we squatted, knocking them over as they came along.” Chaos ensued in Tientsin, as the Admirals on their warships off the Taku Fort bar became more and more anxious.  The western navies had received no word since June 10th, Tientsin was clearly under attack and Seymours expedition force was gone. Seymours last message to them came on the 14th and all evidence suggested the Boxers and Qing would block the way between them and Tientsin. The Qing naval forces were seen priming torpedo tubes on their warships and laying mines in the rivers mouth. The entire situation looked like a trap. If the Peiho river was closed, the naval squadrons would be unable to rush up it to rescue the civilians of Tientsin and Beijing. On the 16th the Admirals met aboard the Russian flagship. They all formed a multinational ultimatum that was issued to the Qing, the Taku forts had to be surrendered by 2am the next day or they would attack. A russian officer was sent to deliver the message to the Taku Fort commander who responded “I would be glad to surrender the Forts, but I am here to obey orders”. The French consul general in Tientsin then took it upon himself to telephone the local viceroy and advised him to surrender the Taku Forts or face the consequences. The Admirals knew their actions were tantamount to declaring war on China and that taking the Taku Forts would not be easy. The Taku Forts were 4 forts with pairs of 2 on each side of the river mouth. They had been recently rebuilt and reinforced by German engineers. The walls were made of mud mixed with chopped straw, which might sound silly, but this made them impervious to shell fire. Their garrison was around 3000 men, equipped with quick firing Krupp guns and other heavy pieces. Approaching from the sea was the most hazardous and would see men fighting through oozing mud flats surrounded by sharpened stakes. The Qing Navy held 4 new German built destroyers equipped with rapid fire guns patrolling near the forts. To attack them by land was also not favorable it would see men clamoring over small canals, irrigation works and behind the forts were the Boxer infested towns of Tongku and Taku. Another issue was the Taku mud bar, it only allowed shallow water vessels to pass, the allied navies only had 9 ships that could pass; 3 British ships the HMS Algerine, Fame and Whiting; the German Iltis; Russian Gilyak, Bobr and Koreytz; French Lion and Japanese Atago. 900 men consisting of 380 British, 300 Japanese, and the rest Russian, Austrian and Italian were loaded aboard the 9 ships as the allies, we shall call them that from now on for simplicity by the way, awaited the deadline on June 16th for the Qing to respond. All the warships arranged their broadsides aimed at the Taku forts with a bombardment order to commence at 2am if the Qing did not respond. However the Qing did respond, by opening fire at 12:50, as a eye witness recalled ““A shell shrieked over the Algerine in unpleasant proximity to her topmasts”. To this 7 of the 9 allied ships opened fire. The Russian gunboat Gilyak made the poor decision of turning her searchlight, turning her immediately into the most prominent target, she was nearly sunk by shell fire. The HMS Fame and Whiting pulled in close trying to capture the Qing destroyers and within the mayhem the two ships managed to slip upstream abreast of the 4 Qing destroyers. At Lt Keyes aboard the Fame recalled “The shells were literally shrieking around us; several fell just short and splashed muddy water right over us; several pitched just over; we really had a charmed existence.” The British destroyers cast out whaler ships holding dozens of men to board the Qing destroyers. The British sailors and marines boarded the Qing destroyers with ease, capturing all 4 without firing a shot and receiving no casualties. Lt Keyes gave explicit orders to hit men not to fire upon the Qing who were in the process of escaping up the riverbank. Meanwhile the Russian gunboat Korietz was severely damaged by the opening salvo; the Monocacy despite being at quite a distance holding many women and children aboard took a far flung shell to her bow, luckily not hurting anyone. The Qing fort guns were very accurate managing hits on the HMS Whiting, SMS Iltis, French Lion and Giliak was forced to ground  herself lest she be sunk. Giliak had 18 deaths and 65 wounded. Meanwhile at 3am landing parties began their advance upon the forts, struggling through thick mud. The first fort was on the north bank and the landing forces came at it with bayonets pointed. British and Japanese troops were the first to scale its walls and they were even racing another. British officer Cradock recalled “I was frantic at the idea of the Japanese getting in first; they were very keen and in better condition than anyone else.” The union jack was soon hoisted followed by the rising red sun, the defenders of the Fort made a symbolic defense, but fled quickly.  As the men cheered, suddenly two Qing soldiers burst out of a gateway 20 yards away with bayonets fixed firing their rifles as they marched forward from the hip. A Lt emptied his revolver at them and pulling out his sword to defend himself. The allied troops raced towards the second fort on the northern bank as allied shells struck its walls. The air was filled with dust and smoke as the Qing soldiers fired their guns until the last minute upon which they fled. There was to be barely a need to seize the southern forts. The Qing commander was seen galloping away on a white horse and as the Shanghai Mercury put it “The forts were a mass of ruins, rivers of blood, with headless and armless bodies everywhere, which the blue-jackets were gathering together and cremating in heaps.”  The allied troops in the northern forts turned their guns on the southern forts. One shot hit a powder magazine exploding a part of the southern fort walls, creating a large fire. Through the smoke and dust the Qing defenders could be seen abandoned the forts. By 6:30am the battle of the Taku fort was done. By 8am many of the allied troops were coming back aboard their ships, the allies had suffered 172 casualties. Rivers of blood were seen around the forts. The survivors of the carnage aboard ships or the forts ate tinned beef, salmon and ship biscuits reflecting on their good fortune to be alive. With only 9 ships the allies had secured the mouth of the river. All in all it was a brave action helped considerably with some luck. Many questioned its necessity as it undoubtedly would increase the attacks upon the foreign legations in Beijing. Herbert Hoover recalled “it was this act of aggression which marked the downfall of the moderate party in Peking, unmasked the gigantic plot of the powerful party behind the Boxers, and turned the Government over definitely into their hands . . . no more favorable moment could have been chosen by our Admirals to precipitate a general massacre.” At the same time it was happening, MacDonald had been sending assurances to Empress Dowager Cixi that Britain wished to remain on friendly terms with China. Cixi was literally receiving reports of the attack on the Taku Forts as MacDonald's letters came in and when he found out he wrote “this would put the old buddha in a good temper”. Back over in Tientsin's foreign settlement, people could hear the loud gunfire coming from the Taku Forts. At 8am Tientsins foreign community received word the Taku Forts had been taken and now all wondered what would happen next. As recalled by Lou Hoover in Tientsin “All the forenoon at Tientsin there was an ominous silence, nothing doing on either side, each waiting for the other to play the next card, neither knowing the result of the attack at Taku, and yet both sides knowing that now we were committed to a war, if not with China itself, with Northern China and the Manchu Dynasty.” At 3pm Qing artillery began to open fire upon the foreign settlements. Shells were hissing overhead, explosions followed everywhere. An alarm bell began to ring on the Municipal Hall as foreign residents ran through the streets. Rifle fire was cracking against brick walls as civilian dived for cover. It looked like a hopeless situation, 600 foreigner civilians were trapped in a mile long by quarter mile wide area bounded by a river on one side and a flat plain on the other. It was a maze of narrow alleys and single storied Chinese houses, perfect conditions for snipers. The whole was enclosed by a mud wall around 15 feet high and wide enough for 4 people to stand across. As Midshipman C.C Dix recalled “The prospect was hardly brilliant; inside the settlement was a mixed force of 2,400 men, with nine field guns, and a few machine guns; outside were 15,000 Imperial troops, with immense numbers of quick-firing guns. Their ammunition was of the best, and practically unlimited, and they had the dreaded Boxers at their back.”  The most senior officer in Tientsin at the time was Russian Colonel Wogack who took control of the multinational force of Americans, Russians, Australian, Germans, French, Japanese and Italians, the except of course were the British who chose to be led by Captain Bayly of the HMS Aurora. The Russians deployed in a very exposed position trying to defend the railway station on the opposite side of the river from the foreign settlement. They were in close proximity to a Chinese grave site, some houses and ditches, places Qing snipers could hide in. With the Russians were the French who took up a position in front of the French concession at the north end of the settlement near the Taku road. The Americans defended a stretch with the British along the eastern side of the entire settlement; it was a very thin line. The Germans, Austrians, Japanese and Italians deployed along the mud wall near the riverbank. Civilians who were capable were given the task of policing, sentry, engineering and medical duties. Herbert Hoover and his men were the only engineers in Tientsin, Colonel Wogack asked them to get people building barricades. Hoover and the men frantically searched for Chinese laborers to help and any materials that were sturdy enough for barricades. As Hoover recalled “Soon we . . . had a thousand terrified Christian Chinese carrying and piling up walls of sacked grain and sugar along the exposed sides of the town and at cross streets.” Within the first hours of battle it seemed the Qing and Boxers would overrun them. Hoover had this to say “With the smoke of many burning buildings pouring over the settlement, with the civilians erecting barricades across the streets for the final rush, the terrific bombardment, the constant sound of rifle-fire in the distance, and the knowledge,—if not the sight,—of the scores of wounded brought in from the lines—it all seemed bad—very bad. It was really the climax of terror, of the black fear, as it was of the fighting. And this was the ‘black fear,' not that the siege would be successful and we should be compelled to lower our flag and surrender to an honourable enemy,—but that, if every man fought to his utmost strength and was beaten, there were without,—Chinamen, —mobs of Chinamen, at their very worst,—barbarians who knew no quarter.”  The women, children and non combatants huddled in fear within the catacombs beneath Gordon Hall, the most robust stone municipal building available. The Qing assault was first directed at the railway station. Upon seeing this Commander Beatty formed a bridge of boats and took sailors across to reinforce the Russians, but they soon became pinned down. The sailors tried to hide amongst some Russian artillery horse carriages as Chinese artillery and snipers fired hell upon the area. The allied forces had to allow the Chinese to approach closer, because their artillery and snipers were wielding an enormous advantage, no one could stand up right unless they wanted shrapnel or sniper bullets to hit them. Those who did advance were armed Boxers who were driven off by volley fire from the defenders. The defenders could not know this, but the Boxers and Qing despite appearances were not really coordinating together. The Qing troopers were awaiting orders from Beijing whether they were to support the Boxers or the protect the foreigners! It was only a result of the attack upon the Taku forts that finally led the Qing government to officially take the side of the Boxers and orders began to trickle over to support them. Despite the official orders, there were many moderates counter ordering and commanders out in the field who did not support the Boxers and were only putting up symbolic efforts at battle. General Nie Shicheng led the forces in the field overall and he had his artillery fire constantly, it is reported nearly 60,000 shells would be fired upon the foreign settlements. These shells however, much akin to what occurred during the first sino-japanese war, were not all exploding upon impact. Corruption was still rampant and the shells were quite lackluster in their results. The Boxers who did advance were quickly met with volleys at close range, and Beatty noted this of the Russians s “they worked their guns like men, scorning to build up protection with the bales of goods that were there and which we utilized for our riflemen.” Beatty was less impressed with the Germans who continuously sent messages stating they were under heavy attack and required reinforcements, lest they be forced to abandon their positions. According to Beatty the Germans were crying wolf and he made it clear they would receive no reinforcements from the British. Sailors and marines pushed through against Qing and Boxer infiltrators tossing them out. The allied forces formed a closed ring around the civilians as Hoover described it “It was in the center that the melodrama and comedy were played—the rim was nearly all tragedy.” Sniper fire was coming from within the settlements prompting wild hunts. Chinese Christians within the settlement numbered 3-4 thousand were prime targets for Boxer attacks. Hoovers wife Lou Hoover volunteered at the hospital using a bicycle to move between alley's and had a sniper bullet hit her tire once. The hospital saw around 200 wounded brought in a day, people requiring bandages, bedding, dressings, disinfectants all of which were in short supply. Tientsin was under siege. Herbert Hoover bicycle around the defensive perimeter braving the streets to see his barricades were working. The situation was incredibly stressful for the civilians, cooped up together while artillery and gunfire raged outside their buildings. According to Herbert Hoover many friendships ended because of the stress and he recalled ““No one will again dare to organize a dinner party in Tientsin without consulting an inmate of Gordon Hall, for how could Mrs. E. ever sit at meat again with Mrs F., who slapped Mrs. E.'s Peking pug?” So…someone slapped a pug? War never changes. By the 22nd of June things were becoming critical. Commander Beatty had been shot and was losing a ton of blood after the attempted seizing and enemies gun in a narrow escape when a shell burst near him. The men fighting in the barricades were mutilated by shellfire and gunshot. Contact with Taku had been lost on the 17th, casualties were piling up and the settlement was completely surrounded, there was no escape. The only reason the settlement had not already been overrun was because the Qing and Boxers were not working in concerted efforts to simultaneously hit all fronts. The Russians sent word that if the fighting continued the way it had been for the past 4 days, their ammunition would run out and they advised preparing a night time escape. Their recommendation was for the women, children, wounded and sick to be escorted by the Germans, Austrians, French, Japanese and Italians while the Russians and British would perform a rearguard. Upon hearing this, the very injured Beatty remarked “it was the maddest, wildest, damndest, rottenest scheme that could emanate from the brain of any man. Doing this would mean abandoning Seymour to certain destruction”. Beatty made it known to the Russians the British would not comply. Unbeknownst to them all, help was on its way and quite close by. On June 19th, my birthday random factoid, a young British volunteer, James Watts set out with 3 Cossacks in an attempt to make contact with Taku. They men rode through hostile villages as Boxers tried to attack them. Watt carried a message from Captain Bayly stating “Hard pressed, heavy fighting; losses, 150 killed and wounded; Chinese Imperial Artillery shelling the Settlement; women and children all in cellars; fires all over the Settlement; every one worn out with incessant fighting.” A rescue force of Russian infantry and American marines had already been dispatched but they were pinned down near the outskirts of Tientsin. According to one American Gunnery Sergeant “We fell into a trap . . . we laid on our faces with the bullets coming like hail not knowing what to do . . . we fell and got up, staggered, crawled—but got out. I never saw such a tired party in my life and yours truly was on the hog!” The force was 131 US marines and 400 Russians who got ambushed 2 miles from the city. The Americans suffered 3 deaths, 13 wounded before they withdrew back to Taku. Bayly's message made it clear a more substantial force was required.  Taku and her forts were left with just 1000 men as a garrison as the allies prepared an expeditionary force. Luck was theirs again, as two new warships arrived, the HMS Terrible from Hong Kong carrying 300 Royal Welch Fusiliers and a Russian troopship from Port Arthur carrying hundreds of Russian troops. On June 23rd a multinational force 2000 men strong set out which also held the British 1st Chinese regiment from Weihaiwei, so even some Chinese troops were in their ranks. They rushed up to Tientsin reaching it the same day and upon seeing them the Qing and Boxers dispersed into the east. Lou Hoover described the scene of their arrival to Tientsin as such “A good many hundred civilians and a couple of thousand troops sat still and repelled faint hearted charges while 10,000 or 15,000 Chinese troops and 20,000 Boxers plunked shells of all sizes into us for exactly one week without a sound or a word from the outside reaching us. Then the first relief cut their way into us . . . enough to get in but not to do anything more than we could when they got there.”  With the Chinese siege lifted momentarily, the lines of communication and supplies from Taku to Tientsin were quickly restored. However Tientsin's battle was nowhere close to be over as the Qing and Boxers would quickly remount their siege.  Back over in Beijing the foreign legations work up to their first day of siege on the 21st. The first hours of the siege brought panic, the Austrians from the offset abandoned their isolated legation to fall back upon the French barricades leaving the northeast sector in enemy hands. The next day, Professor Huberty James who had been working with missionaries at the Fu Palace calmly walked up to the north bridge going over the canal. He gave the appearance of someone trying to parley, but Qing troops on the other side shot him dead upon the bridge. They all awaited Seymours rescue party, but it was not to be seen. A letter from Captain McCalla, Seymour's second in command dated June 14th managed to pass through to the American legation. The letter had been written 35 miles from Beijing and whose contents were nothing more than small chat, indicating nothing about when they would arrive. On June 22nd, by 9am the Italians, Austrian, French, German, Japanese, Russian and American detachments suddenly abandoned their positions and frantically ran to the British legation. Three-quarters of the legation quarters defenses were left undefended, including the Fu Palace, which held nearly the entire Chinese christian population that had fled into the legation quarters. Everyone was in a tremendous panic, it turned out a single man had caused it. Captain von Thomann of the Austrian cruiser Zenta whom from the offset of hostilities had been trying to take command of the defenses for the legations went into a panic when he reportedly was told the American legation had to be abandoned by a random American marine. Von Thomann lost his wits at the news and without verifying it to be true began screaming to everyone that all forces east of Canal street had to retreat immediately to the British legation. So yeah, everyone blindly began running. Once everyone figured out what had happened all the troops were ordered to retake their positions, but in the mayhem the Italian legations was already being burnt down. Boxers and Qing forces occupied the allied barricade in the Customs street, but had failed to press their advantage further. Von Thomann was relieved of command and now it was MacDonald in command. MacDonald was an ex-soldier, but held little experience in the guerilla style warfare they faced. MacDonald also had no official control over any non British forces. MacDonald would write orders and give it to the respective ministers who would arrange them to be carried out. It was a terrible system, but it was all they had it seemed. One of MacDonalds first orders was to dispatch the Italian guards who had no legation to guard to help the Japanese with the Fu Palace defenses. If the Fu Palace were to fall, the French, German and Japanese legations would be cut off from the British legation which was the last stronghold. MacDonald took a stock of the legations defenses: over 400 men, 20 officers and 389 men of 8 differing nations. They were supplemented by two bands of armed volunteers. The first were 75 men with some military experience, such as Nigel Oliphant of the Chinese imperial Bank who had served with the Scots Greys, Captain Poole of the East Yorkshire Regiment and Captain Labrousse of the Infanterie de Marine. The second group were more amateurish, titled the carving knife brigade because of their variety of weapons going from elephant rifles to fusil de chasse. Professionals and amateurs alike were all short of ammunition and each nationality used differing weapons with differing types of ammunition making it a nightmare logistically. The legation had only one piece of real artillery, the Italian one pounder and that too held little ammunition.  Their lines of defense had shrunk alarmingly after just the second day, they only had 7 legations to defend. The outliers such as the Belgian and Dutch legations had been abandoned at the beginning, the Austrians shortly after and the Italians lost theirs during the Von Thomann confusion. The area they defended was now 700 yards east to west from the Russian and American legations and 750 yards north to south from the Fu Palace and British legation to the north and the Tartar Wall in the south. Sandwiched between these were the Japanese, Spanish and German legations alongside some other buildings. All the legations, excluding the British one, were on Legation street. The Germans and Americans were on the south side of the street overshadowed by the massive Tartar wall. MacDonald knew the Tartar wall had to be held at all cost, if it was taken anyone from its top could lob incendiaries down, spelling doom. The British legation grounds quickly became the place everyone congregated searching for further information, everyone was starved to know what was going on outside. Meanwhile the Chinese Christians were doing their part helping with labor an invaluable aspect to the defenders plight. There was also the issue of having to watch over them, lest the enemy infiltrate using them as cover. The foreigners and Chinese likewise were introduced to the hazard of fire which constantly was an issue. Boxers would toss torches and firecrackers at all hours trying to burn the legations out. It was all to easy for the Boxers to dip rags in kerosene attach it to the end of a long bamboo pole and lit it ablaze. On the 22nd, many buildings in the western sector were lit of fire and it took the defenders a long time to put it out. The first casualty for the British was to be Private Scadding who was shot dead as he stood watch while the fire committee went to work putting out fires. The very next day was the same, the Chinese tried to burn them out again, this time they aimed for the Hanlin Academy just due north of the British legation. Thousands of silk covered books were there, it was a tremendous tragedy to try and burn the place.  On the morning of the 23rd, the enemy was spotted running through the four acre compound tossing torches soaked in petrol around. The foreigners were stunned the Chinese would burn such a place, but burn it they did. The fire teams tried to put the flames out, but the Chinese were firing down upon anyone who would go near the academy. Eventually MacDonald sent some royal marines to go through a hole in the wall getting into the academy where firefighting efforts were organized. Scholars among the foreign community were in despair knowing the academic treasures being burnt. Morrison had this to say  “the combustible books, the most valuable in the Empire, were thrown in a great heap into the pond round the summer house . . . a heap of debris, timber in ashes, sprinkled with torn leaves, marked the site of the great library of the Middle Kingdom . . . what can we think of a nation that sacrifices its most sacred edifice, the pride and glory of its country and learned men for hundreds of years, in order to be revenged upon foreigners? It was a glorious blaze. The desecration was appalling.” By the night time the fire was still burning as soot covered fire fighters struggled.  Other fires were seen that day, the Russo Chinese bank containing 80,000 dollars of cash was burned down, many officials houses alongside it. I would like to take this time to remind you all that this podcast is only made possible through the efforts of Kings and Generals over at Youtube. Please go subscribe to Kings and Generals over at Youtube and to continue helping us produce this content please check out www.patreon.com/kingsandgenerals. If you are still hungry after that, give my personal channel a look over at The Pacific War Channel at Youtube, it would mean a lot to me. The battle for the Taku Forts was won at a small cost, but the battle for Tientsin and Beijing would rage on for many more days. Time was of the essence if the allies were to reach the foreign legations in Beijing to save their countrymen.

Bob Fu was a student leader during the Tiananmen Square demonstrations in 1989. He later became a “double agent,” meaning he taught Communist Party officials during the day and operated illegal house churches at night.   After he and his wife were imprisoned for “illegal evangelism,” they eventually fled to the United States as religious refugees.  Since then, Bob has helped rescue persecuted Christians around the world and has earned the moniker of “the operator of the Chinese Underground Railroad.”   On this week's Good Faith podcast, guest host Nancy French interviews Bob who explains China's human rights violations, the importance of religious freedom and rule of law, and how the Western church can pray for their persecuted brothers and sisters in China.   SHOW NOTES:    RSVP here for the Washington DC live Good Faith recording on 9/5/23: Curtis will talk with AEI's Yuval Levin on Institutions and Anxiety. The event will be held in the AEI Auditorium at 1789 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20036   B2THEWORLD: Join the Christian effort to rebuild high quality schools in war torn parts of the world.   George Fox University: Check out the offerings of one of the premier Christian universities in the country.   Notes on the ministry of Bob Fu   “The Chinese Communist Party is rewriting the Bible: Gospel according to Chairman Xi has Jesus turn killer instead of forgiving sin,” by Mike Gallagher, FoxNews.   Donald Trump praises Xi to Tucker Carlson   God's Double Agent: The True Story of a Chinese Christian's Fight for Freedom by Bob Fu, collaborator Nancy French   The Politics of Inclusive Pluralism: A Proposed Foundation for Religious Freedom in a Post-Communist, Democratic China by Bob Fu    Freedom to Pray – How Good Faith listeners can pray more effectively for their brothers and sisters in China.   ChinaAid.org – ChinaAid exposes human rights abuses and promotes truth, justice and freedom by advocating for religious freedom and the rule of law in China. ChinaAid continues to endeavor for the immediate release of prisoners of conscience, equip human rights defenders and religious and community leaders with religious freedom and rule of law training, rescue and resettle persecuted leaders and their families, encourage families of prisoners of conscience by providing financial assistance, and exposing abuse by featuring unique stories of persecution and injustice on ChinaAid's website and through social media.  

Highly restrictive religious laws. Surveillance cameras lurking around every corner. Police knocking on doors and raiding church gatherings. These are a few among the many challenges our persecuted family in China face each week. Yet despite the communist government's many attempts to control Christians, the church in China is still growing! Brother Enfu, pastor of an unregistered church, shares on VOM Radio this week the excitement of a growing Body of Christ and the challenges of leading an illegal church congregation. As communist efforts to control and close down churches have escalated, large church gatherings have become almost impossible. This has led to many more meetings with smaller numbers of Christians, raising the need for trained leaders. Brother Enfu will share how Chinese Christians are meeting that need and help us pray specifically for God to raise up leaders within Chinese churches. Brother Enfu serves as a leader in an underground Chinese seminary, training and encouraging pastors and their spouses to take on the challenges of leading a congregation. Graduates need to be equipped to lead their flock well and prepared for persecution, ready to face police questioning and even arrest. You'll be encouraged as Enfu shares the story of five imprisoned church elders and the surprising report he received back of their sweet fellowship together and the spread of the gospel in the jail. Listen as Brother Enfu shares how house church Christians work together in managing the risks of Christian ministry in a communist nation. Pray men would be raised up to be godly leaders in their home and the church. Pray pastors in China would glorify God through their marriage and families. Pray our persecuted brothers and sisters in China will continue to fix their eyes on Jesus Christ, even in times of tribulation and suffering. To hear more about persecuted Christians, register for the free and watch it on demand. Be inspired as you listen to four women who have been persecuted for their faith and how God has been faithful to them, as well as worship music led by Michael W. Smith. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or you can listen each week—and get daily prayer reminders—in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

We left off last week as Richard and Jeanette's apartment was raided by 25 Chinese policemen. The couple knew that their time in China was over after 10 years of ministry, but they didn't know how long it might be before they were allowed to leave. Listen now as Jeanette recalls exactly what happened when she returned to their apartment to find police searching through their bookshelves and closets and questioning her husband. Despite the chaos of the raid, Jeanette continued relying on the sovereignty and goodness of God, reminding herself often that He is trustworthy no matter our circumstances. She prayed fervently for Richard as he was taken away by the police. Richard experienced God's sovereignty and the Holy Spirit at work as he sat in the police station interrogation room, living in the truth of Luke 12:11-12. In spite of police threats, Richard relied on scripture God brought to his mind and four things he knew he had to stand firm in as he tried to answer the police accusations. Listen also for how Chinese Christians supported Richard and Jeanette during their ordeal, including a local church pastor who knocked on their door and offered a bold prayer for Richard. Their local Christian community brought Jeanette great comfort, providing practical proof that the Lord was with them. Pray persecuted Chinese Christians will stand firm in faith and be encouraged by the Body of Christ. One group of Chinese Christians, the Mayflower Church, made the decision as a congregation to flee their homeland. Pastor Pan, leader of the group, was our guest on VOM Radio last month. Listen this week for a praise update on this group of believers and their immigration case. Never miss an episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or listen each week in the VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.

Just before Covid shut down the Peoples Republic of China, Pastor Pan Yongguang and members of his congregation, known today as the Mayflower Church, made the difficult decision to leave their country. After 16 families from the congregation arrived in South Korea in 2019, relatives and other family members still in China faced increasing pressure from the communist government, especially when members of the church went public about the persecution they'd faced and their decision to leave China. Listen as Pastor Pan shares about his life before he became and believer, how he came to faith in Christ, and how the Lord raised him up to be the pastor of the church he was baptized in. Before Pastor Pan considered personally following Christ, he knew people in China must pay a price for being a Christian. He says, “That's a special part of Chinese Christians. They know they have to pay a price.” The roots of the decision to leave China trace back to a day in 2018 when Pastor Pan had lunch with Pastor Wang Yi, who is now serving a nine-year sentence as a prisoner for Christ. Christian persecution was rising in China. Wang Yi knew he faced imprisonment for his faith; he challenged Pastor Pan to prepare himself to go to prison as well. Pan will share about the regular visits he received from police after Wang Yi's arrest. Pastor Pan and his church members had a decision to make. Should they leave China, or should they stay? Many had good jobs in China, but they worried about raising their children in Godly truth amidst communist pressure and indoctrination. After a year of discussions, knowing each Sunday could be their last one together, they felt unified in the decision to leave China. Today, Pastor Pan and the Mayflower church are educating their children to follow Christ as they wait to receive refugee status from the United Nations and resettlement in a free nation. Pray for favor for them in the UN refugee application process. Pray also for family members still in China, who constantly face threats and intimidation. Never miss and episode of VOM Radio! Subscribe to the podcast. Or you can listen each week in the new VOM App for your smartphone or tablet.