Countering the CCP’s Rumors and Fallacies | GOSPEL OF THE DESCENT OF THE KINGDOM

1 You have only believed in God for a little more than a decade. You are still a rookie. I have lived the better part of my life and studied religions for decades. I can tell you responsibly, there is no God in this world, and there has never been any Savior. The whole affair of believing in God is too vague. It is completely impractical. We are both knowledgeable people; we should look at matters according to the facts and science. We should believe in scientific theories such as materialism and Darwinism. Why do you have to believe in God? We communists only believe in atheism and the theory of evolution. You need to know that Darwin's theory of evolution is one of the most important scientific theories in the history of science for mankind. According to the theory of evolution, we can be sure that everything was created by the work of nature. Man is the accidental product of nature's biological evolution process. Man had evolved from the ape. This has a sufficient theoretical basis. This shows that man was not created by God. The words written in the Bible are myths and legends that cannot be taken seriously. I advise you to learn more about materialism and Darwinism. These are very practical theories that can resolve doubts. I believe that when you see it clearly, you will have a correct understanding of religious beliefs and come out from the illusory faith. Only by following the CCP will you have a future.

2 I haven’t seen God, haven’t seen how God works and how He dominates the world. It is hard for me to recognize God and accept God. From my study of religious beliefs for so many years, I think that religious belief is merely a spiritual sustenance and a means to fill the spiritual vacuity of mankind. Didn't all those who believed in God finally die? No one saw which person went to heaven or hell. I see all religious beliefs as very vague and unrealistic. With scientific development and human progress, religious beliefs will likely be abandoned and eliminated. We still need to believe in science. Only science is the truth and reality, which no one can deny. Although science has not denied God, it has not witnessed the existence of God either. If science can really determine that there is God and witness that God dominates everything, then we will believe in God too. We communists just believe in science. Only by believing in science and developing science will human societies continue to progress. Science can solve many real problems of human societies. What can believing in God bring to people? Other than some temporary spiritual comfort, what else is it good for? It does not solve any practical problems. So, believing in science is more realistic than believing in God, much more realistic. We have to believe in science.

3 I hear that many pastors and elders of the religious community say that who you believe in is a man and not Jesus Christ. Yet you witness that this man is the returned Lord Jesus, that is, Almighty God appearing at work. Do you know that the Communist Party has long condemned Christianity and Catholicism as cults? And you dare to witness that the Lord Jesus has returned, that is Almighty God; aren't you bucking the head wind? How can the Communist Party spare you? The Communist Party even dares to designate Christianity and Catholicism as cults, and the Bible as a cultist book. This is an open fact. Don't you know that? If the CCP dares to condemn and deny the world’s orthodox religions, why couldn’t it condemn Almighty God's appearance and work? When the CCP could designate the Bible as a cultist book, why would it spare The Word Appears in the Flesh? The public security agencies have confiscated many copies of this book. Many people are studying it. I just don't understand it. Why do you people have to believe in Almighty God? Why insist on witnessing that Almighty God is Christ of the last days? We understand everything about His family background. He is an ordinary person, just like Jesus that Christianity believes in. Jesus, the son of a carpenter, had parents and siblings. He was just an ordinary man. Yet the entire Christendom worships Jesus like God. Almighty God that you people believe in is also a man like Jesus. You insist on saying that He is God, this is quite inexplicable. You endured so much persecution and pain for believing in an ordinary man. Is it worth it? I hear that there are many people who gave up their families and careers to follow Almighty God. I doubt what you can ultimately get from believing in God like this? What is the basis for you to believe that He is God?

4 Although the One you believe in is Almighty God, what you read is the word of Almighty God, and how you pray is in the name of Almighty God, according to what we know, your Church of Almighty God was founded by a man whom you obey in everything. According to your testimonies, this man is a priest, a person used by God in charge of all administrative matters. I am puzzled by it. Who was the one that founded The Church of Almighty God? How was it begotten? Can you clarify it?

5 The Bible says, “Let every soul be subject to the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whoever therefore resists the power, resists the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation” (Rom 13:1–2). Having believed in the Lord for many years, you should understand the meaning of this statement. The Bible was inspired by God after all. I believe that we believers of the Lord should obey those in office and power. I don’t know how you receive it. It doesn’t work in China if you defy the authorities. The Communist Party is a revolutionary party. If you disobey, it will revoke your life. To believe in the Lord in China, one must accept the Communist Party’s United Front and join the Three-Self Church. There is no other way out! You see, there are many believers of the Lord in the Three-Self Church who are loving and pious also. Can you say that they do not truly believe in the Lord? Those of you who believe in Almighty God insist on spreading the gospel and witnessing for God regardless of how the Communist Party persecutes and arrests you. Even when you are kept in prison, you still stand up to witness for the Lord and refuse to be Judas. Honestly speaking, this is what I admire about you. Conversely, talking about what we seek in our belief in the Lord, isn’t it all about our desire for a harmonious family and a peaceful life? Look at how prudent we people of the Three-Self Church are. We are a patriotic and church-loving organization that glorifies God and benefits the people. We neither offend the ruling authorities nor betray the Bible. We can openly worship the Lord in church without having to hide in fear. Isn't this the best of both worlds?

6 The CCP is a revolutionary party. What it believes in is mendacity and violence, that is, seizing power with violence! Going by the CCP’s logic, “A lie will become the truth if it’s repeated ten thousand times.” No matter how many people doubt its word, deny and disbelieve it, the CCP doesn’t care a whit, and it continues to lie and deceive just the same. As long as the immediate effects and its goals can be achieved, it doesn’t care about the costs! If people rebel against it and march in protest, it will use tanks and machine guns to solve it all. When necessary, it will use the atomic bombs and missiles to counter hostile forces. The CCP can resort to any means to maintain its rule. As soon as the Zhaoyuan case of Shandong was publicly announced, the CCP started massive deployment of armed police units to suppress and arrest Christians at all costs. Who could stop it? Who dared to resist? Even when foreigners were able to see through the CCP’s fraud, what could they do? The CCP has many ways to counter the condemnation of Western democratic forces. It uses money to settle everything. As the saying goes, “Who receives a gift sells his liberty.” Fewer and fewer countries are condemning the CCP now. Hostile forces to the CCP are afraid to sound off. No matter how you put it, the CCP is still able to uphold its rule. As long as the Communist Party holds on to power, you believers of God can never expect to be free! God’s appearance and work in China will definitely be detested and banned by the CCP. Whether the CCP can achieve the goal of establishing an atheistic domain in China or not, it will never stop arresting and suppressing you! I saw this clearly long ago. That’s why I vigorously oppose your believing in Almighty God. It is all for your sake, don’t you understand?

7 What you said about going to hell for resisting God, I don’t believe it. Who has seen where hell is? What does hell look like? I don’t even know if God exists at all. I don’t recognize that God exists. Where is God after all? Who has seen God? If Almighty God is the true God, when the CCP so desperately condemns and attacks Almighty God, why hasn’t God annihilated it? If God reveals His omnipotence and destroys the Communist Party, then He is the true God. That way, mankind as a whole must acknowledge that Almighty God is the true God, even the CCP will have to prostrate and worship the true God. Who would dare to resist God? But what actually happened? What I saw was the CCP police arresting believers of God everywhere. Many of God’s believers were thrown into prison, tortured and maimed. Many of them were killed. However, did your God save them? How can this make one believe that the God you believe in is true? I cannot understand you at all. Is the God you believe in true or false? I am afraid that you don't even know. In that case, aren’t you being foolish? What is your basis in saying that the God you believe in is the true God? Can you explain it clearly?

8 I see the government’s documents say, like some people who believe in Jesus, those who believe in Almighty God abandon their families in order to preach the gospel. Some people don’t even get married for a lifetime. The documents also say that the government wants to detain a group of people who believe in Almighty God and kill another group. Killing them means nothing. There is something else like “Troops won't be withdrawn …” right, “until the ban is done.” Many believers of Almighty God were arrested, imprisoned, wounded and crippled by the CCP. Some people even lost their jobs and their families were ruined. This has drawn a lot of criticism that people who believe in God do not want their families. Do you say this is true? You can’t abandon your family or give up marriage. If this is how you really believe in God, advises you not to believe in Almighty God, okay?

9 I have been working for the United Front for many years, and I have studied various religious beliefs. Christianity, Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy are all orthodox religions that believe in Jesus. But your belief in Almighty God is so different. According to CCP documents, The Church of Almighty God does not belong to Christianity at all. You are preaching the gospel to various sects under the banner of Christianity that don’t recognize you as a Christian denomination. So I will never allow you to believe in Almighty God. You can only believe in Christianity if you want. The government’s persecution will be lighter this way. If you get arrested and incarcerated for believing in Almighty God, your life will be in danger. The CCP has already seen that all those who believe in Almighty God are invariably followers of Christ in the last days who are Christ’s disciples and apostles. What the CCP fears most is the proclamations and testimonies of the book The Word Appears in the Flesh expressed by Christ in the last days, as well as this die-hard group that follows Christ in the last days. We have studied the history of Christianity. What Judaism and the Roman Empire feared most were the disciples and apostles of Jesus. So when these people were captured, they were executed by different methods of capital punishments. Today, if measures are not taken to suppress and completely ban this group of people who follow Christ of the last days, in less than a few years, they will subsume the entire religious community. At present, several main Christian factions in China have already been subsumed by The Church of Almighty God. The CCP is very clear about this. Had the CCP not fabricated some public opinions and contrived the Zhaoyuan Case, perhaps the day will come when the religious community of the world would be subsumed by The Church of Almighty God. Once The Church of Almighty God subsumes the entire religious community, it will be very unfavorable to the rule of the CCP. Therefore, the Central Committee made a strong determination to deploy all available forces to thoroughly ban The Church of Almighty God in a short period. You need to know, the emergence of Eastern Lightning not only took China by storm, it also made a big splash in the world. Since you made such a big move, how can the CCP not frantically launch a wholesale suppression and arrest campaign against you? If you must believe in God, you can only believe in Christianity. You are absolutely forbidden to believe in Almighty God. The Church of Almighty God does not belong to Christianity, don’t you know that?

10 You witness that both Jesus and Almighty God are Christ, the first and the last Christ. Our CCP does not recognize it. In The Internationale, it clearly said, “There has never been any savior of the world.” You insist on witnessing the advent of Christ the Savior. How can the CCP not condemn you? In our opinion, the Jesus whom Christians believe in was an ordinary man. He was even nailed on the cross. Even Judaism did not recognize Him as Christ. The incarnate Almighty God in the last days that you witness is also an ordinary person in fact. The CCP's documents describe it clearly that He has a surname and first name. This is also a fact. Why do you witness that such an ordinary person is Christ, the appearance of God? It is really incredible! No matter how you witness what truth has been expressed and how judgment work in the last days has been done by Almighty God, our CCP will not recognize that this person is God. I think you are just like those people of Christianity, Catholicism, and Eastern Orthodoxy who believe in Jesus, believing in a man as God. Isn't it ignorant? What exactly is God and the appearance and work of God? Does it mean that the mere expression of the truth and doing the work of God are the appearance of the true God? This is what we will never accept. If God can perform miracles and wonders, destroy the CCP and all those who resist Him, then we will recognize Him as the true God. If God appears in the sky, makes a thunderous roar that frightens the entire human race, that is the appearance of God. Then our CCP will recognize Him. Otherwise, the CCP will never acknowledge there is God.

11 According to the government's propaganda materials, The Church of Almighty God was founded by someone named Zhao in northeastern China. This man is the high priest of The Church of Almighty God. He is leading the Church. Believers of The Church of Almighty God claim that he is someone used by the Holy Spirit. They often listen to the preaching of this person who is used by the Holy Spirit, and they listen to him in the administrative work of the church. Although you believers of Almighty God read the word of Almighty God, pray in the name of Almighty God, regard The Word Appears in the Flesh expressed by Almighty God as canonical doctrine, and communicate the word of Almighty God in your congregation, in any case, this person is the one who has the final say in The Church of Almighty God. So we are certain that The Church of Almighty God was created by this person. Both the CCP and the religious community characterize The Church of Almighty God as an organization of man. I think it is true. Do you understand this?

12 All of you believe in God; I believe in Marx and Lenin. My specialty is research of various religious beliefs. Through many years of research, I have discovered a problem. All religious belief holds that there is a God. Yet of all the people who believe in God, none has ever seen God. Their belief is based solely on their own feelings. I therefore have reached a conclusion about religious belief: Religious belief is purely imaginary; it is superstition, and has no basis in science. Modern society is a society in which science is highly developed. Everything must be based on science in order for there to be no mistakes. We Communist Party members believe in Marxism-Leninism. We don’t believe that there is a God. How does The Internationale go? “There has never been any Savior of the world, nor deities, nor emperors on which to depend. To create humankind's happiness, we must entirely depend on ourselves!” The Internationale clearly states “There has never been any Savior of the world.” The reason that the human race in the past believed in God and practiced superstition is mainly because human beings at that time, facing such phenomena of the natural world as the sun, moon, and stars; wind, rain, thunder, and lightning, had no way to produce a scientific explanation. Hence, fear and wonder arose in their minds about supernatural powers. Thus the earliest concepts of religion were formed. Also, when humans could not solve such difficulties as natural disasters, and disease, they hoped to attain spiritual comfort through respectfully making obeisance to God. This is how religion came into being. Obviously, this was not rational, and it was not scientific! Nowadays, the human race has advanced, and science is flourishing. In such fields as the aerospace industry, biotechnology, genetic engineering, and medicine, the human race has made considerable progress. In the past, human beings did not understand, and had no way to solve many problems. Nowadays these problems can all be explained through science, and science can be relied on to provide solutions. In this age of developed science and technology, if people still believe in God, is this not foolish and ignorant? Wouldn’t such people be left behind by this age? The only practical thing is for us to believe in science.

13 In your belief in God, you all have your own ideas and opinions. It seems to me that your ideas and theories are feelings of subjective consciousness, and are of the illusory category of things. We Communists believe that materialism and the theory of evolution are truth, because they are in accord with science. Our country comprehensively provides materialist, evolutionist education from elementary school through university. Why is this? It is to imbue all young people and teenagers with atheist and evolutionist thinking from an early age, so that they all stay away from religion, and stay away from superstition, and so that they can scientifically and rationally explain all questions. Take, for example, the question of the origin of life. People in the past were ignorant and backward, and believed such stories as Pangu separating heaven and earth, and Nüwa making humans. As for Westerners, they believe that God created the human race. In fact, all of these are mythology and legend, and are not in accord with science at all. Ever since the appearance of the theory of evolution that explained the origin of the human race clearly, how humans evolved from apes, the theory of evolution has thoroughly invalidated the legends of God creating man. All things have evolved naturally. This is the only truth. Therefore we must believe in science, and in the theory of evolution. You are all educated, knowledgeable people. How can you go and believe in God? Would you be able to chat about your views?

15 You say that Almighty God is the appearance of God in the last days, and is the true way. You also say that it was God who created this world, and who rules over what happens in this world, that it is God's work that has guided and saved people all along. What basis in fact do you have for saying this? We Communist Party members are atheists, and do not recognize God's existence or God's sovereignty in the least. Even less do we recognize the appearance and work of God incarnate of which you talk. The Jesus in whom Christianity believes is clearly a person. He had parents, and had siblings. Christianity, however, absolutely requires that He be treated as Christ, and be worshiped as God. This is utterly inconceivable. Almighty God in whom you believe is just like Jesus, clearly just an ordinary person. Why must you obstinately insist that He is God incarnate? Why must you bear witness that He is Christ Savior of the last days in person? Isn't this terribly foolish and ignorant? There is no such thing in this world as God. Even less does there exist a God as God incarnate. You obstinately say that an ordinary person is God incarnate. What is the basis of this? Are you all able to express the grounds and basis of your belief?

16 You bear witness that Almighty God is God of the last days appearing and working, and you say that your belief in Almighty God is seeking truth, and walking the correct path of life. From what I know, however, many of the people who believe in Almighty God are like those missionaries of Jesus, who for the purpose of spreading the gospel and bearing God's witness, did not hesitate to abandon family and career, and gave body and soul for God. Among them there are many young people who don't get married, all doing their duty in following Christ of the last days. What I am saying is all true, isn't it? Perhaps you are not aware that, because of you leaving family and work to spread the gospel and bear God’s witness, there are ever greater numbers of people who believe in God. If the whole human race turned toward God, who would still believe in the Communist Party, and follow the Communist Party? Precisely because of this, the government suppresses and arrests you. Can there be anything wrong with this? Mainly it is because you believe in God in this way that so many people have been arrested and sentenced to jail, and that so many people have to leave home and flee. So many husbands and wives have divorced, and so many children have no parents to love them. There are so many elders who have no one to care for them. By believing in God this way, you have caused your families to suffer such hardship. What are you trying to achieve? Could it be that this is the very correct path for human life of which you talk? Our traditional Chinese culture attaches most importance to filial piety. The saying goes: “Of all virtues filial piety is most important.” Confucius said: “While your parents are alive, don't travel far away.” Showing respect to parents is the foundation of human conduct. Believing in God, and following God the way that you do, unable to care for even the parents who gave you life and nurtured you, how can this be considered a correct path for human life? I often hear people say that believers are all good people. This is not false. But all of you believe in God, worship God, and venerate God as great. This has caused the Communist Party to burn with anger, and to be full of hatred. You do your duty to spread the gospel, yet you can’t even take care of your own families. How can this be considered good conduct? What do you say, could it be that even this does not show that you have taken a wrong path in belief in God? By spreading the gospel and bearing God’s witness in this way, aren’t you destroying the harmony and stability of society? I plead with you to not persist in error. You should return to society as soon as possible, reunite with your families, live normal lives, and take care of your families well. You should do your duties as children and as parents. Only this is the foundation for human conduct; only this is the most practical.

17 You bear witness that Eastern Lightning is the true way, but the Chinese Communist government condemns it as a cult. What’s the difference between a proper religion and a cult?

18 How do you explain the May 28 Zhaoyuan case of Shandong that has shocked the country and the world? This case was heard in open court after all! After the occurrence of the Zhaoyuan case of Shandong, the government has stepped up its crackdown on house churches, even using the armed police forces to crack down on The Church of Almighty God by conducting overwhelming carpet search-and-arrest of The Church of Almighty God members. Although people have raised numerous doubts about the Zhaoyuan case of Shandong, believing it was a false case fabricated by the CCP to generate public opinions to support its crackdown on The Church of Almighty God, the Chinese media have publicly reported the case regardless of whether the facts are true or false. This has generated some impacts in various countries in the world. No matter how you deny the Zhaoyuan case of Shandong, many people still believe the Communist Party. So I want to hear what you think of the Zhaoyuan case of Shandong.

19 You testify that The Church of Almighty God has its origins in the appearance and work of Christ of the last days, Almighty God, but the atheistic CCP government and the leaders of the religious world condemn you as heretical and as a xie jiao. So how can we have discernment over what the CCP and religious world say?

20 The CCP has disseminated information online saying that in order to spread the gospel and testify to God, people who believe in Almighty God give up their families and jobs. Some people even remain unmarried their whole lives. The CCP says that your beliefs destroy families. Is what the CCP says true?

21 I see that The Church of Almighty God does nothing more than spread the gospel and testify to God’s work of the last days, asking that people be honest and walk the right path of human life. But the CCP is disseminating information saying that the church’s ultimate aim in spreading the gospel is to overthrow CCP rule. How can I know whether the CCP’s words are true or false?

22 Although you believe in Almighty God, read the words of Almighty God, and pray to the name of Almighty God, the CCP is disseminating information saying that The Church of Almighty God was created by a man, and you do whatever he says. You testify that this person is a priest, a man used by God, and that he is responsible for all administrative affairs. I can’t figure it out—just who founded The Church of Almighty God? What are its origins? Can you explain this?

23 Following the incident in Zhaoyuan, Shandong on May 28, the CCP government stepped up its efforts to attack house churches, and even went so far as to mobilize armed police to suppress and crack down on The Church of Almighty God. Many people have expressed doubts about the Zhaoyuan incident, believing this to be an attempt by the CCP to attack and suppress The Church of Almighty God by fabricating a false case to turn public opinion against it. Despite that, the case was publicly tried in a CCP court and reported by major Chinese media outlets, and some people believe what the CCP said. We’d like to hear what you think about the incident in Zhaoyuan.

24 You testify that Christ of the Last Days, Almighty God, is the return of the Lord Jesus, and that He is expressing all truths for the judgment, purification, and salvation of mankind. Yet the CCP claims that the “Almighty God” you believe in is just an ordinary person. The CCP knows everything about this person’s family background, and has even posted this person’s photo, name, and family address online. I can’t get this straight—is what the CCP says true or false?

25 You testify that the Lord Jesus has returned, and that He is Christ of the last days, Almighty God. But the pastors and elders of the religious world say that what you believe in is not the Lord Jesus, and that The Church of Almighty God does not belong to Christianity. Is there any credence to the words of these pastors and elders?

26 The Church of Almighty God testifies that the Lord Jesus has returned, and you spread the gospel to people of all religions and denominations. Many who truly believe in the Lord have left their churches and started believing in Almighty God—are you not stealing sheep from other churches?

27 You testify that “Eastern Lightning” is the appearance and work of Christ of the last days, Almighty God, but I’ve read many articles on well-known websites like Baidu and Wikipedia that condemn, attack, and vilify The Church of Almighty God. I know that the information on Baidu is monitored and controlled by the CCP, and that it isn’t necessarily trustworthy. But foreign websites such as Wikipedia have also followed the CCP and religious world in condemning you. I can’t work it out—are the statements made on these websites true or false?