Daily News Brief for Saturday, May 10, 2025 - New Racist Law in Washington State / China's Updated Missionary Regulations? [Daily News Brief]
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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.
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