Source: www.ChinaAid.org
Date: July 18, 2022
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| Students at a Hong Kong Christian college must take a "National Security Education" course (Photo: Burst) |
(Hong Kong—July 18, 2022) A small Christian school in Hong Kong will start the compulsory “National Security Education” course in the new school year beginning in September 2022. The school’s principal will fully cooperate with the government’s requirements. All school students need to take the national security course test, and if they fail to pass, they need to re-test until all pass.
Gratia Christian College’s theology courses include New Testament, Old Testament, systematic theology, apologetics, and other subjects. According to the school’s requirements, all students starting in September of this new school year must take four national security education courses. Involving the primary content of the law, students will take the test after watching the video. If they fail to pass the test, they will need to retake it, but it will not be listed as a graduation requirement.
Dr. Chui Hong-sheung, the president of the college, said in an interview with Christian Times: The school’s Christian ministry courses are no different from the seminary; preachers are trained, the school teaches students according to the truth of the Bible, and those who have authority are used by God. It is a fundamental biblical truth that citizens should comply with government laws.
He said that he used to be an elder of Peace Gospel Church, and he used to be the general director of the church and was also responsible for hiring preachers. He believed that the graduates of the course met the basic requirements of the church for preachers.
President Chui Hong-sheung pointed out that whether we are studying Christian ministry or other courses when we go out to serve in society, the most fundamental thing is to abide by the law. Currently, all universities are required by the government to provide courses related to national security law, and the case of Gratia Christian College is no exception. He believes that the introduction of national security education does not conflict with the background of Christian schools and cites biblical stories to emphasize that “the Bible teaches obedience to those in power.”
“Gratia teaches students according to the truth of the Bible. The book of Romans in the New Testament says let every one be subject to the governing authorities, God uses them, and we should generally listen to all the arrangements of the government above; otherwise, the world will be in chaos…… Whether in Hong Kong, the United States, or Australia, the locals have their own governments, and from the perspective of the Bible, God allows them to be in power. As citizens, we should act in accordance with the laws of the government. This is a fundamental biblical truth,” President Chui Hong-sheung stated.
The school began to offer a Higher Diploma in Christian Ministry and a Bachelor’s Degree in 2019 and 2021, respectively. It is the first institution of higher learning among the self-financing institutions in Hong Kong to be accredited by the Government Qualifications Framework to offer a degree program in Christian Ministry.
Rev. Dr. Edmund Ng, head of the School of Christian Ministry and Program Director, delivered a speech on June 24 when discussing “International Solidarity” at the UN Human Rights Council meeting. According to the conference materials, he represented the Beijing NGO Association for International Exchanges. In his one-and-a-half-minute speech, he stated: In the past 25 years, “One Country, Two Systems” has guaranteed freedom of speech in Hong Kong’s religious and academic fields. After the implementation of the National Security Law in Hong Kong, the above-mentioned freedoms have been more fully guaranteed. Thanks to the support of the Hong Kong SAR government, the Hong Kong church can hold large-scale religious activities and open mission schools. “The religious people are willing to work together to ensure the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong.”
He used to be a lecturer who studied at the Sichuan University in China and pointed out that Hong Kong Christians could preach in the city. With the assistance of the government and the police, they have held various large gatherings, such as the Hong Kong Franklin Graham Festival in 2007, and many schools have religious backgrounds; it proves that Hong Kong enjoys religious freedom and is a fair and loving city.
Gratia Christian College once triggered the collective resignation of senior executives seven months after the school opened because the president’s administrative power was too large and interfered with academic freedom. The pro-Communist rhetoric of the school’s principal and some lecturers differs from the dissent in mainstream Hong Kong society, alienating Beijing.
~Gao Zhensai, ChinaAid Special Correspondent
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