Due to time constraint, I shall enter this journal with mixed languages.
Not long ago I heard Rev. Lin mentioned about Yuan Zhi Ming's troubled case. I did not bother to investigate it because 1.) I have never fancied Yuan (含远望志愿的明星)'s ministry after examining his testimony briefly long time ago. 2.) I did not believe Rev. Lin was the kind that does her own homework to confirm the truth, rather than by the mouths of others.
Just now, I came across a facebook post from a friend who if memory serves, just unfriended (or was it the other way around) Yuan, on Yuan's alleged sex crime, in details. Normally I would still skip such news (Yuan's ministry is really not worth looking at: 1.) He believed that a good enough person can be saved/become a Christian "我奉耶稣的名保证她能信"(好人不用认罪？), 2.) He believed that science/理论 and Christianity are contradictory to each other, 3.) He believes that the ends justify the means in his ministry), but my interest in the accuser's faith drew my attention. I have heard of similar accusations against pastors before but never was one in enough detail such as this rather than just vain or deceitful gossips.
This is a case between a Chinese Christian woman and the preacher/pastor Yuan Zhiming. Her two letters are the only sources I have:
1). Excerpt from First public letter (4/18/2014)...在事工中，2011 年， 我受罗马邀请去参加一个民主会议。我们在祷告中请神确定这是他要我做的事情。如果是的话，请神打开见Pope的门来告诉我们这是他的意愿。我们想， 如果Pope能号召全球的20亿信徒为中国祷告，神也许很快会终止这个杀了4亿孩子的政策。在聆听中，突然看到基督要我饶恕一个民运人士。他在我刚到普林 斯顿时强暴了我， 但他后来很快变成了个很有名的基督徒。 但他一直没有跟我认罪道歉， 使我19年没能信基督。 我在祷告中跟主争辩，“我怎么可以饶恕他那， 他伤害了我的身体？”但是基督很快给我看到他在十字架上受难流血的图片， 说“你看， 他们也伤害了我的身体。 但我在他们还没有认罪之前， 就饶恕了他们。”那是我伏在基督流血的脚上，带泪在心里说， “因为我爱你，我会原谅他。”
这个祷告刚做完不到30 分钟， 我们的同工高兴的冲到我的身边，“罗马回话了，我们可以见Pope。”没想到， 神回因我们的祷告因饶恕后是如此神速。...
2.) Excerpt from Second public letter (12/23/2014): In much detail:
...2011年10月底或11初的時候，我給你發過一個電郵，說我已經饒恕了你在普林斯頓強暴我的事。你馬上給我回了電話。你第一句話便問我，我有沒有把這件事跟人說。我說，我跟教會的老姐妹禱告，我決定不會把這件事說出，像大衛不會揮手擊打掃羅一樣。
你立即說，“柴玲，我讀了你的書，你把這件事跟人說，對你不會有好處。”但是我聽了，很有點生氣。
我進一步跟你說，“因為這件事，讓我19年來沒能信主。感謝主的恩典，終于在19年後通過像雲牧師這樣的人把我帶到主裡來。你還對誰做過像對我那樣 做的事，你應該去跟她們道歉，以致于她們不致像我一樣，沒有辦法信主得自由，得永生。你也知道基督所說的話，“耶穌對他的門徒們說：’那些使人絆腳的事必 然出現，不過使它出現的人有禍了。對他來說，就算脖子上拴著大磨石被丟到海裡，也比他使這些卑微人中的一個絆倒更好。（路加福音17:1-2）’”
你反而笑了，說，“柴玲，你是新基督徒。你不知道，’如果有人在基督裡，他就是新造的人；舊的已經過去，看哪，新的已經來臨”（哥林多後書5:17）
我們後來又說了幾句，就結束了。
通話後我感覺很不好，但是因為我當時忙于拯救女童的事工（我們正準備去羅馬的行程），我沒有讓我們之間的交流影響我對主的工作的專心。我是新基督徒沒錯，但心裡覺得我們的這次交流，跟像是吃了蒼蠅一樣，心裡很不舒服。
2012年2月份左右，我在一個華人的教會圖書館裡面看到你們制作的紀錄片《十字架》。我看了後，也為那些基督徒的先輩的犧牲和奉獻深深感動，也在 主面前為你的這份工作獻上感恩。我也的確在2013年春天跟通過交換我的書來買十幾盤錄像，為的是讓福音更廣的傳播。我也試圖讓自己饒恕，和解。
但是2012年11月份時，在兄弟姐妹為我做醫治釋放的時候，基督突然讓我感到你在1990年在普林斯頓對我的強暴是多麼深深的傷 害著我。那時我剛剛搬進新的公寓，你說你要給我看一個電影。我聽你自己說你是《河殤》的創作人之一，也就很自然地相信了你。以為你又有什麼大作。沒想到你 拿了一片黃色電影來放給我看，當時我覺得不好意思，要你停止離開時，你抓住我，用體力強行把我按倒在地毯上強暴我，並用我掙扎中掉在地上的外衣盖住我的眼 睛。直到今天，這封信還是很難寫的原因，是我始終不能忘記那在天花板上的電燈是那樣的刺眼，我心裡是多麼的痛恨你對我的施暴……。
我的痛恨甚至到了我都不屑于再在我的記憶裡認為你是一個人，這麼多年來，每當我聽到你的名字時，我都在心裡說一句“偽君子”。只有這樣，我才能繼續生活下去。
你當時提起褲子時，似乎像個沒事人一樣，為了轉移我的注意力，你隨意地說：“柴玲，他們的天安門屠殺算什麼。你不知道中國的計劃生 育，那血淋淋的強迫墮胎，很多小孩墮下來還是活著的，護士馬上把他們的頭按到水桶裡，小孩掙扎幾下就不動了……小孩子這樣被墮掉的多的不得了。他們認為小 孩的眼球可以做藥，就把孩子的眼球挖出來，堆得像小山一樣……”
我痛苦地坐在地上，用衣服盖住我的被玷污的身體，痛苦極了。不光為我自己，也為那些不幸的母親和孩子們。
當時我萬萬沒想到，在我逃出追捕，失去家人，失去國土，失去一切，心靈身體極其破碎的時候，我會被你強暴。魔鬼在1986年秋天沒能成就的事，你在1990年卻做到了。...
In addition to the above, I also briefly skimmed through Chai Ling's website and her testimony.
I am inclined to believe Chai Ling's testimony over Yuan's (even though I have not examined Yuan's side of his story, since I cannot find one). And if what she testified about Yuan was true, not the rape part but the unrepentant part, then though Yuan would have been the rare case of a rapist turned pastor, Yuan has merely proven my points as to why his ministry is problematic (Not in a "everyone makes mistakes" way, but more of a "intentionally justifying sins" way).
However, I must point out a few of the theological errors common among Chinese believers:
1. In Chai Ling's testimony page, she appears to believe her friend's line: “No, the Lord will use what he has prepared for us in the past to complete, a task that He has designed just for each of us. Without our work, God’s plan will not be done.” ~ Reggie Little John. I have underlined the error, I need not say more, except that there is no excuse to justify it.
2. In her first letter: "因为我爱你，我会原谅他。", sounds nice, but I would correct it as "因为祢原谅我，我会原谅他". Though she mentioned repentance and asked God for forgiveness in her testimony, I cannot be sure if Chai Ling truly understood repenting her sins. Most of the times her testimony of coming to Christ is about her suffering in China, seeing others suffer, etc. and that Christ is so understanding and loving her that there can be no reason to reject Christ. This kind of emotional drama conversion is apparent everywhere since the Charismatics promotion of it: "Everyone treated me badly, except for Christ (or those nice Christians around me), so I became Christian."
3. In her second letter: "因為這件事，讓我19年來沒能信主。" This error follows the point above. Because Chai Ling based her salvation on how people are treated by "nice" Christians, this has to be her conclusion - that Yuan was to be blamed for her unbelief. What did I say about doubting her understanding of true repentance?
Well, that is not to say that I do not believe Chai Ling is a Christian. In fact, I would give her the benefit of the doubt, and say that she appears to be a devoted Christian, after examining the resources above. She was willing to forgive the worst kind of sinners. I believe she was sincere in that claim. The theological importance in her life remains to be seen. Is she just an activist who claims to be Christian, or a Christ-centered activist? But nonetheless, a Christian.
As for Yuan, if Chai Ling's testimony were true, then not only did he not truly understand what Christ's forgiveness meant (for he did not feel bad about his past sins as Zacchaeus did), but that he remains despising women deep in his heart (that women are flawed creations), and therefore revealing that he despises God in His creation, just as the one who couldn't believe that the rich and God-fearing creature, Job, could truly be faithful to God.
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Update 01/06/2015:
I didn't expect there will be so many comments or visits to this article. So, I must indicate that I have no interest to discover the truth behind the Yuan & Chai Ling's case, because based on simple Christian theology, I would not associate with Yuan in anyway.
As for investigating the case, since Ling has already testified her side of the story, there are only a few logical situations on Yuan's side to prove Chai Ling wrong:
1. Yuan did not know Chai Ling at all and/or is unaware of this accusation.
2. Yuan and Chai Ling had consensual sex (not date rape) and Ling made up the rape story.
3. Yuan did rape Chai Ling and has apologized to her but Ling denied it.
I see no other alternative to justify Yuan. Some have suggested that Ling's accusation has expired (24 hours? 24.5 hours? 3 years?), others have said that everything is past now and should be forgotten now that both are Christians (Read Zacchaeus' lesson - 路加福音 19:8).
Therefore, the above 3 points aren't hard to resolve. Point #2 maybe a bit challenging but can still easily be resolved when both sides speak until a truth is surfaced, the one refusing to speak or to speak for the truth is obviously the guilty party.
My inclination towards believing Ling's testimony is due to but not convinced by(from most relevant to least): Yuan's theology, Ling's reputation, Ling's detail testimony, and Yuan's silence. If I am wrong, then Ling's reputation is greatly jeopardized. If Yuan was innocent and remain silent in order to not hurt Ling's ministry, then both of them are wrong and Yuan's theology is more problematic than I had originally imagined.
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Update 03/03/2015
Yuan has finally responded, according to his facebook page:
致教会弟兄姐妹的信
远志明
2015年3月2日
一、我承认自己是个败坏的罪人，后来成了何等人，完全是蒙神的恩才成的。对于1990年我信主前的婚外性过犯，我再次公开地向神认罪，向当事人道歉。对由此引发的目前这场风波给教会弟兄姊妹造成的伤害和困扰，我表示深深的歉意，请求大家原谅。
二、我承认蒙恩后也有软弱的时候，是靠主恩的保守才得以站立的。
三、在神在人面前，我虽然可以默默承受不实的指控，但我不能承认我没有犯过的罪。对于针对我的强奸、诱奸未遂和性侵指控，我一概否认。
四、对于神州传播协会董事会进行的相关调查，我会积极配合。
五、我已辞去我的一切侍奉和事工，专心在主里安息，更新自己。
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So now, based on the resources above, we are clear that the matter is to be processed according to my point #2 above: Yuan and Cai Ling had consensual sex (not date rape) and Ling made up the rape story. Which was the most anticipated possibility as well as the hardest to treat.
It will be more than just memory tests or polygraphs. There is also a matter of conscience: For example, one of the question Yuan must answer could be somewhat in such format - "Even if you have been proven innocent of rape, what would you say about someone else who are in very similar situation as you but have actually committed the rape (similar to Cai Ling's version), should he absolutely admit the rape or there could be some special reason that he should not admit the rape and even deny it?"
Of course, his only answer to "pass" my sample question is: "yes-that person should absolutely admit the rape" which might conflict with Yuan's own theology but may not necessarily prove him guilty. Any other responses or non-response will only look bad on him. But whether he is innocent or guilty, if there were not enough evidence found against him, we should give him the benefit of the doubt, by Ei incumbit probatio qui dicit, non qui negat (presumption of innocence). If he is truly innocence, he is truly free, Cai Ling will have the Lord to answer to for making false accusation, even if it was just a "mistake" or memory problem, it lacks God's glory and would still therefore be her sin, but we must also apply presumption of innocence to Cai Ling as well. If Yuan were in fact guilty, then he shall have only his conscience to wrestle with at this point, and not to be falsely accused by the public, and Cai Ling could either seek better God-fearing counsel for proofs or leave it to God alone to justify her when the day comes which is inevitable anyway.
I supposed there could be follow-up questions to the former, if answered "yes". Such as: "Why do you answered Yes?", "What if the man could not remember his crime well enough?", etc. The purpose of which is to either further justify Yuan's stand in this matter or further convict him with his conscience.
