Opinion ID: 167154
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: analysis

Text: 6 1. Is Mr. Yan Really a Christian? 7 As noted, the IJ stated that he had concerns about [Mr. Yan's] commitment to Christianity. Admin. R. at 41. Among other things, Mr. Yan seemed to have only rudimentary knowledge of [the] Christian religion. Id. at 40. As will be seen, however, the record does not support this finding. 8 On cross-examination in this case, counsel for the DHS administered a sort of mini-catechism to Mr. Yan. To the extent Mr. Yan was unable to answer the questions posed to him, some of which were phrased as trick questions, the IJ concluded that Mr. Yan was not really a Christian. To the extent he was able to answer the questions, the IJ concluded that Mr. Yan had been coached. The IJ placed very little weight on what would seem to be the most salient factor in determining the sincerity of Mr. Yan's beliefs: his highly personal and emotional testimony about his conversion to faith in Jesus Christ and his participation in Christian activities in China. 9 Mr. Yan testified that at the time he became a Christian, he was in the hospital after injuring his back on the job. Mr. Yan was very depressed as a result of his injuries. He stated that a co-worker named Shu Wei Gong came to visit and to talk with him about Christianity. The co-worker told Mr. Yan not to be depressed because there's still good people around in this world. Id. at 73. Mr. Gong told him: 10 in this world, there's a loving God and he send his beloved son to come to this world to be our Savior. He sent his beloved son in order to save us. He was nailed to a cross. He said who in this world will give their only beloved son to come and to save the world [from] sin. When I heard all this message, I was very touched. 11 Id. at 74. 12 After he was released from the hospital, Mr. Yan began attending meetings with other Chinese Christians. The first meeting was at the house of Mi You Min. There were four people present. They had a Sunday worship service where they read the Bible together and sang hymns. They also ate a meal together. Mr. Yan stated that these people were very friendly and they are different from people who are outside so I decide to stay. Id. at 75. 13 Mr. Yan began attending weekly meetings with his newfound Christian friends. He supplied an intriguing detail about the members of this house church. They would not come to his house, he said, because he had not yet been baptized. Mr. Yan remedied this defect on Christmas Day, December 25, 1998. He described his baptism as follows: 14 Shu Wei Gong told me that today, we have a Pastor Li coming here to do a baptismal service on you and everybody clapped their hand and was very happy. And, after that, we all read our Bible and we all pray together. And then, after we sing the songs and Pastor Li said I will hold a baptismal service for Mr. Yan You Ting. 15 [. . .] 16 And I was standing there and the Pastor Li put his hand on my head. He said in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, I baptize you, Mr. Yan You Ting that you will belong under the name of Christ. All of your sins are forgiven and your soul, your spirit will always go to heaven and then he take some water from the bowl and sprinkle it on my head and then I say, amen and everybody say amen. 17 Id. at 77. 18 When asked how the ceremony had made him feel, Mr. Yan stated, I [felt] that I have gone through a rebirth experience that was I — that what I was belonged to my past. Now, I'm a new person. Id. at 78. He stated further that 19 All my emotion, my whole being, my mental state that I have somebody to rely on. I have. Before, I didn't know that in this world, there's such a loving God that will have his son to die for me. I think he is a great God. I will attend all of the meetings. I will grow. 20 Id. 21 Mr. Yan was asked to sing a Christian hymn, and he did. The translation was Jesus loves you. Jesus loves you in your life. The greatest blessing is Jesus love you. Id. at 113. 22 Notwithstanding these displays of evangelical piety, the agency attempted on cross-examination to trip Mr. Yan up on his knowledge of the Bible and Christian doctrine. The IJ's conclusion, that Mr. Yan knew very little about Christian doctrine, seems surprising in light of the actual testimony presented. As noted, Mr. Yan had already demonstrated in his testimony under questioning by his own attorney a very personalized notion of the doctrine of the Atonement and the concept of rebirth. His subsequent testimony under cross-examination showed that he also knew a thing or two about the Bible: 23 Q. When you did your Bible study, which part did you study more, the Old or the New Testament? 24
25 Q. If I said, let's see, for they shall inherit the kingdom, what is the part that goes before that? It's in the Beatitudes? 26 A. Blessed are the meek for they shall be inheriting the kingdom of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted and those are the people that also inherit the kingdom of God. 27 Q. The meek inherit the earth. People who are persecuted in my name's sake are the ones who would be inheriting the kingdom. 28