(Minghui.org) I read an article on Minghui.org about someone’s negative reaction to a Falun Gong practitioner advising her to quit the Chinese Communist Party (CCP), which has been persecuting Falun Gong since 1999.

The practitioner author wrote that when she urged several women to quit the CCP to save themselves, one of them brushed her off, saying, “You Falun Gong practitioners get arrested all the time. You can't even guarantee your own safety. How can you help anyone else to be safe?”

The author didn't know how to respond and asked for input from other practitioners. 

I would like to share some of my thoughts about this.

I once went with another practitioner to her mother's home. Her elder sister was also there. Her sister doesn't practice Falun Gong and always worried about her younger sister's safety, especially after she heard that two other practitioners had recently been arrested.

I understood how the sister was feeling and said, “I know that if we are arrested, our families will worry about us, so we will be careful.”

She was happy to hear that but then said, “There wouldn't be any risk if you didn’t talk to people about Falun Gong.”

I asked her, “If you were at risk, but you didn’t know it, should I tell you or not?”

“You certainly should,” she replied.

I continued, “Let's say someone intends to stab you in the back but he threatens to kill me if I tell you. Do you want me to alert you to the danger?”

She was silent.

I smiled and said, “Don't worry. I would certainly warn you. But I would do it in a way that the person with the knife wouldn't notice.”

She smiled, too, and was pleased that I was aware that I needed to be careful in my efforts to raise awareness of the persecution of Falun Gong.

My understanding is that we should first acknowledge other people's concern for us when they wonder if we Falun Gong practitioners are able to ensure our own safety. As long as we have a compassionate heart to save them, Master will give us wisdom to help people understand the importance of quitting the CCP. 

Another example of how to respond to the safety question might be, “Falun Gong teaches us to be good, so I cannot sit back and do nothing when I know people will face consequences for being part of the CCP that persecutes innocent people. If you quit the CCP, you'll no longer be held liable for its crimes. I'm willing to risk my life for your safety.”

Of course, this just my own understanding. Please point out anything inappropriate.