The spiritual void under decades of Communist rule, Gao believes, resulted in the crumbling of moral standards in modern Chinese society, now overwhelmed by purely materialistic concerns.
"The whole nation lacks belief," Gao says. "Officials and ordinary people, everyone is greedy, there is no God in their hearts, they don't think about cause and retribution."
Gao, who attends a Protestant church, believes the revival of religion is inevitable and Chinese authorities are pursuing a no-win battle if they continue to crack down on religions they regard as a threat to their reign.
"This is an inevitable trend. They should recognize it, not suppress it," he says.
Across China, lawyers face pressure not to take on politically sensitive cases and many who take on human rights and civil rights cases, like Gao, have suffered reprisals for doing so.
Cyber dissident Zheng Yichun's brother said half a dozen lawyers he tried to seek help from were too afraid to take on the case.
Gao, who took up the case for free, was like "a ray of hope amid darkness" to his family, Zheng Xiaochun says.
"In China, lawyers who are good and have a good heart like Mr Gao are few and far between," he says.
In 2003, lawyer Zheng Enchong, who was representing displaced people affected by redevelopment projects in Shanghai, was sentenced to three years for "illegally providing state secrets to entities outside of China."
Window of Truth
Gao, with his missions that repeatedly make authorities nervous, also sadly foresees himself being arrested one day.
"It will happen sooner or later, I am prepared for that," he says.
According to Gao, police have already warned him that he has "crossed the line" through his defense of Falun Gong, and that people who do so will find themselves in "a very dangerous position."
"When I go to work and say goodbye to my wife in the morning, we're both prepared that it might be a few years before we see each other again," he says.
Despite this, the defiant lawyer says he will not be intimidated.
On Tuesday he publicly resigned from the Communist Party, citing the harsh treatment of the Falun Gong as a reason and saying it was the "proudest day of my life."
"I'll continue to be a window of truth," he says. "But this regime is very afraid of the truth."
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