Posted: 11/11/2015 at 10:27am
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Tearing down the Cross in China: beautification or persecution?
(Photo courtesy FB/ China Aid/Bob Fu)
China (MNN) — The Chinese Constitution guarantees freedom of religion.
Yet, according to the 2015 United States Commission on International
Religious Freedom Report, the Chinese government took steps to
consolidate further its authoritarian monopoly of power over all aspects
of its citizens’ lives. In fact, because this has meant unprecedented
violations on all faith communities, the State Department has designated
China as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) since 1999, most
recently in July 2014.
Among the more obvious situations noted: 1,200 Crosses that were taken down from churches in China. China
Aid Association President Bob Fu explains, “Of course, to the Chinese
Communist government, the official explanation was, ‘The cross has
become a distraction for public safety.’” Christians protested. For a
time, social media feeds were full of pictures of red crosses in China.
“They went on the street in peaceful protesting [and] made little
crosses, declaring: ‘If you remove one cross, we will make 100-1000 more
crosses to be put up on our houses and cars!'”
Although things seem to have quieted down, Fu says there is evidence
pointing to a larger government campaign. “One document says the reason
the government has this campaign is to ‘contain the overheated growth of
Christianity.'” What’s surprising is where this is happening and to
whom. It’s in the so-called belt buckle of China’s “Bible Belt” —
Wenzhou city in Zhejiang province. “A vast majority–99%–of those church
buildings where the crosses were forcefully removed are officially
registered…. [They’re] supposed to be government-protected, called Three
Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) churches.”
The city of Wenzhou is often called “China’s Jerusalem,” and the
Christian population is just over 15%. Choosing this city, while the
official reasons are unknown, still sends a message. ”I think Zhejiang
is just being used as an experimental province for a bigger campaign
that could be coming very soon,” Fu observes.
(Photo courtesy FB/ China Aid/Bob Fu)
He noted that because Wenzhou is also one of the nation’s wealthiest
cities, perhaps this area was targeted because they could rebuild or
repair a demolished or damaged church building faster than anyone else.
“Obviously, the government really wants to target the increasing impact
of Christian faith in Zhejiang Province and beyond that.”
Does this hint at a cover up? A cover up implies secrecy.
China’s actions are anything but secret in this case. Fu says, “In the
past two years, the overall situation of human rights, religious
freedom, freedom of press, and freedom of assembly–some factors are the
worst since the Cultural Revolution.”
Last year, the local government announced a policy called san gai yi chai
(three reforms, one demolition), which led to the destruction of many
churches in the region as well as the removal of crosses from atop
buildings near main roads. Fu says, “Some were taken multiple times,
after the believers reinstalled [the crosses], [they were] re-destroyed,
[then they were] reinstalled. I think Xi Jinping’s ideological shift
from the Central Government has made this happen.”
To explain further, provincial leaders might be currying favor with
China’s president Xi Jinping. Once governor of Zhejiang, he has since
made statements indicating that he would like to “revive” Buddhism,
Taoism, and Confucianism in China in order to help strengthen the “moral
fabric” of the nation.
There is also worry that this is merely a pretense for stamping out
Christianity in the region. Fu explains, “The Chinese Communist Party
issued the first-ever National Security Blue Book, and in that blue book
Christianity is listed as a national security threat. These are not all
local phenomenon. It’s definitely a top-down from the Central
Government.”
Voice of the Martys USA notes that the policy has been problematic for people like Huang Yizi, a local pastor, who was one of 15 who was arrested for “endangering national security.”
He drew scrutiny after protesting China’s increasingly stringent
religious restrictions, both in Wenzhou and other parts of China.
(Photo courtesy FB/ China Aid/Bob Fu)
At the same time, prominent Beijing-based lawyer Zhang Kai announced
in July of 2015 the formation of a group that consists of 30 Christian
lawyers. The group is known as “Lawyers for Protection of the Cross.”
The group defends churches under attack under China’s newly implemented
religion law. A few weeks ago, Chinese security forces conducted
simultaneous night raids in Wenzhou, during which time they seized
Zhang Kai, his assistant, and several Wenzhou pastors.
Pray for believers who have been affected by this latest crackdown,
asking the Lord to encourage them to persevere under trial. May this
outbreak of evil against His people somehow be turned to good (Romans
8:28), while opening the spiritual eyes and hearts of many more Chinese
people so they will discover the truth and goodness of our Lord Jesus
Christ.
Source: Mission Network
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