China appears to be reverting back to the age of dynasties when emperors held supreme power and Christians suffered unimaginable persecution.
The Asian superpower recently announced that it would end presidential term limits, effectively allowing the powerful President Xi Jinping to hold the office indefinitely. The popular president is nearing the final days of a five-year cycle and his policies have made life increasingly tough on Chinese Christians.
Under his authoritarian rule, the country’s Christian population has come under difficult scrutiny and suffered under the president’s policies of religious intolerance. Long-term campaigns have been waged to strike down religious symbols such as crosses from church rooftops that the Xi government claims are a subversion of the country’s communist principles.
Places of worship have been threatened for appearing anti-Communist and pressured to promote themselves as “Chinese-oriented” rather than God focused. In the Jiangxi province, the government ordered and enforced the removal of Christian symbols, including likenesses of Jesus Christ, from private homes. The crackdown also insisted that the Lord’s image be replaced by that of President Xi Jinping.
China Attempts to Ban Christian Fellowship
In late 2017, China moved to place increasing harsh restrictions on Christian gatherings. The rules put punishments in place for “organizing others to attend religious events.” Pastors and other religious leaders refused to adhere to the anti-worship rules and defied the government. Many suffered the consequences for their resistance and faith.
China’s State Council also enacted a series of protocols that would prohibit informal worship such as Bible study by criminalizing Christian “house churches” and Tibetan “separatists.” Just as China’s leadership fears the spread of Christianity across Asia, it also has taken a hardline stance against the peace-preaching of Buddhists.
One of the important tenets of Christianity is fellowship and fear of arrest and imprisonment for meeting in small, informal groups to discuss God, the Gospel and draw strength from each other has created a dark cloud of fear under Xi. The government has gone as far as to imply its grip extends across borders, saying “organizing citizens to attend religious training, conferences and activities overseas” was also a punishable offense.
The end result of these draconian measures has been made crystal clear to devout Christians in the region. China, under the rule of President Xi, will not tolerate people of faith at any level. Travel bans have been leveled against citizens who have viewed Christian and other religious web sites or contacted people of faith outside the country. Five more years of Xi or a lifetime reign would only escalate the current religious persecution spreading through China.
China Clamps Down On Worship
In January, the Chinese government reportedly destroyed a popular mega-church after enacting strict regulations that religious groups must have state-sanctioned approval to conduct any and all faith-based services. The destruction of places of worship are forms of physical intimidation and the newly imposed rules extend to schools, publications, pamphlets even a person who practices street ministry.
The communist regime now routinely spies on its citizen’s use of the internet and technology to monitor religious activities. It has been reported that files on citizens have been opened to brand them with what has been called a “Social Credit Score.” The files are designed to make citizens obedient to the communist way or face consequences.
The practical application of the dossiers would influence people’s hospital wait times, public transportation costs, employment, mortgage rates, and where children can attend school. There have been reports that the government plans a public shaming campaign against those who continue to put God before communism. President Xi’s regime has done all this to its citizens in just a few short years.
Just as Russian President Vladimir Putin and Syria’s President Bashar Hafez al-Assad rule with an iron fist over dissenting voices, China’s move to open the door to President Xi seizing lifelong power will inevitably result in a level of Christian persecution not seen in the region since Mao Zedong.
The initial communist wave under Mao saw the execution of religious leaders, intellectuals and people of faith on a genocidal level. The entrenchment of President Xi at the top of Chinese life is already forcing Christianity into the shadows.
~ Christian Patriot Daily
