"Beijing’s message could not be clearer: the Communist Party will tolerate religion only when it serves the state. For millions of underground Christians in China, that means worship itself remains an act of defiance."
"China’s persecution of Christians has reached alarming new levels. In a series of overnight raids across multiple cities, police detained at least 30 pastors and church leaders, part of what religious rights groups are calling the largest coordinated assault on underground Christianity in decades.
"As the BBC reported:
“The US has called for the release of 30 leaders of one of China’s largest underground church networks who were reportedly detained over the weekend in overnight raids in various cities.
”Beijing’s Zion Church, one of China’s largest and most influential house church networks. The Chinese Communist Party shut down the congregation in 2018 after it refused to install government surveillance cameras.
“Police in China detained dozens of pastors of one of its largest underground churches over the weekend, a church spokesperson and relatives said, in the biggest crackdown on Christians since 2018.”
The detentions, according to NBC, came just days after Beijing expanded export controls on rare earth minerals, a move that has already heightened U.S.–China tensions. Secretary of State Marco Rubio condemned the arrests, calling them yet another example of the Communist Party’s hostility toward Christians who refuse to submit to state control.
“This crackdown further demonstrates how the CCP exercises hostility towards Christians who reject Party interference in their faith and choose to worship at unregistered house churches.” . . .
No comments:
Post a Comment