Authorities in China have tightened their grip on the country's churches by ordering that children are to be banned from joining religious groups. Th
Authorities in China have tightened their grip on the country’s churches by ordering that children are to be banned from joining religious groups. The ban also prohibits children from attending religious sermons and other activities in several provinces across the country. It is worthy to note that China is an atheist country with its Communist Party prohibited from religion.
Control on the country’s churches began several years ago when places of worship were ordered to remove crosses from their buildings in Zhejiang province. Earlier this month, over one hundred churches in Wenzhou, China’s Zhejiang province reportedly received a notice from government officials informing them that young people will be banned from entering churches.
Minors are also reportedly banned from participating in religious activities. Members of the church were told not to participate in religious activities and churches were not allowed to organise a youth summer camp.
China is in the midst of a religious revival and the current government seems concerned that religion could be a means through which foreign values may ‘penetrate’ into China and ultimately affect political stability. The Communist Party of China already stipulates that members and CCP officials can not believe in religion.
The ban also promises that officials will investigate government approved churches and underground congregations who operate outside the tightly controlled Beijing-run Catholic and Protestant Churches while also making a decisive effort to prevent religions infiltrating into schools and to guide students to consciously resist religious cults.
In an important speech on religion last year, the Chinese president, Xi Jinping said that young people must study science, believe in science and develop a ‘correct’ worldview and set of values. It could be that the government is concerned that young people going to church or religious activities may challenge their monopoly on truth and the government’s ability to instill its own historical narratives and worldview through the public education system. Xi Jinping also re-emphasized the need for Communist Party cadres to be strict Marxist atheists, and not to find values or beliefs in religion.
As a result, we’ve seen more cadres and government employees punished and fired government for attending religious activities. In 2014, there was a public outcry in China’s Zhejiang province after churches were ordered to remove their crosses with some churches demolished. Within seven months, three churches were demolished and over 360 crosses including those from Catholic churches were taken down. Officials had used the excuse of the crosses being too large and not according with government guidelines.
DailyMail
