China takes additional steps to eradicate Christian symbols – The Alabama Baptist

WENZHOU, China — Forcible removal of church crosses is resuming in an apparent government plan to eradicate Christian symbols in China.
The human rights group ChinaAid reports that an Aug. 3 notice to Dongqiao Church in Zhejiang province states that its cross will be forcibly dismantled.
ChinaAid received communication anonymously from a pastor who said governments of Shanxi town, Yongjia County and Lucheng District issued a July mandate that churches remove Christian words from their premises. “For instance, bronze plaques and characters on church walls bearing the words ‘Emmanuel,’ ‘Jesus,’ ‘Christ’ and ‘Jehovah’ were all required to be removed,” states ChinaAid.
Zhejiang — a highly-populated province — has been the prime target of Xi Jinping, China’s president and leader of the Chinese Communist Party.
“Between 2014 and 2016, there were more than 1,500 churches affected by cross demolitions,” states ChinaAid.
A document at the time revealed that “officials wanted to eradicate Christian symbols to the greatest extent possible,” says ChinaAid. The campaign spread to other provinces. The 2018 effort in Henan province removed crosses, burned Bibles and destroyed Christian plaques in private homes.
China is No. 16 on Open Doors’ 2023 World Watch List of places most difficult to be a Christian.
Uganda’s constitution and laws allow for freedom of religion, including converting from one faith to another, but December was a deadly month for Christians there.
ABUJA, Nigeria — Militants killed at least 43 Christians in Nigeria, as ongoing violence has prompted thousands to gather together
MINSK, Belarus — The pastor and members of New Life Pentecostal Church in Minsk have been threatened with administrative and
AIN-DEFLA PROVINCE, Algeria — An Algerian court sentenced and fined a Christian man July 8 for allegedly accepting unauthorized donations
Address:
3310 Independence Dr.
Birmingham, AL 35209
Email:
news@thealabamabaptist.org
Lost your password?

source