China is Forcing Religious Organizations to Spread Communist Party Propaganda
Jose Nino
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LifeSite News reported on new rules that China is imposing on religious groups that require them to “spread Communist Party principles.”
China’s government established new rules on December 30 that will give the Communist Party complete control over practically all aspects of religious life. The “administrative measures” include six chapters and 41 articles governing the “organization, functions, supervision and management of religious groups,” which span religious doctrine, annual and daily activities, and rallies.
The new rules will go into effect on February 1 and serve as the CCP’s increasing crackdown on religion. 1 million Muslim Uighurs have been interned in re-education camps, where some are being tortured. Authorities have defiled churches and stripped Christian ministers of their independence. Two million Christians and Buddhists have been detained. Further, Jewish communities have been harassed.
All of this is acting alongside the Chinese government’s policy “sinicization,” which works to impose Chinese culture and socialist policies on all of China. The Chinese government’s latest efforts to control religion are part of recent policies that were announced in 2017 to “reinterpret Christian teachings according to socialist doctrine.”
According to a Radio Free Asia report, the Chinese government forced churches in Hunan province to remove Ten Commandments displays and replace them with quotes of President Xi Jinping. Similarly, the Chinese government demanded that churches in Jiangxi province take down biblical paintings and crosses and replace them with portraits of President Xi. In some parts of the county, the government has banned all public displays of Christmas decorations. Additionally, party officials have been brainwashed into believing that the feast goes against CCP teachings.
In December, Christians who belonged to “house churches” not officially recognized by the Chinese government were ordered to not publicly celebrate Christmas. A Protestant pastor in Shandong said, “We are afraid to meet in public [because such meetings] have been designated illegal gatherings.” The pastor continued, “We can’t do Christmas this year. We can’t have any activities on Christmas.”
Under these new government dictates, all religious organizations will be mandated to obey and spread CCP values and speak positive of President Xi Jinping. There will be an expectation to “spread the principles and policies of the Chinese Communist Party” and indoctrinate all “religious staff and religious citizens to support the leadership of the Chinese Communist Party.”
Religious organizations must receive approval from Communist Party officials for all their decision-making.
Based on these rules, local religious affairs offices function as the “administrative bodies” for all religious organizations. These bodies control religious organizations through “guidance and supervision.”
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