by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent
(Worthy News) - The Chinese government is reportedly shutting down churches and repurposing their buildings into entertainment halls, factories, or “cultural centers,” the Christian Post reports. Moreover, the Chinese Communist Party (CPP) has been removing the words “Christ” and “Jesus” from a number of publications and various social media platforms.
Giving an example of the CPP’s activities, persecution watchdog Bitter Winter reported that local government authorities in the Guangxin district of Shangrao city shut down a church for “organizing illegal gatherings” and refusing to join the state-sponsored Three-Self Church. A month later, the church venue was converted into a “Civilization Practice Station for a New Era,” a government initiative launched in 2018 to encourage citizens to abandon their faith and follow the Chinese Communist Party.
According to Bitter Winter, 70 Protestant church venues were shut down in Jiangsu Province’s prefecture-level cities of Lianyungang and Suqian last year. As part of this onslaught, the Chenzhuang Church building was sold for just $ 3,000. “The government is eradicating churches,” the Chenzhuang church director told Bitter Winter.
In another example of the CPP’s crackdown, a church building in Suqian city was converted into a memorial hall for China’s revolutionary heroes. “The church will now be used to teach the young generation about China’s revolutionary spirit,” a village official told Bitter Winter.
“People of faith outnumber Communist Party members, and the Party is not winning people’s hearts,” a village official told Bitter Winter. “The government fears that this will bring instability. Churches are eradicated to ensure that there are more CCP members than believers.”