The Point: Darkness in China

The darkness is growing in China. The situation for Christians and other religious believers in China is becoming increasingly dire. A million Muslim Uighurs have been put in re-education camps. House churches are under attack, and above-ground churches are seeing levels of interference they haven’t seen since the time of Mao. And now a report from the Australian website MercatorNet claims that students in one northern province are being forced to sign a pledge: “I will adhere to the correct political direction, advocate science, promote atheism, and oppose theism.” It goes beyond pledges. There are reports of teachers actively trying to subvert parents’ religious beliefs in school. Prospective teachers are being screened for religious convictions. And pupils are being instructed to inform on their parents’ faith. As I said, Beijing is serious. And if, as is expected, China’s economy takes a downturn, the crackdown will only intensify. Our Chinese brethren need our prayers, and they need us to be their advocates. If we don’t speak for them, who will?  

03/6/19