Christian churches in China ‘are ordered to remove displays of the Ten Commandments and replace them quotes from President Xi’
- State-run churches in China told to take down displays of Ten Commandments
- They have been replaced with the Communist teachings of Xi Jinping instead
- Churches that refused have been shut down, while state has also launched a crackdown on churches outside the state system
- Jinping has vowed to ‘sinicize’ religion by bringing it in-line with Chinese values
Christian churches in China have been ordered to take down displays of the Ten Commandments and replace them with quotes by President Xi Jinping.
Leaders of state-sponsored Three-Self churches have been threatened with closure if they fail to comply, according to local reports.
Instead of core Christian values, the displays now preach Communist party ideology, such as: ‘Guard against the infiltration of Western ideology, and consciously resist the influence of extremist thought.’
State-run Christian churches in China say they have been forced to remove displays of the Ten Commandments and replace them with quotes from Xi Jinping
At the same time, the Communist party has launched a crackdown on so-called ‘home churches’ which are outside of state control.
In some part of the country the Ten Commandments are also being replaced by portraits of Mao Zedong and Xi Jinping.
The move was reported by Bitter Winter, a magazine that documents religious liberty and human rights in China.
An anonymous source told the magazine that the Communist party is attempting to become a God-like figure.
They said: ‘The government’s first step is to prohibit religious couplets.
‘Then it dismantles crosses and starts to implement the “four requirements” by ordering the national flag and “core socialist values” to be placed in churches.
Instead of preaching Christian doctrine the displays now contain Communist party teachings, such as: ‘Guard against the infiltration of Western ideology, and consciously resist the influence of extremist thought’
‘Surveillance cameras to monitor believers and religious activities are then installed. The last step is to replace the Ten Commandments with Xi Jinping’s speeches.’
Jinping vowed in 2013 to ‘sinicize’ religion in China by bringing it in-line with the country’s Communist ideology.
In its report earlier this year, the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom warned that the campaign was ‘an attempt not only to diminish and erase the independent practice of religion, but also the cultural and linguistic heritage of religious and ethnic communities.’
As well as Christians, the report said the government has been persecuting Tibetan Buddhists and Uyghur Muslims.
An estimated 800,000 Muslims have been rounded up and thrown in concentration camps while the party has sent recruits to spy on local communities.
Meanwhile ‘advanced surveillance technology’ has been employed to repress the Buddhist community, the report found.