Chinese authorities, in Henan province, seeking to tighten control over printed religious material are including Christian literature in their campaign to “eradicate pornography and illegal publications”.
Christian venues and publications in Erqi district, Zhengzhou, are being targeted in the crackdown. Officials met with church leaders to demand that information promoting the government campaign be displayed in church buildings. A banner stating, “eradicate pornography and illegal publications” was installed in a state-registered “three-self” church in the district.
The banners and panels caused outrage among the Christian congregation. One of the church’s co-workers described it as, “slanderous to God”.
In September 2019, authorities in Henan ordered every registered “three-self” church in part of Luoyang city, to take down the Ten Commandments and replace them with quotes of President Xi Jinping. A church in Henan province was ordered in November 2018 to erase the First Commandment from display during a government inspection on grounds that it was “national policy” not to display this.
Barnabas Fund, barnabasfund.org
