Cross on Church Rooftops Demolished, Covered Up, and Resized in China
浙江多地十字架连日被强拆 中共文件显示家庭教会前景堪忧
(Cross forcibly removed in Zhejiang province; Chinese government documents show a bleak outlook for house churches)
ICC Note:
The Chinese government has been forcibly tearing down the cross, the symbol of Christianity, from several churches’ rooftops and covering other crosses with canvas. We translated the article from Chinese to English and it discusses the ongoing church and cross demolition in Zhejiang province where Sanjiang church was forcibly removed early last week. The ongoing church and cross demolition shows a bleak outlook for Chinese churches and local believers are worried that the government may ultimately ban Christian gatherings.
Local believers sadly expressed that the demolition of Sanjiang church might only be a start of an anti-Christianity campaign in the name of“removing illegal construction”. Obviously, “illegal construction” is not the point, the cross is: without any notice in advance, the government officials showed up at Baixi church in Zhejiang province which has all proper paperwork and permission before the construction of church building and torn down the cross.
05/08/2014 China (ChinaAid) 浙江杭州、乐清等地本周继续有教堂十字架遭当局拆除,有些教堂的十字架被遮盖。周三一天之内,全省至少三个教堂的十字架被拆。信徒们欲哭无泪。据当地消息人士称,当局目前虽强拆十字架,但有内部文件显示,接下来将取缔家庭聚会点。
浙江各地强拆教堂及十字架的行动正在紧锣密鼓的进行。继本周一之后,周二及周三(5月7日),当局连续拆除乐清及杭州等地教堂的十字架,有的十字架被遮盖“蒙面”。
本周二下午4点30分,位于乐清市雁荡镇的白溪基督教堂十字架被拆除。信徒称,政府是在事先没任何通知的情况下,突然来人强拆。而白溪教堂是在各种证件审批齐全下动工兴建,包括这次被折的十字架当时也经过审批同意,并且根据官方要求,将十字架的原有尺寸缩小了几十公分。事件引起信徒们的抗议,认为当天是中国政府对基督教历史上又画下耻辱的一笔,当局折掉的不仅仅是基督徒的十字架,而是在折他们自己所定的规章制度,更是在折民心。
同一天,温州平阳桃源天主堂的十字架被“蒙头”。至周三,苍南县的天主教堂和安息日会教堂十字架被拆、海宁的教堂十字架被拆、杭州市乔司礼拜堂的十字架被拆。一位匿名的牧师当天下午告诉记者:“今天杭州的乔司教堂十字架,刚刚被拆掉,大家都在哭啊。根据浙江省的计划,现在第一步拆看得见、在大路旁的十字架,接下来拆看不见的十字架,起码要整改 ,最后要取缔所有的家庭聚会点,这些都有内部文件,内部已经决定”。
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