China

In this brief update from ChinaAid, it appears that Zhu Yufu, a Christian dissident and activist, is suffering from serious health concerns in prison even as prison authorities tighten restrictions on him. Zhu Yufu was sentenced to 7 years imprisonment last year after posting a poem online deemed "subversive" by the Communist government. 

Across China house churches and Christians continue to face harassment for their faith and unwillingness to join government controlled churches. Below, ChinaAid provides updates on some of the most prominent cases. These cases are simply the tip of the iceberg and do not touch on the extent of persecution t

Mr. Peng Ming, a Christian and political activist, has been behind bars in China since 2004 after being kidnapped by Chinese agents in Burma. ChinaAid, a rights group working on obtaining Ming's release, says that his health has been failing and the Chinese government has blocked medical care for Ming with the intention of allowing him to die in prison. It is not uncommon to find Christians among some of the most active human rights and political campaigners in China. Many speak out for the rights of religious and political minorities at great risk to their personal safety and freedom.

In a somewhat rare occurrence local Chinese officials have agreed to review an order forcing a house church in the far Northwest of China to shut down. The church was raided mid-service back in March and three Christians were detained by police and interrogated intensely for almost a full day before being released. Police attempted to coerce the three Christians into signing pledges that they would no longer hold religious gatherings with anyone outside their family but the Christians refused. The local government later ordered the house church to stop conducting "illegal religious activities" but will now consider reviewing this order. 

The most recent annual report by the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom once again points out that China continues to "severely" violate freedom of thought, conscience, and belief. The report contradicts the impression often given by official media and the Chinese government that it's citizens enjoy great civil liberties and religious freedom. Unfortunately many in the West have little idea just how difficult it can be to share religious beliefs, including the Gospel message, in China without facing government scrutiny and harassment. 

Church leaders in China have told the Wall Street Journal that they are watching the case of Chen Guangcheng, a blind legal activist who escaped China last year, closely as a gauge for how far the Communist Party is willing to go when cracking down on the family of "dissidents." Many millions of Chinese Christians continue to worship in unofficial, and therefore illegal, house churches around the country. Raids on these churches and questioning of believers by police still occur with some frequency. 

Zhao Changqing was arrested late last week by police in Beijing for apparently "attending an illegal meeting." Zhao is a long time political activist and a Christian. It is not uncommon to find Christian's in China who are also pro-democracy activists. In an interview last year with the wife of Gao Zhisheng, another imprisoned Christian and human rights attorney, she told ICC how his Christian faith had motivated him to take up the cause of the repressed. Those who do speak up on behalf of democratic reform or the rights of minorities in China are often targeted for arrest, harassment, and imprisonment. 

Despite the widely held view that China is now free and open to the preaching of the Gospel, seven Christian church leaders were sentenced this month to prison terms ranging from three to seven and a half years on charges of participating in a cult. Chinese authorities in many parts of the country continue to raid services of unregistered, and therefore illegal, house churches. Believers who attend these churches are always at risk of facing interrogation by police and even imprisonment, as the recent sentencing in Henan Province shows. 

Although there is little information in this report to confirm just how much the church in Northeast China recently demolished by authorities was being used by Christians, the story is an example of the level of control the Chinese government maintains over the officially endorsed "Three-Self" Church. At least two believers were dragged out of the church compound before the demolition occurred. 

Zhu Yufu, a Christian and a long time pro-democracy activist in China, may be nearing death. Suffering from health issues and harsh treatment in China's prison system, Zhu Yufu's family is very concerned that he may die if not released soon. Human rights groups like ChinaAid have taken up his cause on Capitol Hill and are calling for his release. 

Christian dissident Zhu Yufu has long faced persecution for advocating on behalf of democratic change in China. Now at least one advocacy group has taken his case to Capitol Hill in an effort to rescue Zhu Yufu from his 7 year prison sentence for writing a poem calling for greater freedoms in China. 

Pope Francis has in recent days focused on the current plight of Christians across the world, who he says are suffering "more martyrs than during the first centuries." ICC agrees that modern times have seen an escalation in persecution of Christians around the world unprecedented in history. 

As a part of a country-wide effort to control and suppress the growth of unregistered and therefore illegal house churches, local officials in one Chinese province are launching a large investigation into "privately established religious meeting sites." This would obviously include Christian house churches in the province, 100 of which have already received registration paperwork. How many churches may be shut down or Christians arrested as a result of this investigation remains to be seen.  

Many house churches across China have experienced tremendous pressure as local government authorities use various tactics to shut them down. House churches are technically illegal in China, and while authorities often tolerate their existence church members are at risk of being arrested or harassed at any time. Yet millions of Christians in China continue to attend these churches, not trusting the government backed "Three-Self" church.

The following article is a first hand report by Radio Free Asia, translated and re-posted by ChinaAid. The articles details multiple recent cases of house churches in at least four provinces of China facing pressure and harassment by government authorities. These incidents come as a major disappointment to organizations and church leaders hoping the recent once in a decade leadership transition would lead to more lenient policies on religious freedom. 

In yet another raid Chinese police have shut down a small house church and ordered the structure used by church members as a meeting place to be demolished. The raid took place in the far western region of Xinjiang were Chinese authorities are known for cracking down on religious groups, including Muslims and Christians. The incident, which took place in early March, is another example of China's intent to control as much as possible the spread of Christianity.

This brief news flash provided by ChinaAid is yet another example of the wide leeway Chinese authorities have in arbitrarily shutting down unregistered places of worship. It is also an example of the tactics Chinese authorities use to pressure house church Christians while attempting to appear uninvolved. 

Despite the perception that Christians are able to freely practice their faith today in China, tight controls on the expression of religious beliefs remain in place. Earlier this month two Christian women were arrested and detained for 10 days after distributing Gospel tracts in the far Northwestern province of Xinjiang. The two have hired a human rights lawyer to defend their case. 

Early this year ChinaAid, a human rights organization that focuses on assisting persecuted Christians in China as well as other human rights issues, released its annual report detailing a marked increase in the persecution of Christians across China. This report went in the face of conventional wisdom that persecution has decreased considerably in China. Thanks to the controversy created  ChinaAid has provided a detailed explanation breaking down the conclusions of the report and the implications for China's rapidly expanding Christian population. This explanation is re-printed in part below. 

Local Chinese officials regularly raid house church gatherings across the country, often citing crimes against the state or accusing Christians of belonging to illegal cults, before confiscating property and interrogating the members. There is little Christian house church members can do to stop these raids or obtain confiscated belongings as house church meetings remain technically illegal in the worlds largest country. 

China's new president, Xi Jinping, has been officially installed as the nations new president and chairman of the military. This article details the new changes in leadership as well as promised "reforms" to China's labor camp system, which could be good news for Christians. In the past, China has sentenced house church pastors and Christian leaders to up to three years imprisonment in a labor camp without trial. Many believe that China has moved past persecuting Christians. Although conditions have improved greatly from even ten years ago, regular instances of persecution still occur with alarming frequency. 

The following is an excerpt from the weekly announcement of the Beijing Shouwang Church. The Shouwang church has been attempting to hold services outdoors for more than a year after being forcibly evicted from the building purchased by the congregation. Every week members of the church bravely head towards the meeting place and every week several are detained or led away by police.

It is not uncommon in China to see Christians leading the way in campaigning on behalf of human rights and religious freedom issues. In this case a Chinese Christian who helped nearly 200 senior workers in 2010 claim missing benefits for work done decades ago has been arrested in what appears to be an act of revenge by the local government. Often those Christians who have the courage to vocally stand up for civic liberties are targeted with the harshest forms of persecution.

In yet another attempt to remove references to God completely from the public sphere, an atheist group us suing the U.S. Treasury Department to remove 'In God We Trust' from the face of paper bills and coins. The atheist group says the motto forces non-religious persons to make a statement of faith whenever using the currency. Three previous attempts to remove the motto have been struck down.