Christian Persecution: Communist China Bans Baptisms and Forcibly Removes ‘Last Supper’ Artwork

Christians in China face increased persecution as the Communist nation increases its grip on a citizens constitutional right to practice religion. The President of China, Xi Jinping has personally voiced his distaste for Christianity and such is leading to the imprisonment of Christians and the destruction of Churches.

Just last Spring, China announced its plans to create a Christianity that is communist compliant with the objective is to put country before God and the president before Jesus Christ.

In a rather totalitarian move, China has banned Christians from all Church activities in the Central Henan Province and other parts of the country, signaling an uptick in Christian persecution in the country.

The Henan province is home to roughly ninety-five million people, according to a survey in 2012 approximately six percent of them identify as Protestant which amounts to roughly five million Christians.

 Chinese authorities recently issued a decree banning all forms of Christian gatherings and began placing believers under house arrest for partaking in Church activities.

According to ChinaAid, a non-governmental Christian nonprofit that focuses on Human Rights Abuses, Chinese authorities have also issued the removal of couplet door decorations that use Christian language. – Read More

As a result, Christians in China are being barred from baptisms and Christian art, such as images of the Last Supper, are being removed from homes and houses of worship.

Along with the art, pastors and churchgoers are also being swept away into “re-education” internment camps, often not being released for years and or allowed to talk to their families.

According to interviews conducted by the Associated Press hundreds of churches have been closed, not including the forty-seven that were shuttered just last week.

In China, the Christian population is about four percent or roughly fifty-four million persons. All of whom are recognizing the signs that a possible second cultural revolution could be underway in the Communist Nation.

“Chinese leaders have always been suspicious of the political challenge or threat that Christianity poses to the Communist regime,” said Xi Lian, a scholar of Christianity in China at Duke University. “Under Xi, this fear of Western infiltration has intensified and gained a prominence that we haven’t seen for a long time.”

The persecution has forced many Chinese Christians to flee to the West in recent years according to ChinaAid. One of the refugees stated that Chinese authorities warned her that her children might have trouble getting an education in China.

Furthermore, she stated that members of their church in China were barred from being baptized, and even a simple Christmas service was interrupted.

Christians in China have long held their faith even against the likes of the former communist leader Mao. However, Chinese president Xi Jinping is using digital analytics to forcibly track the movements of Christians and other citizens making the Christian resistance tough to accomplish.

Pray for the Christians in China!