Source: OMF International Global Chinese Ministries, July-August, 2014
Over the last two decades the church in China has experienced a gradual lessening of persecution and some stability in their freedom to worship and evangelize, with some exceptions.
However, events that became headline international news in April and May show that the situation for Christians – even those meeting under the supposedly safe auspices of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement and China Christian Council – is still precarious. Large-scale persecution in China can still be unleashed without warning, with no rule of law to protect the believers.
The government has recently made it clear that it is happy to stress a return to traditional Chinese values based on Confucianism and Buddhism. Western culture and universal human rights are negated and, by implication, so is Protestant Christianity, which is wrongly stigmatized as Western, or even American. Thankfully, there are many in the Party who see Christians as a positive force in society who should be mobilized to help address the many challenges China faces. However, growing nationalism can be mobilized to create prejudice against Christians. At this point it is not clear which of these two conflicting currents will ultimately win out.
» Another story about struggles over national identity and religion: Hindus Pressure Police to Arrest 40 Christians in Nepal (Barnabas Aid).