A local government communications agency in China recently organized a seminar aimed at addressing the “enormous harm” Christianity poses to the atheist nation and exploring strategies to curb its growth.
According to China Aid, a watchdog organization focused on Christian persecution, the event titled “Christianity’s Enormous Harm on China’s Security” was held on April 22 in Hebi, a city in China’s Henan province. The seminar was reportedly designed to discourage Communist Party members from embracing Christian ideology and to promote “correct views” on religion.
“The Chinese government often views religions, including Christianity, as foreign attempts to undermine its rule, even though there is no evidential basis for such a claim,” China Aid reported. “As a result, they often try to suppress religious adherents and openly forbid Communist Party members from practicing any religion.”
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The Hebi Municipal Radio Administrative Bureau publicly acknowledged the seminar in a post on its WeChat page, according to UCANews.com. The post explained that the seminar aimed to help party members understand Christianity and prevent “ideological deviations.” However, the message was removed two days after its publication.
Fenggang Yang, a sociology professor at Purdue University’s Center on Religion and Chinese Society, estimated in 2017 that China has between 93 million and 115 million Christians in a population of over 1.3 billion. According to projections cited by the South China Morning Post, China is on track to have the largest Christian population in the world by 2030.
To counter the spread of Christianity, Chinese authorities have taken aggressive measures, including shutting down prominent house churches and arresting Christians and their leaders for worshiping without state approval. The government has also restricted the online sale of Bibles, which are printed in China but legally available only at church bookstores.
Ying Fuk-tsang, director of the divinity school at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, told UCANews.com that the Hebi seminar exemplifies the government’s growing control over ideology through telecommunications and internet networks. Ying noted that China’s Communist Party increasingly employs nonreligious methods to address religious issues, involving multiple departments to enforce social management comprehensively.
“It is no longer a single religious department managing religion,” Ying said. “Instead, it is a joint effort by various departments to oversee all aspects.” He added that President Xi Jinping’s administration has played a significant role in framing religion as a threat to China’s stability.
In response to these actions, the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom listed China as a “country of particular concern” for religious freedom violations in its 2019 annual report. The designation underscores the systematic and oppressive measures China employs against Christians and other religious groups.
During the National Religious Broadcasters convention in April, U.S. Ambassador-at-large for International Religious Freedom Sam Brownback highlighted China’s role as a leading perpetrator of religious persecution. He cited examples such as the destruction of churches and the arrests of pastors and religious followers.
“Unfortunately, the United States is one of the few countries willing to stand up to China,” Brownback said. “We need more allies to challenge them, particularly on issues of human rights and religious persecution.”
Brownback emphasized the critical role of Christian communicators in exposing religious persecution and raising awareness of the challenges faced by Christians globally.
“We need a grassroots uprising saying, ‘No more to religious persecution. No more,'” Brownback urged. “Reporting and storytelling by organizations like yours serve as powerful catalysts for advocacy and change.”
The situation in China remains a stark reminder of the growing challenges faced by Christians and other religious groups. Advocacy and international solidarity are essential in addressing these human rights violations and promoting religious freedom worldwide.
Eric Thompson 
Darnell Thompkins