Authorities Demand “Church-Free Zones” Near Schools [China]

Bitter Winter ^ | 1/10/19 | Feng Gang

[marshmallow]

Regulations to “protect” minors from religion reach a new level of absurdity, as churches near schools are forced to close, asked to share lists of youth members.

The Chinese government has declared schools to be church-free zones and is taking steps to enforce its will. Bitter Winter obtained a copy of a document entitled Implementation Plan on the Special Governance of Private Christian Gathering Sites, which was issued by the Bureau of Ethnic and Religious Affairs of a city in the northern Shanxi Province. The document calls for the “centralized remediation” of religious meeting venues near colleges and universities (remediation being a euphemism for removing the unwanted churches).

Another document, entitled Key Tasks of Phase Three and Division of Labor of Units Directly Under the County Government, issued by the Religious Affairs Bureau of a county in the central Henan Province, stipulates: “All private Christian gathering sites around universities and colleges, as well as on-campus activity sites, are to be shut down in accordance with the law. Criticism and (re)education of participating teachers and students is to be carried out by the school authorities.”

In addition to the private churches mentioned above, the government-approved Three-Self Church has also faced closures due to proximity to schools. Bitter Winter obtained a copy of a “responsibility statement” for shutting down a religious meeting place. The document, issued by the authorities of a county in Henan, states: “This meeting place is an approved site, but because it was too close to a school” it was closed down in August 2018. Government officials responsible for this matter have promised that “there will be no reversal of the decision in the future.”

[Sasparilla]

Isaiah 5:20

Woe to those who call evil good, and good evil;
Who put darkness for light, and light for darkness;
Who put bitter for sweet, and sweet for bitter

[Wilhelm Tell]

You can be sure the Democrats are taking notes.

[ebb tide]

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