In China, they’re closing churches, jailing pastors – and even rewriting scripture
It's not that I trust the Guardian, but here's the part of the article I wanted to emphasize.
Early Rain is the latest victim of what Chinese Christians and rights activists say is the worst crackdown on religion since the country’s Cultural Revolution, when Mao Zedong’s government vowed to eradicate religion.
Researchers say the current drive, fuelled by government unease over the growing number of Christians and their potential links to the west, is aimed not so much at destroying Christianity but bringing it to heel.
“The government has orchestrated a campaign to ‘sinicise’ Christianity, to turn Christianity into a fully domesticated religion that would do the bidding of the party,” said Lian Xi, a professor at Duke University in North Carolina, who focuses on Christianity in modern China.
Over the past year, local governments have shut hundreds of unofficial congregations or “house churches” that operate outside the government-approved church network, including Early Rain. A statement signed by 500 house church leaders in November says authorities have removed crosses from buildings, forced churches to hang the Chinese flag and sing patriotic songs, and bar minors from attending.
I would argue that the Chinese Christians are as culturally "Chinese" as any other. It's not about their culture; it's about their perceived or potential threat to the political system. It's no different from the alleged destruction of the Shaolin Temple. If it happened, it wasn't because they were Buddhists or not Chinese.
More importantly, if one thinks that it's either assimilate or be destroyed, then does one think the Chinese are right in making Christians conform? Well, were the Nazis right in demanding that Jews conform --which, of course, was ludicrous. Then again, like the Chinese and others, the German Nazis were simply identifying an enemy behind which they could consolidate their political power by creating the myth of a unified "folk." Fortunately, it meant that the best and brightest (Jewish) Germans fled to countries where they were accepted --and could be assimilated (?).
But, back to Christian persecution, if it's okay there, should we complain about it anywhere? I recall a few years ago, that exceptions would be made for Christians refugees from the Middle East. Don't get me wrong. I agree with letting them in, just not because they're Christians.