Inside China's Secret Churches: How Christians Practice Their Faith Under An Atheist Government

[rug]

The Huffington Post | By Antonia Blumberg
Posted: 10/16/2014 1:08 pm EDT
Updated: 10/17/2014 3:59 pm EDT

The atheist Chinese Communist Party has placed a number of restrictions on Christians and other religious groups in the country, forcing some to practice their faith in underground churches.

The government officially bans discrimination based on religion, but only recognized five official faiths: Buddhism, Taoism, Islam, Catholicism and Protestantism. In April thousands of Christians in Wenzhou, China formed a human shield to protect their church, Jerusalem of the East, which the government had threatened to demolish.

Unable to find state-sanctioned churches in which to worship, some Christians have initiated underground churches in private homes and other sites, which Purdue University Professor Fenggang Yang refers to as the “grey” or “black” religious marketplace. A 2011 Pew study estimated there more than 65 million Christians inside China, and Yang estimated that it would soon become the largest Christian country in the world.

For now, underground churches are where many Christians in China worship. These photos offer a rare glimpse at what their worship looks like:



A Chinese Christian pastor leads prayers during a service at an underground independent Protestant Church on October 12, 2014 in Beijing, China. China, an officially atheist country, places a number of restrictions on Christians and allows legal practice of the faith only at state-approved churches. The policy has driven an increasing number of Christians and Christian converts 'underground' to secret congregations in private homes and other venues. While the size of the religious community is difficult to measure, studies estimate there more than 65 million Christians inside China with studies supporting the possibility it could become the most Christian nation in the world within a decade. (Kevin Frayer / Getty Images)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/10/16/china-secret-churches_n_5997532.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_atheism

[cbayer]

1. I wonder how they define Protestantism

I could be wrong, but I thought that pretty much included every christian group that wasn't catholic. All of the images say they are from an "underground protestant church".

Confusing.

[rug]

2. "New-Christianity"

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protestantism_in_China

[cbayer]

3. I still find it really confusing.

So it looks like they have defined some "mainline" protestantism as ok and are not accepting other varieties.

[rug]

4. There are only a handful of religions, of any tradition, that are recognized and legal in the PRC.

The state is more interested in the religion's adherence to its license than it is in theological niceties.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/State_Administration_for_Religious_Affairs

[cbayer]

5. Thanks for that.

This is an area that I know little about so I appreciate the chance to learn about it.