The Blaze – July 20, 2020
The communist Chinese government is ordering some Christians to take down religious symbols, including crosses, crucifixes, and images of Jesus Christ, and to replace them with communist leaders, according to a new report.
The startling report of religious oppression was reported in Bitter Winter, a religious liberty magazine.
“All impoverished households in the town were told to display Mao Zedong images,” said a local pastor to Bitter Winter.
“The government is trying to eliminate our belief and wants to become God instead of Jesus,” he added.
The order was made in April when communist party officials visited believers’ homes in the city of Linfen, located in the northern province of Shanxi.
The officials said that those who were receiving financial assistance from the government would have to take down their religious symbols and replace them with portraits of Chairman Mao and President Xi Jinping. If they refused to do so, they could face the loss of their welfare benefits.
One villager recounted that officials tore down the Christian images in his home and replaced them with a portrait of Mao Zedong.