If China Prevails in Hong Kong, Religious Freedom Could Be the First Right to Disappear

The world is watching while a record number of Hong Kong residents flood the streets protesting encroachment by China into their way of life. While news coverage has rightly focused on Hongkongers’ defense of their civil liberties, the faith community should be particularly troubled about the future of Hong Kong’s religious freedoms. . .

Under an agreement between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Britain, which ruled Hong Kong for 156 years until 1997, the people of Hong Kong were supposed to be able to live freely in their capitalistic society under a “one country, two systems” model until 2047. The Hong Kong protesters see the extradition bill as an attempt by China’s Communist Party to demolish their way of life and discard their freedoms. . .

Religious persecution is rampant in communist China. Pew Research has named it the fifth most oppressive nation on the planet when it comes to restrictive laws and policies on religious freedom. Since the 19th century, religious groups have suffered greatly in China, with as many as 100,000 lives lost during the Boxer Rebellion and scores of Buddhist and Christian practitioners murdered during Mao Zedong’s reign of terror. . .

Christians are a frequent target of the religious police, often being banned from attending church services or imprisoned because of their faith. In 2017, a Christian pastor, her daughter and her toddler grandson were arrested and the two women were detained after singing a religious song in public (not their first run-in with police). Catholic bishops, who are historically only installed by the Vatican, are strictly appointed by Beijing alone.

There are countless reports of Chinese government officials arresting, torturing and physically abusing members, including children, of both registered and unregistered religious groups. Christians are far from the only people suffering under Xi’s crackdown. As many as 3 million Chinese citizens who practice the supposedly state-sanctioned religion of Islam have been transported to “counterterrorism” camps, where they are tortured until they renounce their faith. (Read more from “If China Prevails in Hong Kong, Religious Freedom Could Be the First Right to Disappear” HERE)

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