In the Eastern Province of Henan, China, the government authorized raids on schools and churches has seen the forced removal of religious symbols from unapproved religious locations.

China officials claim that the crackdown isn’t targeted at legally registered locations where Christians may freely express their religion but rather informal and unauthorized locations such as churches made in or outside houses, or crosses and religious texts in schools.

Churches being left with broken walls and furniture

In one case, a church-run kindergarten in Anyang city was shut down and the children were forced to find another education facility due to its activities being deemed illegal under the laws imposed on religious groups by the government. In Anyang, anyone of the Christian faith has been told they must register in a bid to possibly hold more control over the group.

China Christianity

Pictures have been released on social media of the carnage Chinese authorities in Henan have wreaked on these unapproved locations, with some being left with broken ceilings, walls, and furniture. A Chinese man called Guo built a church on his property and attracted a gathering to worship with him. The congregation was disrupted by local police officers who disbanded the group and ordered all of the religious items to be removed.

Acting under the new Regulations for Religious Affairs laws that came into effect in February this year, Christians in Henan have been hit with even tighter restrictions on their religious expression and freedom. It is said to be a part of President Xi Jinping’s plan to inject Chinese Communist ideas into the five recognized religions in the country.

Posters of the cross and Christ switched with pictures of President Xi

In Jiangxi province in 2017, Christians were told that even posters of the cross and Christ inside their own homes should be switched with pictures of President Xi. Another kindergarten, this time in the country's capital, Beijing, was raided by as many as 40 authorities, quite a large number for tackling an early childcare facility.

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Beatitudes Public Kindergarten was run by the nearby Aijiabei Church. Teachers at the school reported that they were not allowed to go inside as their school was stripped of equipment and furniture. The raiders would not answer the parents when asked who they were and who sent them. Pastor Joseph Cui revealed that he was detained by police and that the Chinese government has asked for the church to be removed by their landlord.

The country is currently ruled by the Communist Party of China (CPC). Despite the increasing restrictions placed on religion in the atheist run country, Christianity is its fastest growing religion with more than 60 million Christians and rising by 7% each year.