Attack on Religious Gathering: 200 Chinese Christians Arrested by Authorities

It has been reported that the Chinese public security authorities recently raided a gathering of Christian villagers, arresting approximately 200 believers on charges of joining a church that refuses to follow the state-approved theology.

China guarantees freedom of religion to a certain extent in its constitution. This can be clearly seen in the recent events held by the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, a Protestant church recognized by the authorities. However, anything not recognized by the authorities is considered illegal./Beijing Youth Daily.

According to Beijing sources familiar with religious information within China on the 6th, those arrested are believers from a home church located in Xiaotuan Village, Mudanjiang City, Heilongjiang Province. They are said to be part of the “Sola Fide” (Latin for ‘by faith alone’) network.

China is officially an atheist state. Nevertheless, the constitution guarantees freedom of religion and belief. Firstly, Christians who attend the so-called Three-Self Patriotic Movement are recognized. Also, for Catholics, freedom of religion is guaranteed for believers who attend Chinese churches separate from the Vatican. In other words, any Chinese person can have a religion as long as there is no external interference.

However, if a church or cathedral is under external interference or connected to it, it is considered illegal. Even the believers who attend such places should be prepared to be cracked down on. Depending on the case, they may also face severe punishment. The Christians who were cracked down on this time are suffering such injustice because they are not believers of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement.

In relation to this, a Beijing believer who requested anonymity, Mr. Bae, said, “There are said to be about 100 million believers in the Three-Self Patriotic Movement in China. But they cannot be called true Christians. Real believers are all hiding in underground churches, which are considered illegal,” expressing his regret over the grim reality of being religious in China.

According to sources, the believers in question, known to number around 150, were driven away from the scene, taken away in three large buses and cars by public security officials. Their whereabouts are currently unknown, but it is certain that all of them were arrested and transported to different places. In the worst-case scenario, a significant number of them could be detained, prosecuted, or face punishments.