Christianity CRACKDOWN: Chinese officials RIP DOWN images of Jesus

Beijing has taken harsh measures to stop the spread of Christianity, even banning children from attending church services.

China has banned Bibles as well as public displays of the cross, with plans to stop its 1.38 billion residents from practising the faith.

Digital versions of the Bible are no longer available in China, and only an official approved version by the government church is available for residents to read.

This comes after President Xi declared Christianity as “Western infiltration”, insisting Western ideologies that post a threat to the country’s Communist regimen.

The strict regulations are mainly imposed in China’s Xinjiang province, with officials deeming the region as “not Chinese enough”.

The Communist Party has implemented its ideologies into the country’s churches, and declared all church teachings in China must be inline with the party’s stance.

The government must also approve all church leaders before they are granted permission to lead services.

This comes after President Xi announced plans to eradicate “differences” between Chinese communities across the country, and that “Chinese characteristics” must be practised in the country.

He insisted residents must be loyal to the Communist Party and uphold traditional Chinese beliefs and traditions.

In April, China’s religious affairs department published an article stating all churches in country must follow the Communist Party’s rules so that they are “Sinicized” (made more Chinese). 

The article said: “Only Sinicized churches can obtain God’s love.”

As part of China’s “Principle for Promoting Chinese Christianity in China for the Next Five Years (2018-2022)” plan, officials plan to implement “Sincization” across all parts of the country.

Images of Jesus have been wiped out across the region, and replaced with photos of President Xi.

Qi Yan, a member of the township party committee said: “Through our thought reform, they’ve voluntarily done it.

“The move is aimed at Christian families in poverty, and we educated them to believe in science and not in superstition, making them believe in the party.”

One Beijing pastor refuted these claims, saying: “A lot of our flock are terrified by the pressure that the government is putting on them.

“It’s painful to think that in our own country’s capital, we must pay so dearly just to practice our faith.”

Many opposing Christian worshippers have now continued their congregations in secret, for fear the Communist Party will take action against them.

President Xi said in 2016: “We must resolutely guard against overseas infiltrations via religious means.”

Xi Lian, a scholar of Christianity in China at Duke University said: “Chinese leaders have always been suspicious of the political challenge or threat that Christianity poses to the Communist regimen.

“Under Xi, this fear of Western infiltration has intensified and gained a prominence that we haven’t seen for a long time.”