The Two Faces Of Religious Freedom In China

As Christian believers in the Western world we enjoy the wonderful benefit of religious freedom. How aware are we of the situation in China today? Have we a burden of prayer for that vast nation, with its estimated population of almost one billion?

All religions were officially discouraged from the start of the Communist take-over in 1949. An intense effort was made during the so-called Cultural Revolution (1966-69) to wipe out religion from the life of the Chinese nation. Most places of religious worship were closed and taken over for secular use. Bibles were publicly burned; many Christians were tortured or killed if they did not repudiate their faith.

Following Mao-se Tung's death there was a bitter power struggle among the Chinese communist leadership, and a government emerged which aimed to foster greater national unity as a means of improving economic production and development. They wanted to gain the cooperation of religious people so that they would pull their weight in national economic development. So they stressed their determination to uphold an article in China's constitution guaranteeing "freedom to believe in religion and freedom not to believe in religion

The political leaders themselves, of course, remain rooted in atheistic opposition to all religions. The shift of policy is an expedient to gain more support in China and make a better impression abroad. Their expectation that most would abandon religion after a few years of communist propaganda had not proved true. Millions have clung to their religious faiths, reflecting a longing in the human soul which can never be satisfied by materialistic Marxist philosophy. Witness two sentences from a letter written by a 23-year old worker to a Chinese youth magazine: "Life, is this the mystery you try to reveal? Is the ultimate end nothing but a dead body?" When published, this letter is reported to have drawn 60,000 letters in response!

When churches were closed and public religious activity forbidden believers met secretly in small house groups. They would sing, pray, and study Bible passages painstakingly copied by hand. An estimated five million believers in more than 50,000 such "house churches" are reported to have maintained regular gatherings during the Cultural Revolution. Since government policy towards religion has eased, these groups have further flourished and multiplied.

There are, however, two faces to the government's much published religious freedom. It must be a controlled freedom! As in the Soviet Union, permission to print Bibles, or religious literature, or to open a new church, must be given by the authorities. Several of the larger Christian churches have officially cooperated with the government scheme. An attempt has been made to woo the "house churches" into an affiliation which would bring them official recognition. But the leaders of these long persecuted groups are naturally cautious about any communistic supervision of their spiritual activities. So they are actively pursuing their own course.

The Government has actually undertaken to print a new edition of the Chinese Bible, but this edition would be a drop in the bucket compared with the urgent need of China's millions. So Bible loving believers have organized the distribution of far larger quantities of the Scriptures smuggled into the country. A sensational landing of a million copies struck the headlines in recent months. How far the government will continue to tolerate unapproved religious activity remains to be seen. Perhaps they have learned to respect the genuineness and power of true evangelical faith.

In addition to the spread of the written word, the spoken word is also reaching China by radio. "Early in the spring of 1978", reports Trans World Radio, our Hong Kong staff of six people gathered in the office to thank God because of the first letter to come to us from China ... Last month our present staff of 23 workers again gathered to praise God ... this time for the arrival of more than 2,800 letters from Mainland China in a single month.

Truly our God breaks in pieces the doors of brass, and cuts in sunder the bars of iron!

unknown | Jun 1982
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