Chinese President Xi says government must guard against religious influences
April 25, 2016
Chinese President Xi Jinping has said that government officials should resist "foreign" religious influences.
"We must resolutely guard against overseas infiltations via religious means and prevent ideological infringement by extermists," the Chinese persident told Communist Party leaders. He insisted that religious organizations must be controlled by the Communist party.
Since China is officially an atheistic country, any religious influences could be described as "foreign." But the Beijing government has been especially insistent that the Catholic Church must be subject to the leadership of the government-backed Patriotic Association.
The Chinese government leadership has launched a new offensive against religious organizations-- in part because of fears of Muslim fundamentalism, and in part because of the rapid growth of Christianity. If Christian churches continue to grow at current rates, China will have the world's largest Christian population within 35 years.
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Posted by: Randal Mandock -
Apr. 26, 2016 12:26 PM ET USA
What Xi Jinping says openly in communist China is generally said here only on college campuses and behind closed doors in political gatherings. In today's U.S. we Catholics are _the_ extremists, the most extreme of the extreme. Recount our sins: we are prolife, pro family, pro law of Moses, pro elderly, pro prisoners, pro bringing those in poverty to a position where they can take care of themselves, pro the peace of Christ which surpasses all understanding, pro honest government, pro repentance
