Looks like China is cracking down harder on non-government Christian house churches. These house churches have been going on for decades and China has never been able to squelch it. God is doing a big work in China and this is just more proof:

FOX NEWS – Christians and human rights advocates are alarmed over an aggressive crackdown on house churches in China, where the faithful are forced to call their gatherings “patriotic” assemblies or sent to prison where they can face torture, according to a new report.

Cases of the government persecuting Christians rose 42 percent last year, amid a three-phase plan by Beijing to eradicate the home-based churches, according to China Aid, a Texas-based human rights group. Experts say the Communist Party in China has long felt threatened by any movement that galvanizes a large sector of the population, fearing it could wield political clout. But the nation has become more systematically hostile to worshippers, according to Bob Fu, China Aid founder and president.

“There have been new tactics of persecution as well, especially with the government using secret directives and memos with long-term, step-by-step strategies to eradicate house churches,” Fu told FoxNews.com. “This is very serious stuff.”

Last year, the government mounted a new three-phase approach designed to wipe out unregistered house churches by forcing them to join the official “Three-Self Patriotic Movement” and stop defining themselves as churches. The phase included having China’s State Administration for Religious Affairs secretly investigate house churches and create files on them, the report found. The current wave of crackdowns, which began midway through 2012, is part of the second phase, according to Fu.

Fu said the government is using a wide array of subtle and ham-handed tactics to persecute Christians, targeting house church leaders and churches in urban areas.

“Instead of using law enforcement officials directly to attack churches, last year we found they used a softer approach,” he said. “They used utility companies, service committees and neighborhood committees to terminate contracts with rental facilities and cut off electricity and water [to the churches].”

Those semi-official agencies, including industrial and commercial affairs departments, used various excuses to “harass, interfere and ban” church services.

“In most cases, they did not take anyone into custody, or detain or sentence, and even if a person was in custody, he was quickly released,” the report found. “The unrelenting persecution of Shouwang Church in the past nearly two years has been conducted in this manner. For example, landlords were pressured to terminate lease agreements with church members, church members who had purchased real estate were unable to take possession of them, church leaders were placed under house arrest and church members were evicted — all of which was done to make it impossible for the house church to operate normally so that it would eventually disband.”

At least 132 cases of persecution affecting 4,919 Christians, including 442 church leaders, were reported last year, up from 93 cases and 4,322 Christians in 2011, respectively. The number of people detained (1,441) and sentenced (9) also increased from the year earlier, the report found.

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24 comments
Watchman74
Watchman74

Governments have tried for two thousand years to stamp out Christianity and failed.

1endtimes2020
1endtimes2020

It's very, very difficult to stamp out the Creator of the Universe, especially by little pea brains.

Laurel
Laurel

The last thing the Chinese government needs is actual morality within their society. If they had it they wouldn't be able to justify the constant and continual hacking and theft of intellectual property of this country among other things.

1endtimes2020
1endtimes2020

Your comment is timely. I just saw 'The Source" with Ezra Levant on Sunnewsnetwork.ca/, regarding China's cyber attacks on Canadian business.

The concern is the Chinese can stop oil from flowing in a pipeline.

How can governments trade with people like that? Our glorious leaders seem to think they're developing a huge market in China, but the Chinese want their market for their own products, and to sell to us without competition at the same time. They think there are more ways than one to invade a country. We should be charging import tariffs of 200% to help pay for the deficit they caused us by illegally devaluating their currency, and send them a bill for the money we spent defending them against the Japanese during WW2. Two trillion would be a start.

Donald Trump had suggested a tariff of 25%, but 250% would be appropriate since they want to destroy our economy. A high tariff would destroy theirs, since they rely on America to dump their cheap every day, basic products that we could resume manufacturing here again under "Made in USA".

Am I angry? YEEEEESSSS

Laurel
Laurel

They are also constantly and continually hacking not only our government computers but private business computers in America and I would venture around the world.

And it's American business' like Apple that continue to fund it. I cringe every time Rush promotes Apple. It would be one thing if China were on the up and up and they were just employing people in an over populated country but it isn't that simple by any stretch.

We are funding out own demise through our markets and tax code.

1endtimes2020
1endtimes2020

Maddening as hell, isn't it. Thanks for posting. What I dislike the most is what you said, "We are funding our own demise......."

OneThinDime
OneThinDime

Reminds me of that fantastic new citizen that spoke of Tiananmen Square and how they would have been safer if armed....more persecution

bjohnson55
bjohnson55

What do you think now Jeff Immelt? China is so much better than the US because they stick to a 5 year plan better than the US at the expense of freedom like the freedom to worship. But that really does not matter to a crony capitalist like you and your enabler Obama. Hey I have a great idea, lets give China Most Favored Nation status and they will clean up their abuse of civil rights in that country. Oopps already did that, hows that workin out for ya? Do you give a crap?

Ray
Ray

Of course, because who would want a group of people with morals such as: give your boss what he is paying you to do, people that do not lie, people that seek someone else's rights before theirs. Yeah, can't tolerate people like that.

Wolfie
Wolfie

[edit] deleted and moved to the open thread - where I though I was posting this to originally... :-)

Conniption Fitz
Conniption Fitz

Christianity is the most persecuted religion world-wide.

Kordane
Kordane

Alternative headline: Communists don't like competition.

TIMERUNNER
TIMERUNNER

Always very sad to hear about the perscution of Christian where ever it takes place.

But I have a question I wonder if the Chinese Governement allows their universities to hold the same classes as many of our universities? The one class I have in mind, It's call SEX WEEK, Washington University Medical School in St Louis and others Universities across the nation are bringing in porn stars to teach the students...?..Porn? What! My question is who is the Pron industry paying in order to get access to the school and the classroom?

Mom & Dads, Question, Do you know what is going on in the University classrooms, or dorms or animal house?

No carreer jobs left on the market, so maybe the school administration who sanctioned this class at a cost of "$10,350 mandatory students fees" is just tring to help obama out with the unemployment numbers.

clashdaily has a good report on this and I heard Mr Rush Limbaugh talking about this one day this week on his radio program.

sjmom
sjmom

The Word of God is eternal and will not be stopped by anyone, anywhere at any time and you'd think by now Satan and his cohorts in the world would have realized this, but his followers just like him are fools and as stupid as they come.

Jesus said in Mark 13: 31 (NKJV) "Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will by no means pass away."

May God protect our Chinese brothers and sisters.

Rshill7
Rshill7

"But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites and worked them ruthlessly. (Exodus 1:12-13 NIV)

Sober_Thinking
Sober_Thinking

Pray for these people in China, Nigeria, Egypt and everywhere else. Persecution is ramping up more and more and NOW is the time to fight it through God's power.

It's sad and unbelieveable that persecution is going on here also... starting from the WH.

TIMERUNNER
TIMERUNNER

We pray for our Christian families and for the peace of Jerusalem alway's.

VictoriaV
VictoriaV

Don't forget to pray for our prez too. I know he's not your cup o' tea but God made him & loves him too and wants none to perish. If we all took the time to pray for him, well, imagine the possibilities. God has changed harder hearts.

TIMERUNNER
TIMERUNNER

President Obama has many people from many religions in many counturies praying for him, let's add our prayers to their prayers that the heart of President Obama will be open to hearing and receiveing the spirit of GOD Jehovah and Jesus Christ, and their spirit in and of America, Freedom And Liberty, that is one of many prayers along with respecting his position knowing he is elected and accountable for his actions while holding the office as president. The Oath of office matters regardless of the office one is sworn to hold.

I love tea and coffee is treat, but most of all I love my fellow Americans having their freedom and liberty just as President George Washington and the other founders defended.

Tea Party Patriot

Wolfie
Wolfie

All that you read above... That's NObama's dream of his Real Father... Lucifer! He would bring this to the USA if he could... He might even try and do so... First he has to manufacture the "assassination attempt" that of course will fail so that he can impose a form of "martial law" upon this nation and - of course - suspend presidential elections - thus keeping him in "power" for life... Yeah, it sounds like the plot to a crappy novel... and I hope it stays that way... but still, with NObama... I was going to write "we'll never know"... But I guess we will soon know... I am so hoping I'm wrong! But I fear I might be right... God Help Us!

sjmom
sjmom

Keep the faith my friend. God is not finished with us yet. :)