Church-State Clash in China Coalesces Around a Toppled Spire

Ian Johnson of The New York Times discusses the recent bulldozing of the Sanjiang Church in Wenzhou, China. While government officials say that the church ran afoul of zoning and permit regulations, members of the congregation argue that the demolition is just the most recent move designed to curb Christianity’s influence in the country. Johnson reports that recently top Community Party officials have publicly supported local religious traditions such as Confucianism and Buddhism, while they may view Christianity as “a colonial vestige at odds with the party’s control of political and social life.”

Read at The New York Times

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