Chinese worshippers sing hymns during the Christmas Eve mass in Beijing
In
what will come across as a really stunning development, all Chinese
children have been banned from attending church services.
In a bid to tighten their grip on religious activities in the
country, authorities in China have banned children from attending
churches, MailOnline reports.
The new directive also prohibits them from attending religious sermons and other related activities across the country.
Control on the country’s churches began several years ago when
places of worship were ordered to remove crosses from their buildings in
Zhejiang Province.
William Nee, researcher for Amnesty International told MailOnline: “At
this point it’s unclear how widespread the ban on children attending
church services are in China, but these alarming reports seem to be
coming in from fairly diverse areas throughout the country.”
Speaking further, Nee said that the move reflects the tightening
control of religion in particular Islam and Christianity under the
present administration in the Asian country.
He said: “In an important speech on religion last year, the
President, Xi Jinping, said that young people must study science,
believe in science and develop a ‘correct’ worldview and set of values.
“It could be that the government is concerned that young people
going to church or religious activities may challenge their monopoly on
truth and the government’s ability to instill its own historical
narratives and worldview through the public education system.”
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