China forces Christians on app to have “authorization” of worship

2023-06-29 21:42:54

Christians living in China are having to submit to yet another control mechanism invented by the Chinese Communist Party, the CCP. Now, all members of state-registered churches will have to register in an application in order to be authorized to worship.

The tool is not required for churches that are considered “underground”. That is, that they do not submit to the rigid control of the communist dictatorship, and continue as independent denominations, which is why they are already targets of persecution.

Now, even Christians from supposedly legalized churches will have to pass through this filter of government inspection, following what appears to be an attempt to expand the social credit system used by the Communist Party since 2014, when it began to be tested.

In China, the Chinese are evaluated through facial/digital recognition, registration data and even information on the internet. If the behavior is considered politically appropriate, they receive a good social score, but otherwise, if the score is low, they are targets of social restrictions, such as being prevented from having good jobs and even traveling, according to the Poder360.

Apparently, the idea of ​​forcing Christians to register in a state application to gain access to services is just another step in this escalation of communist authoritarianism, of agreement with information from JM Notícias.

full surveillance

The organization Open Doors, which monitors religious persecution in several countries around the world, including China, lists the country in 16th place among the nations that most persecute followers of Jesus.

“Tightening restrictions and increased surveillance are putting Christians in China under intense pressure as the Communist Party seeks to limit all threats to power,” it says.

“Surveillance in China is among the most oppressive and sophisticated in the world, and Christian leaders are particularly vulnerable to persecution, including imprisonment or, in a small number of cases, kidnapping,” alert to Open Doors.