Topic: Christians form human shield around threatened church in 'China's Jerusalem'

[LadyVirginia]

Saw this a few days ago.

Christians have flocked to defend a church in eastern China after Communist Party officials claimed it was an "illegal construction" and announced plans to demolish it

resistance has been organised with almost military precision. A makeshift kitchen behind the altar provides rice, pork and fried liver with leeks for those occupying the church while women hand out bottles of water and satsumas at the entrance.

By day, Christians from around the province crowd the church's steps, with undercover security agents mingling among them, snapping photos and eavesdropping. By night, hundreds of worshippers take it in turns to keep watch, grabbing a few hours of sleep on cramped wooden pews between shifts.

The dispute over Sanjiang has highlighted the ongoing difficulties facing China's fast growing Christian community. In 1949, when the Communist Party took over, it boasted around one million members. Today, there are thought to be more Chinese Christians than Communist Party members, with up to 100 million mainland believers, according to some estimates.

[Dan]

Wow! 100 million! Wonder how well they'd do if they flexed their muscle.

[Libertas]

Commies...there isn't a religion they can coexist with...wish those COEXIST bumpersticker morons here would go over there, heck, China would have to be Nirvana for them.  Oops, my bad, I used a religious word to describe their rapturous joy.  Crap, I did it again!

Whatever.  Illegal construction.  Pah!  Sounds like code words for "not enough Yuan in apparatchik fists" to me!  Commies are all the same, scratch them hard enough and a crony capitalist is hiding in there!  And those forced contributions won't end with construction, they go on for perpetuity!

Wouldn't be surprised if our clowns back here start using that euphemism...illegal construction...   

[AlanS]

A woman who introduced herself as a representative of the local government rejected claims the Communist Party was persecuting local Christians.

"They can believe. This is free. We can't control them," said the woman, who gave her name as Zhang Biyao.

Ms Zhang said the church had been illegally built and was structurally unsound. The government wanted to protect "people's safety," she claimed.

Sanjiang's congregation was unconvinced.

I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

[Libertas]

A woman who introduced herself as a representative of the local government rejected claims the Communist Party was persecuting local Christians.

"They can believe. This is free. We can't control them," said the woman, who gave her name as Zhang Biyao.

Ms Zhang said the church had been illegally built and was structurally unsound. The government wanted to protect "people's safety," she claimed.

Sanjiang's congregation was unconvinced.

I'm from the government and I'm here to help.

Aye, they probably had 99.9% of Reagan censored...too bad, he nailed it!