Controlling Belief: China’s Goal

In the years since the Tiananmen Square crackdown, the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has sought to extend its control into matters of religion and belief. Controlling behavior has expanded to controlling belief and faith. The government wants to align religious beliefs with their version of socialism. Although the CCP has always attempted to control religion, especially those they consider having non-Chinese backgrounds, the current restrictions are more ideological, focused on the realm of beliefs and values. The rhetoric is about preserving Chinese culture and improving social stability. The reality is destabilizing.

Controlling Belief in the Digital Age

President Xi Jinping has warned that the Party could lose its handle on power unless it masters digital media. So, in January, China introduced the “Study the Great Nation” smartphone app promoting President Xi and the CCP. Some call it a high-tech equivalent to Mao’s Little Red Book. The CCP ordered thousands of officials to ensure the app is downloaded and used by as many citizens as possible. Use of the app is compulsory for Communist Party members.

Cadres can earn points by reading articles about “socialism with Chinese characteristics,” making comments, watching short videos and documentaries, and participating in tests about Party policies. Although the app includes censored versions of current events, there is no mention of the increasing religious persecution.

Schools shame students with low app scores; government offices hold study sessions and force workers who fall behind to write self-criticisms. Many employers require employees to submit daily screenshots of their point totals. Individuals who fail to score enough points will find their social credit score lowered. The Party is serious about controlling the hearts and minds of the people.

A person in Hong Kong recently messaged a friend on the mainland about the gospel when he was suddenly blocked, accused of “spreading malicious rumors.” When he tried to restart the app, he received a text that for “safety reasons,” he needed to allow a face scan and a voice recording. In addition, he can no longer access his bank account in China. The messaging app, at the direction of the government, has blocked multiple individuals. Any form of digital communication is susceptible to government monitoring, increasing the difficulty and danger in sharing the gospel.

From Controlling Poverty to Controlling Belief

Last week we considered some forces that drove protestors in the spring of 1989 to disrupt the government’s hoped-for social stability. Rising food prices and economic disparity led to frustration and a demand for change. Since then, the gap has lessened but not disappeared. Despite China’s unprecedented economic growth since the 80s, more than 30 million people still live below the poverty line. The Tianamen Square protestors’ complaints are still relevant. 

President Xi promises to end poverty by 2020. His campaign is making it possible for the Party to consolidate control over the impoverished rural population. Officials have demanded thousands of Christian villagers remove their displays of Jesus, crosses, and Scripture passages, and replace them with portraits of President Xi. Some Party members blame people’s financial woes on their faith. They want residents to look to their leaders for assistance rather than to their Savior. Some Christians reported their receipt of economic aid depended upon their agreement to change their pictures.

President Xi and the CCP have a long-held goal of controlling belief systems, of extending government control over faith communities. They are currently detaining over one million Muslims in re-education camps, which they call “vocational training centers.” In 2018, they started a five-year plan to Sinicize Catholicism, Protestantism, Islam, Buddhism, and Taoism. The intention is to make all religions more Chinese (as defined by the government). They want to reconcile religious doctrine with Chinese socialist values.

What Is Sinicization?

Political Context

First, there is a political context. Sinicizing Christianity/controlling belief is part of the Party’s broader effort to control all aspects of Chinese society. In the West, governments see religious activities as a regular part of civil society. But the CCP increasingly views them as a threat to political stability. The Christian emphasis on human rights, justice, and worship of a god other than the Party makes the government nervous. 

Rhetorical Context

Second, there is a rhetorical context. In China, there’s often a gap between rhetoric and reality. Implementation of official pronouncements isn’t always immediate. Nevertheless, evidence exists that some local officials are translating the rhetoric into reality. They’ve removed crosses from 1700 churches and installed cameras in churches. They’ve hung pictures of President Xi and former Chairman Mao in sanctuaries. Furthermore, they’ve replaced posters of the Ten Commandments with lists of socialist values. In 2018, China banned online Bible sales and removed them from many state-sanctioned Three-Self churches. Party officials also forbid anyone under 18 from attending religious meetings. Chinese religious leaders see the current crackdown as the most severe since the 50s and 60s.

Historical Context

Third, there is a historical context. Since its earliest encounters with the West, China has tried to free religious practices from foreign influence. Conforming religion to socialism, i.e., controlling belief, has always been a goal because of China’s fear of Western ideas and values. e.g., democracy and human rights.

Theological Context

Fourth, there is a theological context. Not content to manage behavior, the CCP also wants to engage in thought reform. They plan to use the Bible as a tool to teach socialism. In other words, Christian theology must change so it conforms to the Chinese version of socialism. To accomplish this goal, the government plans to retranslate the Old Testament, incorporating Buddhist and Confucian teachings. Furthermore, they intend to write new commentaries on the New Testament. As Jackson Wu said, “Sinicized Christianity is not Christianity.”

Controlling Belief: the Church’s Response

The new regulations apply both to the Three-Self churches and unregistered house churches. But house churches prompt the most apprehension since they’ve been outside government control. In addition, their membership is much larger than the Three-Self churches. The Party sees the church/state relationship as a competition between two kingdoms. Separation of church and state is a foreign concept in China; the CCP views politics and religion as one. So, controlling belief is necessary to continue the Party’s authoritarian rule. In other words, the government sees the church as competition for people’s ultimate loyalty. Church members, however, believe they can be both faithful Christians and loyal citizens of the state (see Romans 13:1-8).

The government has limited resources to enforce the new regulations. So, pastors of two large house churches are trying to protect smaller churches by drawing attention to their congregations. They’re willing to endure persecution as representative churches so that “through his stripes, we are healed.” Once again, we can see the collectivist (and biblical) idea of one suffering for the group. 

One of those pastors, Wang Yi of Early Rain Covenant Church, is now in jail. He’s charged with “inciting subversion,” a crime that carries a penalty of up to 15 years in prison. He expects the current persecution to purify the church and provide opportunities to reduce the authorities’ fear of his faith.

Conclusion

The CCP doesn’t intend to eradicate Christianity. Instead, they intend to domesticate it, forcing the church to do the bidding of the Party. One pastor expressed his conviction that the greatest threat to the church isn’t persecution but materialism, pluralism, and moral relativism. He accuses some Christians of referring to the Bible in their conversations but not reading it. Do we in the Western church face the same threats and fall into the same traps? Are we guilty of twisting God’s Word to support our opinions?