(ChinaAid, Midland, TX) Two days ago, the Administrative Measures of Internet Religious Information went into effect. House church Christians and other religious minorities must now obtain a license to post religious content on the internet or face legal consequences.
Religious content ranges from posting recorded sermons to church social events. Only members of State-sanctioned religions can attain a license to post religious content. Even then, their content is highly monitored regulated by the government.
Since the outbreak of COVID-19, Chinese Christians faced immense persecution from government entities as officials prohibited Christians from meeting physically. Congregants of churches like Early Rain were forced to meet over Zoom or other virtual meeting spaces. However, with these new measures in effect, sharing links to these meetings will become illegal, effectively cutting churches off from themselves completely.
The Chinese Communist Party enforces these regulations with their iron grip on the internet and social media platforms. Not only can they take down posts, like women’s tennis star Peng Shuai, but they closely monitor them. The FBI warned Olympic athletes to leave their personal phones at home due to China’s overwhelming digital presence.
Bob Fu, the Founder and President of ChinaAid, explains digital authorities:
There are millions of online police. They report any suspicious online religious activity. So even a prayer meeting could be detected and sometimes reported, and your home could be raided.
Many Christians like street evangelist Chen Wensheng and attorney Huang Deqi stand boldly against these regulations. Readers can support these efforts by donating at the link below.