The Chinese government issued a notice declaring that all who are religiously affiliated in the Henan Province must register with the government in Anyang, the northernmost city in the region.
The order declares that Christians, Buddhists, Taoists, and Muslims must register; however, according to a source that spoke to ChinaAid, the communist government is only going after those who identify as Christians.
“In the past two months, the government banned all Catholic churches and (Protestant) house churches, and that didn’t happen to any other religions.”
Over the past several months China has ramped up the amount of censorship, imprisonment, and abuse of Christians which the Christian Journal has documented.
An officer in China, from the Pingyuan Neighborhood Committee, speaking to ChinaAid stated that all who are religiously affiliated are required to register, but she did not believe that the order was a cause for alarm.
“Bring your household registration and ID card to register,” she said. “Fill out a form, fill in your name, birth date, address, religious background, when you converted, the religious background of your family members, etc.”
Historically, when a government has required a specific ideology, gender, or race to register the intent was malicious. For example, in 1937 and 1938 the German Jews were required to register their property which in turn disallowed them from earning a living.
Furthermore, “In August 1938, German authorities decreed that by January 1, 1939, Jewish men and women bearing first names of “non-Jewish” origin had to add “Israel” and “Sara,” respectively, to their given names. All Jews were obliged to carry identity cards that indicated their Jewish heritage, and, in the autumn of 1938, all Jewish passports were stamped with an identifying letter ’J.'”
The Chinese government has displayed actions that starkly remind citizens of a China under Mao Zedong.
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