In China, religious activities are watched and regulated - but the government's grip on faith is about to get even tighter.
New regulations state that "no less than 30 per cent of class time should be devoted to 'General Education' topics such as socialist ideologies, thoughts, core values, Chinese traditional culture, and others." The new rules apply to seminaries and other religious institutions involved with training and teaching, and went into effect on September 1.
Caleb, a local partner, tells Open Doors: - "This is a signifigant percentage and 'Sinicization' (making things more in line with Chinese thought) is mentioned quite a few times in the regulations."
The new ruling also mandates thorough background checks for foreign lecturers. "The regulations mention candidates should be excluded if they, in the past, have joined any anti-China organization, participated in anti-China activities, expressed publicly anti-China rhetoric and so on," Caleb says. "such an emphasis is something new."
Please pray with believers in China, that they would be able to raise their children in the faith of their choosing.
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Pray for foreign instructors who wish to minister in China, that they will be able to pass the background checks and continue to strengthen the church in China to live out the gospel.
Thanks so much for praying, God bless. From an Open Doors USA text alert.
Ask God to intervene and reduce the tight regulations on religious education in China, so that children and seminarians will not be subject to indoctrination at school
New regulations state that "no less than 30 per cent of class time should be devoted to 'General Education' topics such as socialist ideologies, thoughts, core values, Chinese traditional culture, and others." The new rules apply to seminaries and other religious institutions involved with training and teaching, and went into effect on September 1.
Caleb, a local partner, tells Open Doors: - "This is a signifigant percentage and 'Sinicization' (making things more in line with Chinese thought) is mentioned quite a few times in the regulations."
The new ruling also mandates thorough background checks for foreign lecturers. "The regulations mention candidates should be excluded if they, in the past, have joined any anti-China organization, participated in anti-China activities, expressed publicly anti-China rhetoric and so on," Caleb says. "such an emphasis is something new."
Please pray with believers in China, that they would be able to raise their children in the faith of their choosing.
.
Pray for foreign instructors who wish to minister in China, that they will be able to pass the background checks and continue to strengthen the church in China to live out the gospel.
Thanks so much for praying, God bless. From an Open Doors USA text alert.
Ask God to intervene and reduce the tight regulations on religious education in China, so that children and seminarians will not be subject to indoctrination at school