WorldNewsDaily: There have a number of times around the United States in recent years that the 10 Commandments have been ordered to be taken down.
Like in the judicial building in the state of Alabama. And sometimes in schools.
Wouldn’t want those children reading something like “Thou shalt not steal.” Who knows, they might remember it and follow it.
Actually, under the law in most cases, the biblical injunctions are considered part of the history of the nation and can be posted as long as there are other historical documents or sayings posted with them.
Now, however, another government has ordered the 10 Commandments taken down.
According to a report from the worldwide Christian ministry to persecuted church members, Barnabas Aid, China’s authorities have said they have to come down.
And they’ll be replaced with quotations from President Xi.
The report said the move already is taking effect for churches in China’s central province of Henan.
“Every state-registered ‘three-self’ church and meeting venue in one county of Luoyang, a prefecture-level city, received an order to remove the ten biblical commandments from display as part of the authorities’ on-going campaign to ‘sinicise’ (make Chinese) Christianity,” the report said.
“Some churches that refused to obey have been shut down and other congregations have been told their members will be ‘blacklisted,’ meaning the travel, education and employment options of Christians will be restricted by the authorities,” the report continued.
The ministry, which is at work in more than 60 nations around the globe, mostly where Christianity is marginalized or persecuted, said a pastor from a state-registered church told the Bitter Winter publication the replacement is a copy of excerpts from Xi Jinping’s speeches.
The churches also have faced orders to replace their crosses with the Chinese flag and [to install] surveillance cameras to spy on members.
China’s efforts to exorcise “God” from society haven’t stopped with actions against churches, although in one extreme case “authorities ordered a registered church in Dongcun village, Henan province to erase the First Commandment, ‘You shall have no other gods before me,’ from the Ten Commandments on display in front of the pulpit, saying it was ‘national policy.'”
The country also has ordered the words “Bible, “God” and “Christ” removed from classic novels such as Robinson Crusoe.
Our Comment:
China is ready to implement religious oppression in more severe ways. As religious liberties are restricted around the world, it will become easier to implement such restrictions in free countries, the foremost of which is the USA.
Prophetic Link:
“The dignitaries of church and state will unite to bribe, persuade, or compel all classes to honor the Sunday. The lack of divine authority will be supplied by oppressive enactments. Political corruption is destroying love of justice and regard for truth; and even in free America, rulers and legislators, in order to secure public favor, will yield to the popular demand for a law enforcing Sunday observance. Liberty of conscience, which has cost so great a sacrifice, will no longer be respected. In the soon-coming conflict we shall see exemplified the prophet’s words: ‘The dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.’” Great Controversy, page 592.
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