Police detain Chinese Christians for possessing of Bibles

Three Christians in Guangdong were arrested by local police on May 30 for having religious materials in their possession.

The three are members of Zhongfu Tongxin Church. Two of them were reportedly picked up from their workplace, and the other one was taken while at home. Later, one of them was released, but the other two, who had a Bible, were not.

Abuses like this are not uncommon to the church members, who have experienced persecution from the local authorities since 2015. Church members believe the reason for such treatment is their refusal to join the Three-Self Patriotic Movement.

When they said they did not want to be a part of the government-sanctioned church last year, authorities sealed the church building's door and forbade them from holding worship services, as doing so would be "conducting illegal religious activities."

A church leader attempted to discuss the matter with the religious affairs bureau chief. She then went to meet with city officials in Guangzhou, forcing the local authorities to open the church door. However, they pressured the building's owner to end the church's contract to the facility.

Government authorities use various methods to harass Christian churches, such as forcing them to join the government-sanctioned church, according to Guo Baosheng, who pastors a Chinese church in the U.S.

Baosheng said some pastors attended the National Work Conference on Religions, during which officials talked about the house churches in China where Christians set up "private meeting places," China Aid reported.

"Xi Jinping and other religious officials all believe that private Christian meeting places need to be strictly regulated, [and that churches that join] the Three-Self Church and accept government management should bring other churches into [the Three-Self Church]," Baosheng said.

According to Open Doors, disruption of church meetings, which authorities perceive as threats, in China is one of the common ways that churches are persecuted. Church meetings involving foreigners or the media particularly catch the attention of authorities.

The government tries to control all religions in its goal to maintain power, Open Doors said.