A church in China displayed books authored by Chinese Communist Party leaders Xi Jinping and Mao Zedong in place of works such as the Bible, according to reports.
The bookstore of Sha Mian Tang Church in the city of Guangzhou displayed several copies of Mao’s “Little Red Book” and Xi’s “Governance of China.” The ” bookstore, however, did not display any collections of gospel books,” a ChinaAid report notes.
Yu Jie, a Chinese American author, posted a picture of the storefront with the text: “The gospel bookstore of Guangzhou Christian Church—Shamian Church, displayed a large number of Xi Jinping’s books. Seeing this kind of photo on Sunday morning really shocked me.”
The incident follows reports the Chinese Communist Party is ordering church leaders to learn about the works of Xi and the history of the Chinese Communist Party:
“According to reports, the Party’s Administration for Religious Affairs organized Christians to study The Governance of China. Jiangsu Nantong Christian Church had organized church pastors/leaders to learn information in this book. Each of those who participated in the study needed to speak about their own learning experience. The report stated: “Everyone unanimously agrees to run Nantong’s Church well. It is imperative to learn General Secretary Xi Jinping’s speeches.” The Zhongshan Ethnic and Religious Bureau of Guangdong Province also organized for those in the religious sector to study The Governance of China and insisted that they host workshops/seminars on Sinicization of religion in China.”
