New Delhi: In the Chinese version of neo-communism, religion is not merely the opium of the masses, it could be also suitably used as a tool to spread the tentacles of President Xi Jinping.
According to reports, the Chinese officials have ordered pastors of the leading state-controlled Protestant Church body to study and preach the speech of President Xi Jinping delivered on July 1 on the occasion of the 100th founding anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
At a recent conference, the state-appointed heads of the Christian groups said they ‘expect’ pastors of the churches to make President Xi’s speech a principal topic of study and preach the content of the speech in their sermons and refer and discuss it as a matter of discussion for Bible study groups.
The directives were announced during the meet of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, the state-controlled body of the Protestant Church in mainland China, and the China Christian Council.
“Pastors and Three-Self church bureaucrats also received some practical guidance on what parts of Xi Jinping’s “historical” speech should be emphasized”.
Addressing the conference, Chairman Wu Wei of China Christian Council, asked the pastors to insist on the fact that “the Chinese Communist Party has never changed its original intention to put the people first, establish an extensive patriotic united front, unite the citizens’ hearts, gather strength, and continue to explore and innovate, a magazine ‘Bitter Winter’ reported.
The theme of the July 8 conference was “Learning and Implementing the Spirit of General Secretary Xi Jinping’s Speech of July 1”.
It was led by Xu Xiaohong, chairman of the Three-Self Patriotic Movement, and Wu Wei, chairman of the China Christian Council.
In his July 1 speech, Xi had said among other things that only socialism can save China, and only socialism with Chinese characteristics can develop China. “We will never allow anyone to bully, oppress or subjugate China. Anyone who dares try to do that will have their heads bashed bloody against the Great Wall of Steel forged by over 1.4 billion Chinese people” Xi had said.
Xu said, Christians should trust the CCP as it has successfully governed the country for more than 70 years and they should join the CCP in telling foreign hostile powers that “the era when the Chinese nation was slaughtered and bullied is gone forever”.
