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Continued harassment for Christians during coronavirus outbreak

by Karen Faulkner, Worthy News Correspondent

(Worthy News) – Christians in China have reported ongoing harassment from government authorities during the coronavirus crisis. China is ranked as one of the world’s worst countries in the persecution of Christians, according to the Open Doors USA’s World Watch List.

In reporting the harassment, the Christian Post gave the example of Chinese Christian Ruan Haonan, a former chef from Hashen city, Guangdong province. Speaking to persecution watchdog China Aid, Haonan had said the harassment began in 2017 when communist authorities declared that the Fengle Church he attended is a “cult” and detained him for a month. Since then, Haonan has found it extremely difficult to find and retain work.

Referring to the attitude of the authorities to Christians, Haonan reported: “Every year, the local police station calls us to question us, berates us, and asks me not to preach the Gospel. Hotels and restaurants generally reject me if I look for positions there, saying that I have a criminal record. I have to work for eateries, and the salary is 30% lower than big restaurants, so it is hard to raise a family.” The coronavirus has now made things worse for him as many eateries have been closed.

A separate incident related to the Fengle church was reported by Religious liberty magazine Bitter Winter: in this case, Li Wanhua, a pastor at the church, was detained in February for reposting photos and messages about Li Wenliang, the doctor who was reportedly silenced by the authorities for trying to warn people about the coronavirus.

China Aid has reported numerous other recent incidents of harassment of Christians during the global outbreak, including the case of the Xiangbaishu Church that was demolished in Yixing city, Jiangsu province on March 11.

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