China continues to persecute Christian pastors for their public displays of faith.
A Taiwanese pastor was detained in China for the crime of singing “Jesus Loves You.” Christians in China have continued to face increased persecution for various displays of Christian faith.
According to The Christian Post, this latest incident occurred in Zhengzhou, Henan. Officials in the province have reportedly included singing “Jesus Loves You” in their list of “illegal religious activities.”
Pastor Xu Rongzhang was reportedly detained after he led a group of Christians in singing the popular Christian song. Although Xu was released later the same day he was detained, his identification documents and travel permit was not returned to him until two days later.
Xu was never given an explanation why singing “Jesus Loves You” was deemed illegal.
Xu’s situation has been becoming increasingly common for Christians in China. Many have been arrested or worse. Back in February, five Christians were sentenced to three to seven years in prison on the charge that they purchased and sold “forbidden Christian devotional books.”
Several ministries that monitor persecution worldwide have warned that Christians in China are facing increased threats from the government. China’s President Xi Jinping has reportedly been cracking down on Christians for the past few years. Many prominent human rights lawyers and pastors have been imprisoned and some have even been killed.