The Chinese Communist Party has escalated its vicious war on Christianity, detaining nine more believers from underground Protestant churches in what experts are calling the latest phase of Beijing's systematic campaign to crush religious freedom.
Six members of the influential Early Rain Covenant Church were among those seized by Chinese police this week, according to reports circulating on social media. The Senate Foreign Relations Committee expressed outrage over the detentions, with the committee stating on Twitter: "I'm deeply disturbed by news that China has detained more believers of the Early Rain Convenant Church. Beijing must cease its attacks on Christianity and immediately release detained Christians including Pastor Wang Yi, who languishes in prison just because he dared to practice."
This brutal crackdown exposes the naive fantasy that Western diplomats have peddled for decades - that somehow "engagement" with the Chinese regime would lead to reform and respect for human rights. Instead, we're witnessing the exact opposite: an emboldened Communist Party that grows more authoritarian by the day.
Underground Churches Under Siege
The raid represents just the latest wave in what observers describe as "large-scale detentions of unregistered Christians as Beijing steps up scrutiny of churches operating" outside state control, according to @spotlightoncn's reporting on the crackdowns.
Pastor Wang Yi, mentioned by the Senate committee, remains imprisoned simply for practicing his faith - a stark reminder of what happens when totalitarian regimes go unchecked. These aren't isolated incidents but part of a coordinated assault on any religious expression that doesn't bow to Communist Party authority.
"The raid follows waves of large-scale detentions of unregistered Christians as Beijing steps up scrutiny of churches operating" outside government control.
While Americans celebrate religious liberty as a fundamental right, Chinese Christians risk everything just to worship freely. This should serve as a wake-up call to anyone who still believes the Chinese Communist Party can be trusted or reformed through diplomatic niceties.
How long will the international community continue turning a blind eye to Beijing's systematic persecution of people whose only "crime" is practicing their faith?