quote:

ORIGINAL: Wikipedia

The growth of the faith has been particularly significant since the loosening of restrictions on religion by the People's Republic since the 1970s. Religious practices are still often tightly controlled by government authorities. Chinese over age 18 in the PRC are permitted to be involved with officially sanctioned Christian meetings through the "China Christian Council", "Three-Self Patriotic Movement" or the "Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association". Many Chinese Christians also meet in "unregistered" house church meetings. Reports of sporadic persecution against such Christians in Mainland China have caused concern among outside observers.

Since loosening of restrictions on religion after the 1970s, Christianity has grown significantly within the People's Republic. It is still, however, tightly controlled by government authorities. The Three-Self Patriotic Movement and China Christian Council (Protestant) and the Chinese Patriotic Catholic Association, which has disavowed the Pope and is considered schismatic by other Roman Catholics, have affiliations with government and must follow the regulations imposed upon them.

quote:

Elimination of all religious groups has always been the ultimate aim of the Marxist government. In the 1950s the government engineered the infiltration, subversion and control of all organized Christianity. By 1958 this had been achieved through the Three Self Patriotic Movement among Protestants, and the Catholic Patriotic Association among Catholics. During the Cultural Revolution even these puppet structures were banned, and all religious activity forced underground, giving birth to the house church movement. In 1978 restrictions were eased and the TSPM and CPA resurrected as a means of regaining governmental control of the thousands of house churches. This has been only partially successful. The collapse of Communism in Europe is perceived as due to 'religion', so strict controls are maintained over Christian and Muslim organizations and all unregistered activity repressed wherever possible. All figures are estimates.

The Communist Party claims that there are 100 million 'believers' in the five recognized religions (Buddhism, Daoism, Islam, Catholicism and Protestantism) with 85,000 registered meeting places and 300,000 religious personnel. The actual figures are probably double this.

The beliefs of the Chinese and many minorities are a blend of folk religions, Daoism and Buddhism. The Buddhists are of three major strands: Mahayana and Theravada among the Chinese and southern peoples such as the Dai, Zhuang, Manchu, etc., and Lama Buddhism among the Tibetan and Mongolian peoples of the west and north.

Islam is dominant in Xinjiang and Ningxia, and is the major religion of the Hui, Uygur, Kyrgyz, Kazak, Dongxiang, etc.

The severe suppression of the Falun Gong sect in 1999 and onwards has also greatly intensified persecution of the Christian networks outside the TSPM. Persecution Index 3rd in the world.

. . . . . .

Accurate Christian statistics are not available. Those listed here are only indicative of a remarkable work of the Holy Spirit. Various official and house church network leaders have given estimates which are used here. A number of China-watchers have sought to painstakingly piece together the bigger picture from every scrap of evidence available. Estimates of all Christians vary from 30 million to 150 million. Note that some TSPM figures are inclusive of non-TSPM Christians in their areas – hence the doubly affiliated estimate.