In the latest crackdown against Christianity, China is asking medical professionals and teachers in Eastern part of  Zhejiang province to sign a letter pledging to not hold any religious beliefs. In recent months Beijing has aimed to clamp down Christians, especially those of house churches to narrow their space for religious activities.

The move came after the recent visit of investigators from central government in Beijing to Wenzhou city, a place where Christianity flourishes and known as “China’s Jerusalem.”

According to Radio Free Asia, medical staff at the Yueqing Maternal and Child Health Hospital were recently issued a letter requesting “medical staff must discover, stop, and report violations of laws and discipline with regard to religion to police or administrative departments in a timely manner, including their family members, children, relatives, friends and neighbors.”

Wenzhou’s Ouhai district states that teachers mustn’t hold any religious beliefs, and particularly that they mustn’t proselytize in schools in a recent meeting.

The same letter also warns medical staff who participate or organize religious activities within the hospital could be fired. Those who wear religious symbols or clothing could face the same fate if they don’t change after warning.

A Christian familiar with the issue said, “now all the schools are requiring teachers not to follow any religion, because there is an investigation team from the central government in Zhejiang from mid-September to around Oct. 10. They will probably carry out incognito visits to schools to see if this is happening,” he added.

In recent months Beijing has aimed to clamp down Christians, especially those of house churches to narrow their space for religious activities. Some house churches in Henan, Guangdong, Jiangxi, Beijing, and Fujian have been harassed or shut down. Many have called this the worst persecution against Church since Mao’s era.

Source:   www.persecution.org