China’s Faith-Friendly Facade: What They Don’t Want You to Know

Earlier this month, Chinese paramilitary police literally dynamited one of the country’s largest evangelical churches, where some 50,000 people went to worship. Golden Lampstand Church in Shanxi province was allegedly disguised as warehouse for years, and has had prior run-ins with the law. Back in 2009, authorities confiscated Bibles from the church and imprisoned several of its leaders.

This time, they wanted to finish the job, and did so by filling the church’s sanctuary with explosives and blowing it sky-high. Images of the building coming down are distressing, but they’re a much more accurate picture of communist China’s attitude toward Christianity.