In Depth:  Bitter Winter

Schoolchildren in China are being taught that believing in God is abnormal and teachers are encouraging them to report their religious relatives to the authorities, it was reported in July.

New regulations, which were adopted last year, prohibit children from attending places of worship and so Chinese schools are taking unprecedented measures to keep students away from the matters of faith. Children are now taught to oppose their religious relatives and they suffer great psychological stress out of fear that their parents or loved ones could be arrested because they go to church. Families have shared their experiences with Bitter Winter, a religious liberty and human-rights magazine. A Christian woman’s son who attends primary school found a leaflet about Christianity at home. The boy said that his teacher had told him Christianity is a xie jiao, a religious movement that is considered to be hostile against the government. He said: ‘If you believe in it, you will leave home and not take care of me. You might set yourself on fire, too’.