Religion In China Continues To Draw Attention

Religious freedom, or the lack of it, in China continues to make the news. The Christian Post yesterday reports on the mass arrest last Friday of 270 unregistered "house church" pastors who were gathering for a meeting in Shandong province. As of yesterday morning, 70 remained in jail. Today's USA Today reports on China's secret detention of Christian bookstore owner Shi Weihan who has refused to register his "house church". Meanwhile Earth Times today reports on the rapid growth of Buddhism in China. It says that the Chinese government has supported Buddhism and state-sanctioned temples in part to counteract the influence of the banned Falun Gong movement. Some critics say that large Buddhist Temples spend too much time promoting tourism and other non-religious activities.