BEIJING — China is rolling out new rules on religious activity on the internet amid an ongoing crackdown on churches, mosques and other institutions by the officially atheist Communist Party. Anyone wishing to provide religious instruction or similar services online must apply by name and be judged morally fit and politically reliable, according to draft regulations posted online late Monday by the State Administration for Religious Affairs. The campaign is part of a drive to “Sinicize” religion by demanding loyalty to the officially atheist Communist Party and leader Xi Jinping. Observers call it the most severe crackdown since religious freedom was written into the Chinese constitution in 1982. Chinese law requires religious believers to worship only in congregations registered with the authorities and bans most religious observance in private homes.

Source: National Post September 11, 2018 06:03 UTC