In a move that has the Foreign Office reaching for its strongest chamomile and a stiff upper lip, China has once again decided that religious freedom is just a suggestion, not a rule. Reports flood in from the underground: pastors vanished, congregations scattered, and Bibles presumably used as doorstops in some forgotten ministry building. The Foreign Office, never one to miss an opportunity for a strongly worded statement, has condemned this 'religious persecution' with the ferocity of a man gently tapping a gavel.
They are, as ever, 'deeply concerned'. I imagine they have a stamp for that. The truth is, this is not a new development.
China has been playing this particular game of ecclesiastical whack-a-mole for years. The only surprise is that the West continues to express shock, as if expecting a different outcome. Perhaps they think the Chinese government will suddenly develop a fondness for hymn singing and vicarage teas.
The irony is thick enough to spread on a scone. We demand religious freedom for all, yet we sell them iPhones and buy their plastic Christmas trees. The real persecution might be the cognitive dissonance.
But never mind. The Foreign Office has spoken. Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming of outrage and inaction.
