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China Tells Youths: Go To School To Learn Science, Stop Going To Church

A man prays during Christmas mass at a Catholic church in Beijing on December 24, 2009. China officially allows freedom of religion, but in practice, the ruling Communist Party restricts independent worship by forcing groups to register with the government. About 15 million Protestants and five million Catholics worship at official churches, according to official data. AFP PHOTO/LIU Jin (Photo credit should read LIU JIN/AFP/Getty Images)
A man prays during Christmas mass at a Catholic church in Beijing on December 24, 2009. Photo credit: LIU JIN/AFP/Getty Images)

The Chinese Government has stopped youths attending churches in the country but rather asked them to go to school to study science and other subjects.

. The government also directed the youths as a matter of state policy, to stop attending religious sermons and other related activities across China. This is in a bid to tighten their grip on religious activities.

The country’s President, Xi Jinping, had, last year, said that young people must study science, believe in science and develop a ‘correct’ worldview and set of values.

“It could be that the government is concerned that young people going to church or religious activities may challenge their monopoly on truth and the government’s ability to instill its own historical narratives and worldview through the public education system‎.”

A researcher for Amnesty International, William Nee, who spoke to MailOnline UK, said, “At this point it’s unclear how widespread the ban on children attending church services are in China, but these alarming reports seem to be coming in from fairly diverse areas throughout the country.”

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Nee said that the move reflects the tightening control of religion in “particular Islam and Christianity under the present administration” in the Asian country.[myad]