A total of 17 “underground” churches in China have signed a petition appealing to China’s lawmakers to provide legal protection of religious freedom.

The petition, delivered on Wednesday by hand to the National People’s Congress, was the first of its kind and the boldest statement by the nation’s “house churches” to the central government, The West Australian reports.

It was addressed to parliamentary chairman Wu Bangguo, and complained of an ongoing nationwide crackdown aimed at shutting down “underground” or “home” churches, AFP reports.

“We have observed the conflict between state and church unfolding recently in our capital Beijing and have so far seen no sign of the conflict being resolved, therefore…we are lodging this petition,” said the document, a copy of which was seen by Reuters.

The petition demanded an investigation into the treatment of the Shouwang church, which has been trying to hold outdoor services for a month since its landlord terminated a rental agreement, which members blamed on official pressure.

Following the church’s call to worship outdoors, Chinese authorities put several of the church’s leaders under house arrest and forbade them to participate in services on Sunday.

It urged the parliament to investigate the constitutionality of the government’s “religious management” policy, which restricts and suppresses religious freedom through “politically-charged” government-run churches, AFP said.

FULL STORY

Chinese churches petition parliament for religious reform (The West Australian/Reuters)

Defiant Christians petition China parliament (The West Australian/AFP)

PHOTO CREDIT

Screenshot from video, The Church in China, uploaded to YouTube