Speaking of expensive Christmas gatherings, one took place in the unlikely location of Huang Zhang Liang village in Lushan county, Henan. It was, admittedly, a large gathering for the village. One Niu Guobao gathered more than forty Christians, including twenty children, to pray and sing hymns.
Little did Niu realize that he was committing a number of crimes at the same time, and the penalty will be huge. The police raided the home and told Niu that, first of all, he had organized an illegal religious gathering under Article 71 of the Regulation of Religious Affairs. They suspected he had not been authorized by any Three-Self church but, even if he had, Christmas gatherings this year were submitted to ten or more different levels of authorizations, which Niu did not obtain....
Larry Pan | 7/4/2009
