China’s war with Christianity
by Christopher Rhodes, UnHerd:
There has been a curious development amid the anti-China protests in Hong Kong: many of those on the street have taken up an obscure American Christian hymn, “Sing Hallelujah to the Lord”, as one of their signature protest songs.
As far as political protests go, that’s not necessarily so unusual.
Christian organisations have often been at the centre of protests and demands for citizens’ rights. From the Black Church’s central role in the Civil Rights Movement to Catholic backing of Solidarity against Communist rule in Poland, as well as various Church-led pro-democracy campaigns throughout Latin America and Africa, hymns and prayers are often deployed in political confrontations.
These examples are all taken from areas where the populations are predominantly Christian. Whereas, even though Christianity has been present there since the 1840s, few citizens in Hong Kong claim it as their religion – about 10-12%. And the make-up of the protesters is no different: most of them have likely never stepped foot in a church.
So why the hymns, then?
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