As part of their curricula, the young are taught at schools that believing in God is abnormal; teachers encourage them to report on their religious relatives.
Since the adoption of the new Regulations on Religious Affairs last year, which, among other things, prohibit children from attending places of worship, schools around China have adopted unprecedented measures to keep students away from the matters of faith. The grooming of atheists starts at an early age – from kindergartens and primary schools.
The policy has resulted in predicaments for many families: children are taught to oppose their religious relatives, they suffer great psychological stress out of fear that their parents or loved ones could be arrested because they go to church. Families share their experiences with Bitter Winter.