We know that the fireworks were faked, the little girl singing actually wasn’t and the ethnic minorities on display weren’t – ethnic minorities, that is. The smiles are fake, the ages of the Chinese athletes are fake, the audience is fake, freedom of reporting is fake and the Internet access is fake.

I am half expecting to wake up to the morning headline that the whole thing was computer generated; no such luck, I fear. Instead, we have given one of the most repressive, societies on earth a means of trumpeting forth its sordid and transparently ridiculous propaganda.

Much of the government hatred is directed against Christians:

China’s human rights record is one of the worst in the world, with a system of “re-education through labour” which detains hundreds of thousands each year in work camps without even a court hearing. There are more Christians in prison in China than any other country in the world. The only legal churches are those strictly controlled by the government of China. Those who do not wish to follow government policies on religious practice and beliefs must meet in homes and risk being labeled as “evil cults.” Such a designation can result in closing down the church, confiscation of property, and charges against the leadership, often resulting in torture, imprisonment and death.

When was the last time you heard one of our illustrious Western Anglican bishops express his concern over this? Do they find it Deeply Troubling™, I wonder? We will probably never know.