Christian cross

== Controversies ==
In 2014, the [[Chinese Communist Party]], which espouses a doctrine of [[state atheism]], began a program of removing exterior crosses from church buildings "for reasons of safety and beauty."<ref>Kate Tracy, [https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2014/may/china-lifts-high-cross-right-off-dozens-churches-zhejiang.html China Lifts High the Cross (Right Off Dozens of Churches)], christianitytoday.com, USA, May 30, 2014</ref><ref>Tom Phillips, [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2015/jul/29/china-crusade-remove-crosses-from-churches-safety-concerns China's crusade to remove crosses from churches 'is for safety concerns'], theguardian.com, UK, 29 July 2015</ref> In 2016, 1,500 crosses were removed.<ref>Morgan Lee, [https://www.christianitytoday.com/news/2016/february/pastor-china-largest-church-jailed-crosses-gu-yuese-chongyi.html Pastor of China's Largest Church Jailed for Protesting Removal of 1,500 Crosses], christianitytoday.com, USA, February 2, 2016</ref> In 2020, this campaign resumed, justified by the fact that some crosses were higher than the Chinese national flag.<ref>Caleb Parke, [https://www.foxnews.com/world/china-coronavirus-church-cross-officials-update Chinese officials remove crosses from churches amid coronavirus for being 'higher than the national flag'], foxnews.com, USA, April 15, 2020</ref>