Several provincial governments in China have been trampling on the religious freedom of Christians, going so far as to rip crosses off of churches and burn them, CBS News reports.

In one drastic case, an entire church was torn down after government officials cited alleged building code violations.

CBS News correspondent Seth Doane says the struggle to maintain the freedom to worship has been playing out for nearly two years.

China Aid, a Washington-based non-profit Christian human rights group, has been tabulating the increasing number of anti-Christian incidents.

For example, Doane reports, the government in Zhejiang Province has removed and sometimes burned crosses from as many as 2,000 churches there.

Pastors have also been jailed. In Beijing, the lead pastor of Shouwang Church is currently under house arrest since last August on charges of "endangering state security" and "gathering a crowd to disturb public order," China Aid says.

China's ruling Communist Party is atheist, but allows "approved" religions to operate, a rule that seemingly includes Christianity.

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