On Holy Saturday, China's communist government, deep in talks with the Vatican on a deal to appoint bishops, issued a ban on internet sales of the Bible. Four days later, it issued its first white paper on religious freedom in 21 years, only a week after hauling Bishop Vincent Guo Xijin of Mindong away from his diocese for a few days during Holy Week.
The New American had this to say in its April 8, 2018, article entitled Cracking Down on Christianity, China Bans Online Bible Sales, quoted in part without hyperlinks [2]:
China is one of the largest producers of Bibles in the world, but its communist leaders don't want their own citizens to have access to the life-changing truths of Scripture. In early April China's government announced a ban on online sales of Bible, part of its efforts to tighten central control over religious expression across the nation.
The New York Times reported that following the announced ban, “Internet searches for the Bible came up empty on leading online Chinese retailers, such as JD.com, Taobao, and Amazon, although some retailers offered analyses of the Bible or illustrated storybooks.”
The move comes as the Chinese government is trying to halt the influence of Christianity among its citizens. “Among China’s major religions — which include Buddhism, Taoism, Islam and folk beliefs — Christianity is the only one whose major holy text cannot be sold through normal commercial channels,” reported the Times. “The Bible is printed in China but legally available only at church bookstores.”
However, the explosion in recent years of online stores has offered easy access to Chinese residents who wanted Bibles. China's oppressive regime is now plugging that loophole in an effort to limit the influence of Christianity while promoting Buddhism, Taoism, and other folk religions as part of President Xi Jinping’s campaign to promote China's native religious traditions.
It is interesting to note that there are Chinese in China who are buying the Bible through online retailers in a country that is largely non-Christian. What is not known is how well it had been selling. It would be surprising to have the government of China institute such a ban if just a handful copies of the Bible were being sold each month, considering that the population in China is about 1.4 billion [3].
In contrast to the west, where freedom of religion reigns, Amazon.com's best seller list of books in 2017 did not list the Bible, nor was it on the 2016 list and not yet on the 2018 list [4]. This is probably not a good indication that nobody is buying the Bible since many homes already have a Bible, but whether it is being shared and read by all the members within a family is not certain.
With secularization gaining momentum in the west, why authorities in China need to be concerned about Chinese citizens buying the Bible is a mystery.
If it is God's intention to have a growing presence in China, then there is really nothing that can be done to thwart it. Is it not human nature that the more something is forbidden, the more curious it becomes and the more intensely it is craved?
What this blogger likes to find out is the real motivation behind this ban on the spread of Christianity "while ... Buddhism, Taoism, and other folk religions [are being promoted]." [5] Is it because Christian leaders have failed to deliver the essence of Christianity which is to do good without any of its actions being driven by power, politics and money and as a result, Christian churches have become more like non-governmental secular organizations with one salient difference which is that the churches just happen to have tremendous influence over their followers in the name of God? Or is it because this pope has failed to conform to the precise teachings of Christ at all times and favoring ambiguity instead? [6]
In the blogger's opinion, it is unlikely that the Chinese fear pure goodness that comes from the heart and morality that strengthens the family unit both of which are within the realm of true Catholicity, and it is likely that the Chinese fear that Christianity has become a Trojan Horse that is working to "democratize" China in the name of God, then later reducing God to nothingness through secularization.
[1] https://www.ucanews.com/news/china-bans-online-bible-sales-religious-blueprint-released/81976
[2] https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/28691-cracking-down-on-christianity-china-bans-online-bible-sales
[3] http://www.worldometers.info/world-population/china-population/
[4] https://www.amazon.com/gp/bestsellers/2017/books
[5] https://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/28691-cracking-down-on-christianity-china-bans-online-bible-sales
[6] See Michael W. Chapman's post dated April 10, 2018, entitled Pope's Confusing Teaching Rejected, Cardinals Issue Declaration on Marriage at
https://www.cnsnews.com/blog/michael-w-chapman/popes-confusing-teaching-rejected-cardinals-issue-declaration-marriage
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