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Post by M. Hawbaker on Oct 26, 2019 14:48:56 GMT
A Chinese church was fined this year the equivalent of $1,400 in U.S. for having a copy of the Bible in a different language, according to a religious watchdog. The congregation, Fengyang Road Three-Self Great Church in the northeastern province of Liaoning, is a member of the officially recognized Three-Self network of Protestant churches that face severe restrictions. In April, Chinese Communist Party officials found copies of South Korean Bibles in the church’s possession – an illegal action that sparked a fine of $10,000 RMB (about $1,400 USD), according to Bitter Winter, which monitors religious freedom in the country.
The fine was part of the Communist Party’s effort to “eradicate pornography and illegal publications” – and the latest example of the party’s crackdown on Christianity.
“Many believers have reported that the Three-Self churches to which they belong have been subjected to sudden inspections by the government,” Bitter Winter reported. “All newspapers, hymnbooks, gospel leaflets, and especially Bibles that weren’t published and printed by the state were confiscated and even burned.”
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Post by scott on Oct 26, 2019 17:04:21 GMT
What makes it the wrong version? That is, is the Chinese version altered/censored in some way? I know that the Chinese communists do not allow sermons touching on the return of Jesus.
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Post by M. Hawbaker on Oct 26, 2019 17:16:27 GMT
What makes it the wrong version? That is, is the Chinese version altered/censored in some way? Yes, the only version of the Bible that is officially approved in China is a Government sanctioned version that is heavily edited to promote communism and Buddhist philosophy.
And Bibles in China can only be legally purchased from the Government's official "Three Self" church which is one of only two legal christian denominations in China, the other one being a watered down version of the Catholic church that answers to the Chinese government rather than to the Pope. |
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Post by M. Hawbaker on Oct 26, 2019 18:06:44 GMT
An older article about the official Chinese Bible:
China May 'Rewrite' Bible to Include Buddhist Teachings, Infuse Worship Songs with 'Chinese Elements' To better control the growth and influence of Christianity, the Chinese government plans to incorporate Buddhist scripture and Confucian teachings into the Bible and edit worship songs to include Chinese characteristics, the head of a persecution watchdog has revealed. The Rev. Bob Fu, founder of the persecution watchdog organization China Aid, told Congress that the Three Self Patriotic Movement and the Chinese Christian Council (China's state-sanctioned Protestant bodies) have developed a five-year plan on "promoting the Sinicization of Christianity," The Christian Post reports. The plan, finalized at a meeting this March, proposes "cultivating and implementing the socialist core values" and will be supervised by the national religious affairs bureau. "Every province, autonomous region and municipality's TSPM and CCC seminaries and churches will cooperate with it," according to Fu. To "sinicize" (bring under Chinese control) Christianity, the government plans to "retranslate" the Old Testament and provide new commentary to the New Testament, Fu revealed. "The plan made it clear that 'Sinicization of Christianity' means to change 'Christianity in China' into 'Chinese Christianity,'" he explained. [The plan] emphasized that 'the heart and soul of Christianity's Sinicization is to Sincize the Christian theology,' and even proposing to 're-translate the Bible or re-write biblical commentaries.'" www.gospelherald.com/articles/71865/20181003/china-rewrite-bible-include-buddhist-teachings-infuse-worship-songs-chinese.htm |
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