As part of the crackdown on Christianity and a move to eradicate “illegal publications,” the Chinese authorities have confiscated Bibles from churches in the past few months, Christian Headlines is reporting.
The country’s authorities also threatened to fine the churches found with the Holy Book.
China ranks 23rd among the 50 nations of the world where it is difficult to serve Jesus Christ, according to recent rating by Open Doors USA.
The newspaper reported that the fresh campaign by the Chinese authorities is targeted at illegal underground churches as well as legal Three-Self churches, which got government’s registration.
“If our Bibles are taken away, we have no more. We are thinking of asking our congregation members to hide them in mountains,” a pastor of a Three-Self church in Jiangxi was quoted by Bitter Winter as saying.
No fewer than 10 government officials of government stormed another church in search of “pirated Bibles” whether printed outside the Asian country or printed at illegal printers.
The pastor of the Three-self church told the officials that the church owned only Bibles printed within the country. Despite the explanation, the officials seized and left with 30 Bibles.
Similar raids had occurred in the country as part of the move to “eradicate pornography and illegal publications.”
Christian Headlines reported that officials raided an underground church in Jiangxi province and seized several boxes of Bibles, hymn books and other literature.
They also took away the identity cards of members of the church and threatened them with arrest if they ever met again.
Reports also said some worshippers no longer bring their Bibles to church for fear that they would be arrested.
“They read from the sacred text at home after each service, according to chapter numbers the preacher gives them during sermons,” a church worker in China said.
In Zhejiang province, the local Religious Affairs Bureau have threatened fines ranging from $430 to $1,400 for churches found with “illegal” Bibles.