“Illegal” Bibles Confiscated in Raid on Adventist Church in China
18 February 2020 | Authorities in China seized “illegal” Bibles in a raid on a state-authorized Three-Self Seventh-day Adventist Church in December of last year according to the Christian Headlines website.
Legal churches in China are designated as Three-Self congregations.
The location of the Adventist congregation targeted by the December raid was not disclosed, although it was reported that 100 “pirated” Bibles were seized.
“According to a church co-worker, believers don’t bring their Bibles to the church anymore, fearing the government might take them away,” said a watchdog called Bitter Winter according to Christian Headlines. “They read from the sacred text at home after each service, according to chapter numbers the preacher gives them during sermons.”
The Chinese government only allows the use of Bibles printed in China at “legal” authorized printers.
According to Christian Headlines, the raid was part of a countrywide campaign to “eradicate pornography and illegal publications.”
