Online sale of Bibles banned despite ‘freedom of worship’

CHINA: Bibles have been withdrawn from sale online in China, despite an official claim from Beijing that it allows freedom of worship.

Searches for the Bible from online shops returned no results. At least one online retailer, JD.com, was said to have been admonished for selling ‘‘illegal publications’’.

The Bible is not on the list of officially approved publications in China but has been widely available to purchase on the internet.

The withdrawal indicates that Beijing is determined to curb the influence of Christianity, which has been growing rapidly in China, even as it released a whitepaper report touting its commitment to freedom of religious worship.

The paper comes as Beijing negotiates with the Vatican over the appointment of senior clergy in the country. The ruling atheist Communist Party of China has proposed that it co-appoint bishops with the Holy See.

Estimates of the number of Christians in China vary widely because a large number of worshippers do not register with the government, as required. Offic- ial accounts suggest that there are 38 million Protestants and 6 million Catholics, but independent scholars believe the total could be nearer to 100 million, raising the possibility that Christians could rival the 89 million members of the Communist Party.

Christians have faced harassment from the authorities, which are concerned the religion could undermine the party’s authority. Crosses have been removed from churches and houses in the eastern province of Zhejiang, in an apparent effort to reduce the religion’s presence and influence.

The government wants foreign religions to be ‘‘Sinicised’’, meaning religious institutions must pledge loyalty to the party’s rule. By law, Chinese worshippers must pray in government-sanctioned churches, but many choose to meet in home churches that do not register with the authorities and are subjected to clampdowns.

The white paper claims that religious freedom is protected under the country’s socialist system. It also said that religious communities in China must be independent from outside influence.

William Nee, a China researcher for Amnesty International, said all people needed to be allowed access to the Bible, and urged a reversal of the ban.

‘‘For a government that only yesterday claimed to be supporting religious freedom, it is ridiculous that the core book of a major world religion cannot be found on the major Chinese e-commerce platforms,’’ he said. – The Times