Post 22 isn’t accurate?
It is more or less what I said, just with a negative spin.
You can buy a Bible (or download one from a Church website) if you want one.
But you can’t bring in ANY printed materials, not just Bibles, into the country. So it is disingenuousness to complain that it is religious persecution when the censorship applies to everything.
The government controls the version of the Bible but it is a good translation.
They can’t just pass ouT Bibles on the street, but churches can, AND DO, advertise their service and ministry times. They conduct Baptism and evangelism classes. They have small groups, youth groups, choirs, Bible studies, and all the things that churches normally do.
All organized evangelism, or Christian activities must be carried out by the Three Self Churches. This has the, perhaps unintentional, benefit of keeping the doctrine uniform, clear, and within Chinese legal boundaries.
Yes, there are restrictions but the churches work around them.
Post 22 is stating the situation in the worst possible light. But, in my experience it isn’t like that in actual practice.
Some government offials do attend church. Former president Zhang Zamin’s wife was (is) a fairly devoted Chinese Catholic. He attended at least one Christmas eve service. My academic advisor, was a party member, and big wig in the Ministry of Education. He came to weekly Bible studies in our home.
It isn’t like say North Korea.