Bibles banned from 2008 Olympic village

Subject: Bibles banned from 2008 Olympic village Wed Nov 07, 2007 3:19 pm

Quote :: TESTING THE FAITH
Bibles banned from 2008 Olympic village
China also warns visitors not to bring more than single copy

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Posted: November 7, 2007
1:00 a.m. Eastern

© 2007 WorldNetDaily.com

Chinese Christian reading the Bible

Chinese officials have announced athletes who compete in the 2008 Beijing Games will be banned from having Bibles in their Olympic village housing, and even visitors are being warned not to bring more than a single Bible with them when they come to China.

According to a report from the Catholic News Agency, Bibles will be among the list of "prohibited objects" for athletes at the Beijing housing complexes being built now for the thousands of athletes expected to participate.

"According to the Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport, organizers have cited 'security reasons' and have prohibited athletes from bearing any kind of religious symbol at Olympic facilities," the report said.

Also banned will be video cameras and cups, the report said.

"The Spanish daily La Razon said the rule was one of a number of 'signs of censure and intolerance' towards religious objects, particularly those used by Christians in China," the report said. "Currently in China five bishops and 15 priests are in prison for opposing the official [government-run] church."

Todd Nettleton, a spokesman for Voice of the Martyrs, whose Bibles Unbound program offers American citizens the option of mailing Bibles into China, said it's not illegal for an individual to own a Bible in China.

But he said the government there controls access to Bibles by restricting imports and controlling the actual printing of Bibles within China.

More at this link:
http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58544

Subject: Re: Bibles banned from 2008 Olympic village Wed Nov 07, 2007 3:22 pm

Fair enough. Nothing we can do about it really. What with China being a communist country and most people are Buddists (I think?)

Subject: Re: Bibles banned from 2008 Olympic village Wed Nov 07, 2007 3:27 pm

Liam, No Not Fair! :pale:

Subject: Re: Bibles banned from 2008 Olympic village Wed Nov 07, 2007 3:27 pm

OK Not fair. Life isn't...we can't really change what another country says, maybe sometimes we can change what a person thinks but most of the time you can't.

Guest

Not to distract from the big picture here, but cups?

Cups?

Why are they banning cups?

coffee

Subject: Re: Bibles banned from 2008 Olympic village Wed Nov 07, 2007 3:30 pm

See that smiley in the cup? THAT's why.

Guest

Is he hiding a Bible in there?

Subject: Re: Bibles banned from 2008 Olympic village Wed Nov 07, 2007 3:35 pm

A Bible AND some video cameras.

O.o

Guest

Interesting,,,,but what about the cups?

World Updates
November 8, 2007
MYT 6:30:38 PM
China angrily denounces Games "Bible ban" report

BEIJING (Reuters) - China reacted angrily on Thursday to reports in the European press that the government would ban Bibles during next year's Beijing Olympics, saying it could not possibly be true.

The reports, one of which appeared in Italian sports newspaper La Gazzetta dello Sport, were picked up by the Catholic News Agency and spread to U.S. media sites.

"The facts show that this news is a total rumour," Foreign Ministry spokesman Liu Jianchao told a news conference. "The Chinese government has not come up with any such rule.

File photo of a security officer on guard at the construction site of the National Aquatics Centre in Beijing, November 4,2007. China reacted angrily on Thursday to reports in the European press that the government would ban Bibles during next year's Beijing Olympics, saying it could not possibly be true. (REUTERS/Jason Lee/Files)
"China's religious affairs authorities and the Olympic organisers have not -- and could not -- issue a rule banning the Bible in the Olympic village."

The 2008 Olympics has already become a focus for groups wishing to put pressure on China on everything from Tibet to Beijing's support of Myanmar's junta, and this seems set to continue at the opening ceremony gets nearer.

Organisers have already pledged religious services will be offered during the Games.

Liu said foreigners were allowed to bring in religious objects or materials for personal use, and that there would be no change to this during the Olympics.

"We are suspicious of the motivations for why these people would spread such rumours. They should be responsible, and not do things that are not beneficial for them and harm mutual understanding between China and the world," he added.

Though the Chinese government keeps a close grip on religious activity, the country has large Christian, Muslim and Buddhist communities who are allowed to worship at state recognised churches, mosques and temples.

But rights groups regularly criticise China for restricting the right to worship and arresting those who try to follow their faith outside of state appointed bodies.

Copyright © 2007 Reuters

Subject: Re: Bibles banned from 2008 Olympic village Thu Nov 08, 2007 11:05 am

Maybe they suddenly changed their stance.

Subject: Re: Bibles banned from 2008 Olympic village Thu Nov 08, 2007 11:20 am

I was talking to some of my friends about this very topic last night and they said: "The Power of Prayer. We can pray about this."

Always,
LittleFire

Subject: Re: Bibles banned from 2008 Olympic village Thu Nov 08, 2007 11:23 am

The prayers seemed to have worked LF because now they are backing away from the earlier press release, and are denying they ever banned the bible. Maybe they realized this could only cause outrage on behalf of the visiting athletes.

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