Monday, 17 August 2009
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Are Bibles Needed in China?
Rev. Daniel Williams, the former CEO of the Bible Society, once said in a press release that "(With) the new Amity Press operational in Nanjing, smuggling is a waste of resources..."
Let's see if it really is, if we do the math.The latest figure for Amity's annual press run of bibles was 6 million. There are 1 Billion 330 million people in China. That means that a town like Ephrata, Pennsylvania with a population of 29,448 people, would only have access to 132 bibles per year.
While we are grateful that China allows Amity to legally print bibles, there are courageous believers in China who do not want to limit the number of bibles printed each year. They wholeheartedly desire that their neighbors receive the word of God. This is one reason why so many are persecuted. Many organizations provide these new converts with God's word, but there still are not enough bibles out there. Support your local, church denomination and/or organization in their efforts to provide our Chinese brothers and sisters with Bibles. Also pray for the day when everyone in China will have God's word readily available to them with no restrictions and no barriers.
How many bibles would be allowed in your zip code?
1. Go to Us Census Bureau( http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/SAFFPopulation?_event=Search&_name=17522&_state=&_county=&_cityTown=&_zip=17522&_sse=on&_lang=en&pctxt=fph)
Type in your zipcode and press go to find out your zip codes population.
2. Take the population of your city x .0045 and this is the total number of bibles that would be allowed annually for your town.
If you want post your numbers in the comments to serve as a reminder of how few bibles are available annually for the Chinese people.
What are your thoughts of this? How many bibles would be in your town?
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Comments (30)
Excellent post!
Keep praying for our brothers and sisters n China!
Volunteering resources and time to make sure they get what they need is definitely the least we can do!
Bibles are not necessary to spread the Gospel. They are very useful, of course, but not necessary.
@QuantumStorm@xanga - nowhere did this post say it was. It is just supporting people being able to have the Word of God
About 22 Bibles in my town. I had to read portions of this post twice. I don't think it came across with the clarity that the author intended.
@QuantumStorm@xanga - Dude. You changed your picture. It's throwing me off.
The way you are calculating this assumes that for every new bible printed, one from the year before gets destroyed. I highly doubt that is happening.
i think it's misleading to compare the total number of people in china with the total number of bibles. 50-80% of the chinese population is buddhist. buddhism is followed by atheism as the most prevalent belief.
i don't agree with book bans or limits, but people who have their faiths (or reject religion) probably don't want yours.
@mrcolorful@xanga - excellent point.
About 13 Bibles in my town. Wow.....
@MissPixieGlitter@xanga - Yeah, seriously. -.-
@Kristenmomof3@xanga - The article is talking about limiting and not limiting the number of Bibles - if they aren't necessary to spread the Gospel, then access to them is irrelevant. Besides - the title says, "Are Bibles Needed in China?", so I'm not out of line in answering that question, am I?
@gabrielpeter@xanga - It's a debate tactic!
@QuantumStorm@xanga - there are many CHRISTIANS in China that would like a bible. Should they be denied one? The question is not are bibles needed to spread the gospel? That question was never asked. It is a different question that you are answering then is being asked.
@MissPixieGlitter@xanga - again no one said that they had to. This is for getting bibles into the hands of people who want them. It has nothing to do with trying to make people that dont want one to have one.
Ugh, I hate people that think that everyone needs to be converted to Christian faith. Seriously, the Chinese have been practicing their faith for waaaay longer than you guys. More Bibles? Try less. If they want to convert, let them do it by their own means.
@Kristenmomof3@xanga - like i said, i don't agree with limitations on books. people who want them should have them. however, this post greatly exaggerates the "problem" by comparing a nation's total population with the per-year printing of bibles. that statistic is irrelevant because it discounts bibles already in existence and includes a large number of people who have no spiritual need for bibles because they have nonchristian faiths.
Although I don't agree on limitations of books, I do believe that you should still let everyone practice free will. I certainly don't like people telling me to believe in the word of God when I'm already satisfied with my own religion (Buddhism). There's no reason to make everyone believe in one faith. If someone is interested, you can encourage them. But if they're not, let them be.
However, if people do want a Bible, they can order one (which should be easier than just making a mass amount and having it sit there because it would be a waste of resources).
and why only china?
I think the Chinese maybe are more zealous because they have to fight to get a bible. Or those who copy the bible on paper have more bible in them because they can't get bibles. I don't know if it is a good thing to give people bibles.-
@Kristenmomof3@xanga - //there are many CHRISTIANS in China that would like a bible. Should they be denied one?/
No, but they don't NEED one. There's a difference.
//The question is not are bibles needed to spread the gospel?//
The question is whether Bibles are needed in China or not as per the title of the OP. I pointed out that they are not needed to spread the Gospel. Thus, if the purpose of disseminating Bibles is to spread the gospel, and if Bibles are not necessary to spread the Gospel, then it follows that disseminating Bibles is not necessary - ergo, Bibles are not needed in China.
i've seen plenty of chinese bibles gathering dust in bookstores there... guess they're not as desired as you make them out to be
My hubby ministers in China. There is no problem getting Bibles and they can be easily purchased for $5. The restrictions that apply are whenever anyone goes outside Chinese authority. (like trying to smuggle something in). American Christians actually harm Christianity with this kind of action. There are so many wonderful Christians doing the work there right now,(more than in the US) If believers in America cared as much about the decline in Christianity here (note some of the very sad and disturbing comments found here) God just might be able to get some work done here. Yes Yes pray for our brothers and sisters in China, but pray for America as well. The Word of God is the gospel and that is needed everywhere. Jesus is the only Way, the only Truth and the only Life, NO ONE comes to the Father but BY HIM>
@roseteacup@xanga - I agree with your assessment of the U.S. and am praying for God to light a fire here in us and revive His Church.
@timestill@xanga - hahahaha...exactly.  I was wondering the same thing. Â
No. China needs to quit being a bunch of Atheists and Agnostics and come to God through various religions be it Christianity, Hinduism, Islam, Jainism, Wiccan, Druid, Celtic, Judaism, etc. Or if they want to be Atheist/Agnostic than they could at least respect the religions already there and not kill them all off (like they are doing to the Muslims there).
I read about this in the Voice of the Martyrs newsletter. I was surprised that China allows this at all, and it really is a good step...but I agree completely that it's still only the first step, and that we should all push for more. Every single person on this planet has the right to read God's word for themselves in their own language. Even secularists can argue the freedom issue that's clearly present here, can't they?
bibles aren't needed anywhere