Bibles Banned From Beijing Olympic Village (Updated)
PJM Roundup: The news came out quietly a few days ago in an Italian sports newspaper, then picked up by the Catholic News Service. Organizers of the 2008 Olympics in Beijing announced a list of "prohibited objects" in the Olympic village where athletes will stay, citing security reasons. Among them - the Bible. If true, it breaches earlier promises from the Chinese government to "offer religious services" on the level of any previous Games. UPDATE: AP reports "the U.S. Olympic Committee received confirmation from Olympic officials Wednesday that there will be no restrictions on Bibles being brought into the Olympic village in Beijing next year."
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But both athletes and tourists will have to abide by the standard Bible quota.
“A notice on the official Beijing Olympics Web site explaining entry procedures into the country said “each traveler is recommended to take no more than one Bible into China.”
The Catholic News Agency, which originally reported the story, has called the Chinese policies “contradictory.”
Blogger reaction to the earlier report that Bibles would not be allowed in the Olympic village had been fierce:
The Colossus: “So much for our friendly, panda-loving friends, who are so happy, happy, happy to share the globe with us. The mask slips, and we see what they really are: a brutal, corrupt regime intent on stamping out human freedom wherever they can.”
Dancing From Genesis: “In allowing the Koran, but not the Bible, the Chinese government is smiling on Islam while slapping Christianity and Judaism in the face.”
Moonbattery: “To think just a few weeks ago ChiCom bureauweenies were purring that they would offer religious services for foreigners at the Olympics. Services may have to be conducted without benefit of Bibles. Not that you need a Bible to worship the only god recognized by the Chinese regime or our media: Government Power.”
The Fort Wayne Sentinel: “Still another reason to boycott the upcoming 2008 Olympics and why those deciding on this location should be taken behind the shed and force fed tainted Tortino Pizzas.”
Andy in Nanching, China: “I wonder if the Koran will be banned too? Or how about Mao’s Little Red Book (OK I know no one reads that anymore!)?”
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16 Comments
schnargley:Before we get all worked up with hypocritical indignation, understand that the Chinese government is just exercizing a cherished ideal of American democracy - separation of church and state. The Olympic games, after all, are state functions on state property, and they are following our bold lead in banning any religious item, thought, symbol or expression from the public square.
Nov 7, 2007 - 9:03 am least:Cherished ideal, huh!
Nov 7, 2007 - 11:21 am patagonianplato:Cherished by those who don’t want to be confronted by reality.
“separation of church and state”
If anyone can, please indicate in which of our founding documents, such as either the United States Constitution or the Declaration of Independence or any other founding document, this expression will be found.
Oh, wait a minute. Don’t bother, because you cannot. It is from a congratulatory letter from Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association in Connecticut.
While there are certainly varying interpretations of this letter, (I would argue that Jefferson did not have the intent that judicial activists believe.) two facts are incontrovertible. Nowhere in any founding document do these words appear. Second, the U.S. Constitution only states that there will be no official state religion such as they had in England, and that the government cannot interfere in the free exercise of religion.
Of course the expression “separation of church and state” is drilled into the heads of practically every public school pupil as if they came directly from the U.S. Constitution.
The current attempt to erase all religious symbols from public venues has no constitutional basis. The only reason this expression is so often quoted, is because judicial activists have to have something to base their actions upon. Hence,they rely on an obscure Jeffersonian letter.
Who knows, maybe they can get San Francisco renamed. The very fact of this name must mean that Catholicism is the official religion of this incredibly wonderful city.
Nov 7, 2007 - 3:13 pm Vince P:the number of People with the integrity deficiency syndrome like schnargley has is increasing .. it’s getting very disturbing
Nov 7, 2007 - 5:17 pm reliapundit:BANNING THE BIBLE IS NOT EXECUTING A POLICY OF “SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE.”
IT IS ENFORCING ATHEISM.
PREVENTING PEOPLE FROM THE FREE EXERCISE OF RELIGION IS TYRANNY.
PEOPLE OF ALL FAITHS AND ALL SECTS SHOULD BE FREE TO WORSHIP AS THEY PLEASE.
AND ATHEISTS FREE TO DO NOTHING.
WHEN ONE SECT IS FAVORED IT IS WRONG - EVEN IF THE SECT IS ATHEISM.
Nov 7, 2007 - 6:11 pm joe123:Seems strange then that they’re allowing the koran.
Nov 7, 2007 - 6:36 pm Heather Cook:It is odd if they are indeed allowing the Koran. And why would they have said that they would “offer religious services”?
Nov 7, 2007 - 6:55 pm wretchard:Here’s a machine translation of the original Italian news source.
(http://archivio.gazzetta.it/archiveDocumentServlet.jsp?url=/documenti_gazzetta/archivio/gazzetta/2007/10/ga_10_071013028.xml)
BEIJING - (f.l.) Bocog, Committee of the Games 2008, tries to make it back but slips in a tangle. Cambia il foglio con la lista degli oggetti proibiti il giorno dopo aver presentato quello in cui era vietato qualsiasi materiale ad uso religioso. Change sheet with a list of prohibited items on the day after submitting the one in which he was forbidden to use any religious material. Fa delle aggiunte tra cui pistole giocattolo e droga. He additions including toy guns and drugs. E cambia, per rendere pi√π chiaro il divieto sugli oggetti religiosi, con un: ¬´materiale promozionale usato per attivit√† religiosa o politica¬ª. And changes to clarify the ban on religious objects, with a “promotional material used for religious or political activity. Per√≤ poi, il capo della sicurezza, Fu Qiang, non sa definire cosa √® materiale promozionale appellandosi alle leggi cinesi che consentono la libert√† di culto… But then, the head of security, Fu Qiang, knows not define what is promotional material appealing to Chinese laws that allow freedom of worship … Sun Weijia, capo delle operazioni, chiarisce: ¬´Non sono inclusi gli oggetti personali come la croce¬ª. Sun Weijia, head of operations, explains: “It does not include personal items such as cross”. E la Bibbia? And the Bible? Fu Qiang si appella al punto 61 della carta olimpica: ¬´Nessun tipo di propaganda politica, religiosa o razziale √® permessa nelle aree olimpiche¬ª. Fu Qiang appeals to point 61 of the Olympic Charter: “No kind of political propaganda, religious or racial hatred is allowed in the Olympic areas.
Nov 7, 2007 - 6:56 pm Benson:Amazing. This post on China has immediately provoked a bitter sectarian assault on religious liberty in the USA.
It is simply not true that the USA bans religious items, thoughts and symbols from the public square. Look at a dollar bill. No US government has ever tried to prevent religious thought, and as for banning prayer in public schools, it has never been suggested, let alone attempted. Claims to the contrary are either ignorant or deceitful. That public schools may not hold religious services, ceremonies, classes and activities in no way prevents any and all students from praying while in school. Pray away, Kids, but don’t expect the school to participate in your personal religious practices.
Private religious belief and practice are distinct from the establishment of a state religion. Bibles (and all religious books) are allowed everywhere; there is no anti-religion Thought Police in the USA. The nation divorces religious activities from its official acts, thus treating all religions and sects equally. That is not oppressive.
True, hair-splitting atheist activists and zealous religious types do occasionally fuss over trivia, insisting that the government’s ovwerwhelmingly neutral attitude is less than perfect. Piffle! Both sides are silly.
There are a great many fundamentally important legal terms that are not found in the consitution: procedural and substantive due process, judicial review and self-defense are just three. “Separation of church and state” is a sloppy, popular description of the idea that governments (federal down to local) must not establish a state religion. It has no legal standing.
Under the US system, no one’s spiritual life is hindered. Religion is not under governmental attack or restriction. Church properties are tax-exempt, there are chaplains in the armed services, and no level of government is concerned about what anyone believes.
Nov 7, 2007 - 7:55 pm Jeff:Why did this story run in the first place?
Someone should have translated the original article in “Gazzetto dello Sport” before taking the word of a Vatican-controlled news service that they’d reported a ban on Bibles. The Catholic Church isn’t exactly credible on this issue, is it?
Nov 8, 2007 - 1:23 am patagonianplato:Benson
“It is simply not true that the USA bans religious items, thoughts and symbols from the public square.”
I agree if by USA you mean the constitutional order. The problem, however, is that there are many person’s within the U.S. government, in both the Judicial and Legislative branches, who actively work toward such an end. Recent fiats issued from benches across the country, that attempt to do exactly this, have the weight of the U.S. government behind them even though they are unconstitutional.
And let us not forget that these judges are usually awarded their seats by elected politicians.
This is neither trivia nor hair-splitting. It is just fact.
Nov 8, 2007 - 1:23 am David:The “separation of church and state” mantra is just Leftwing cover for separation of society from christianity. Jefferson never intended it that, and no amount of repeating that mantra makes it so.
Nov 8, 2007 - 4:35 am China Mike:In reading about this story, I emailed the U.
S. Olympic Committee to find out what they knew. Here is their response:
We have received confirmation from both the International Olympic Committee and the Beijing Organizing Committee that Bible and other religious materials will be permitted in the Athletes Village for personal use.
The news reports that the Beijing Organizing Committee was considering a prohibition were completely incorrect and stemmed from a miscommunication between a journalist form Italy and a representative of the organizing committee.
In addition, there will be an area in the Athletes village where athletes, coaches and officials can worship - as is always the case at the Olympic Games.
Nov 8, 2007 - 10:35 am angloirishslav:This is a false rumour, as your update indicates. Bibles are not going to be banned at the Olympic Village; they are not banned anywhere in China; Christianity is the fastest-growing religion in China now, churches are being built everywhere and Bibles in both Chinese and English can be purchased just about anywhere. A Chinese Olympic official stated at a press conference yesterday that the Bible-banning report was absolutely false. So why does your headline still say “Bibles banned” when it is not true? Not that I want to come to China’s defense; it does have a very restrictive religious policy still, and don’t even get me started on human rights, but it is nothing like it once was. Spreading false rumours without stringent fact-checking is irresponsible journalism.
Nov 8, 2007 - 4:00 pm Kkachi:“In allowing the Koran, but not the Bible, the Chinese government is smiling on Islam while slapping Christianity and Judaism in the face.”
The Chinese, apparently unlike you, Dancing from Genesis, are smart enough to realize that Muslims won’t go around singing the praises of Allah and trying to convert everyone to their religion. It has nothing to do with smiling on Islam, no matter how hard you try to spin it.
P.S. I know the story is not true, but that doesn’t erase the idiocy of DFG’s comments, and he is too much of a coward to allow comments on his site.
Nov 11, 2007 - 5:16 pm michael:as much as i hate saying this the fact is, if a country wants to ban any religious sings, bibles and prayers well it is the law of that country and it should be respected. If this law of the country affects you or in any way you feel like you are being discriminated then boycot the place and all its products. we are all from different places in this world and we all have laws in our country that would some how offend, discriminate and/or affect someone in one way or another. In the end it comes down to you choise if you want to go there, if you do then do what the law states if “no”, well then!! IN NO WAY DO I AGREE OR SUPPORT THE BAN OF THE BIBLE, JUST IN CASE SOMEONE OUT THERE MISS-UNDERSTAND THE MEANING OF THIS LETTER. i WILL BE STAYING AT HOME IN MY COUNTRY AND I WILL NOT LOOK AT THE OLYMPICS THIS YEAR I CAN WAIT ANOTHER 4 YEARS. BUT THE LAW IS THE LAW (IN THAT COUNTRY)
May 22, 2008 - 1:56 am