Leave Your Religion at Home...

Filed in archive Law on October 15, 2007

I ran across an interesting blog post this week that could have an impact on your philosophy of business in China, maybe...

The blog post was entitled Tough Times for Jesus in Xinjiang. It commented on some documents from China's Bureau for Ethnic & Religious Affairs; the documents were obtained by the China Aid Association, an organization that helps missionaries in China. The anonymous blogger also looks at two stories by the Associated Press - stories that deal with businesses being closed in China over religious issues.




Evidently a company in Northwest China (a sensitive, partly Muslim area of China) was engaged in some extra activity on the side - a little Christian literature distribution and perhaps what we called "sharing" in my baptist church when I was growing up. The blogger I found reprints this document from the Bureau for Ethnic & Religious Affairs, sent to the company in question:

This bureau has completed its investigation... in the case involving serious illegal conduct of illegally spreading Christianity, engaging in infiltration activities, and endangering the security of the state, social, and political stability....

Since the founding of your company on October 9, 2000, you have been illegally preaching Christianity in the name of the company among young people of Uyghur ethnicity. In the meantime, you transported, distributed, and produced Christian propaganda materials. Hetian Municipal Committee on Ethnic Religious Affairs believes that the illegal missionary work and infiltration activities by your company in Hetian District are a serious violation of the laws and statutes of the People's Republic of China. The case involves wicked circumstances and seriously endangers the security of the state and social and political stability.

The AP reported that the business in question was closed...

Don't get me wrong. I'm sympathetic to Christian work in China. I spent 10 years with a mission organization, much of it working along side Chinese Christians in Southeast Asia.

But know that your business is in jeopardy whenever you violate a country's laws. And if you decide to promote your religion anyway, be aware of the cost involved in what may seem like casual activities at home...