Christians in China’s Henan province hoping to celebrate the new year with Christ-centered calendars learned in recent days that such items are prohibited.
A member of De’en Church in the district of Xigong told Bitter Winter that his congregation prepared a calendar for members but was told by a local printer that faith-based calendars are banned by the government.
Bitter Winter, which follows stories about the persecuted church in China, visited two print shops. Both said they would not print Christian material.
“A desk calendar or a picture to hang on the wall — we’re not allowed to print anything if it has any content related to Jesus,” the owner of the small print shop told Bitter Winter.
Government officials from the Bureau for Industry and Commerce “frequently” visit the shop, the owner said.
“They have always prohibited us from printing such things,” the owner said. “If they discover that we have printed religion-related items, the government will punish us according to the quantity printed. Now, the control is even stricter. If anyone dares to print religious materials secretly and is caught, in minor cases, they will be fined, and their shops will be closed down; in severe cases, they will face the prospect of being detained.”
The manager of a medium-sized print shop agreed.
“The government…
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