Last week CNA published a report from the Italian daily “La Gazzetta dello Sport” stating that Bibles will not be allowed into the Olympic Village at the upcoming Olympic Games. Since then, CNA has learned that a contradictory set of policies has been put in place regarding the possession of the Bible at the international sporting event.
Making a slight change to its total ban on religious items, the Chinese Olympic Committee has decided, "devotional objects” will be allowed in compliance with Chinese "freedom of religion" laws, but “religious objects meant to propagate a cult” will not be permitted.
“La Gazzetta dello Sport” cites the Chief of Security Fu Qiang who said that he can't specify what objects are included under the item "propaganda" but can assure that personal religious items are permitted.
However, on the official website of the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, a page titled "Entry and Exit: Entry" credited to the Beijing Tourism Administration reads:
"Any printed material, film, tapes that are 'detrimental to China's politics, economy, culture and ethics' are also forbidden to bring into China."
This is immediately followed by a caution about Bibles:
"Note: Each traveler is recommended to take no more than one Bible into China."
Chinese officials did not address the redefinition of the Bible as "propaganda" once the number of copies exceeds one.
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