Smuggling Bibles: Is It Legal Or A Crime?

Smuggling bibles into countries where Christianity is restricted or illegal is a dangerous activity that can put one's life and freedom at risk. Bible smugglers have been known to adopt various strategies to avoid the attention of border guards and secret police, including travelling in pairs disguised as honeymooning couples and using out-of-the-way border crossings. While some people criticise the practice, organisations such as The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) continue to smuggle bibles into countries like China, North Korea, and Cuba.

Bible smuggling in China

Smuggling Bibles into China has been a common practice for decades. While the Chinese government has not banned religion outright, Christians in the country have faced persecution and restrictions on practising their faith. The Bible is presumed to be a traveller's personal copy and can be smuggled in a handbag or suitcase. However, Bible smuggling operations have also involved more sophisticated and large-scale efforts, such as "Project Pearl", which involved smuggling one million Bibles into China in a single night in 1981.

Bible smuggling into China typically involves Christians posing as tourists and carrying Bibles across the country's southern border or through border checkpoints. Volunteers fly to a city bordering China and spend days or weeks repeatedly transporting Bibles across the border in suitcases and backpacks. There is no penalty for Westerners caught smuggling Bibles, and confiscated Bibles can be retrieved for a fine. However, Chinese Christians who are caught with smuggled Bibles may face greater persecution than if they were caught with Bibles printed by Amity Printing, the official Bible publisher in China.

The need for Bible smuggling has been driven by the shortage of Bibles in China and the difficulties in obtaining them, especially in remote areas. While the Three-Self Patriotic Movement and China Christian Council, the official state-sanctioned bodies for Christianity in China, claim that Bibles are now freely available, many Christians in remote areas still face challenges in accessing them.

In recent years, there have been concerns that the Chinese government may impose further restrictions on Bible distribution. The government has invested in face recognition-enabling CCTV cameras, which could make it easier to identify and target Christians. Additionally, there are reports that the government is working on a new translation of the Bible that removes content deemed objectionable or inconvenient. As a result, Bible smuggling operations may need to adapt their approaches to continue providing Bibles to Christians in China.

The Voice of the Martyrs, the world's largest Bible smuggling network

The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM) is the world's largest Bible smuggling network. Headquartered in Bartlesville, Oklahoma, VOM delivers more than one million Bibles annually to nations where the Word of God is restricted or illegal. They provide Bibles to Christians living in hostile or restricted nations, often at great personal risk.

VOM's founder, Richard Wurmbrand, famously said:

> I would not believe in a Bible if it would not be worth it to smuggle it in everywhere even at the greatest risk, and if it would not be worth it to sit ten days and nights alone in the cold in order to be able to read its wonderful pages.

VOM's work includes:

• Launching balloons filled with print Bibles and smuggling digital Bibles into North Korea.
• Distributing Bibles to underground churches in every province of China, despite the Communist Party's efforts to restrict access.
• Replacing Bibles destroyed by ISIS in Mosul and the Nineveh Plains, home to generations of Iraqi Christians.
• Using boats, hand-carrying, and government-approved shipments to bring Bibles into Cuba.
• Supporting covert Bible operations in Central Asian countries where Bibles are considered propaganda and are banned.
• Distributing children's Bibles in rural parts of Uganda, where Islam is spreading and Bibles are rare.
• Strapping boxes of Bibles to a donkey's back and leading it across the Syrian border.

VOM also has a Bible Smuggler product line, which includes t-shirts, hats, and wristbands. Each product purchased provides VOM's distribution teams with the financial resources needed to deliver a Bible to a Christian in need.

Brother Andrew, known as God's Smuggler

In 1955, a young Dutch missionary named Brother Andrew (1928-2022) went to a Communist youth congress in Poland, which was then part of the Soviet bloc. Brother Andrew was not a communist; he was a Christian. His suitcase contained his Bible, a change of clothes, and hundreds of religious tracts called "The Way of Salvation," which he intended to distribute. This trip changed his life forever.

Brother Andrew discovered that Christians behind the Iron Curtain were denied access to Bibles and were facing persecution. He found churches in desperate need of Bibles, support, and prayer. Most importantly, he encountered a group of Christians who felt isolated and alone, believing that the rest of the world had forgotten them.

During this first visit, he spoke at a Baptist church in Warsaw, sharing his experience in his book, "God's Smuggler":

> "At the end of my little talk, the pastor said the most interesting thing of all, 'We want to thank you,' he said, 'for being here. Even if you had not said a word, just seeing you would have meant so much. We feel at times as if we are all alone in our struggle.'"

Deeply moved by his encounters, Brother Andrew felt called to take on a dangerous mission: smuggling Bibles into Communist countries at the height of the Cold War. He courageously put his life on the line, making border crossings in his blue VW Beetle, which became known as "the miracle car" for its ability to keep going despite the risks.

Brother Andrew's trademark prayer as he sneaked Bibles and Christian literature across borders captures the essence of his daring faith:

> "Lord, in my luggage, I have Scripture I want to take to Your children. When You were on earth, You made blind eyes see. Now, I pray, make seeing eyes blind. Do not let the guards see those things You do not want them to see."

As his work grew, others joined him in the perilous task of smuggling Bibles to believers in Communist countries. Over time, his small Dutch mission expanded into an international ministry, reaching more than 60 nations to strengthen the Persecuted Church.

Today, Brother Andrew's legacy continues through the organization he founded, Open Doors International. His autobiography, "God's Smuggler," has inspired generations with its account of narrow escapes and amazing adventures in service to God.

Brother Andrew's story is a testament to the power of faith and the impact one person can have when they answer God's call. His ministry has brought hope and spiritual nourishment to countless Christians facing persecution and has left an indelible mark on the world.

Bible smuggling in North Korea

There are several ways that bibles are smuggled into the country. One method is through the use of balloons filled with helium or hydrogen that are sent up from multiple points in South Korea, destined for North Korea. These balloons are adorned with the Words of God printed in Korean or flash drives featuring the entire texts of the Testament. Another method is through the use of large drones, which disseminate Bibles, flash drives, SD cards, leaflets, and photos featuring the strictly outlawed religious texts.

In addition to these aerial methods, there are also on-foot actors who smuggle Bibles into North Korea. These individuals print the Bibles in another country and then secretly distribute them in North Korea, usually a few at a time. They have to be extremely careful, changing their routes and taking other precautions to avoid getting caught. The Bibles are then passed along through trusted believers. The most popular versions are the small New Testaments, as they fit in the palm of your hand and can easily be exchanged during a handshake or left in strategic locations.

Tourists also occasionally attempt to smuggle Bibles into North Korea, despite rigorous warnings from external tour companies against bringing in any religious texts or symbols. One example is Jeffrey Fowle, an Ohio native who was detained in North Korea for three years after deliberately concealing a Bible in a nightclub.

The underground church in North Korea is expanding, and Christians are begging for the Word of God. Bible smuggling programs are generally left up to missionaries, nongovernmental organizations, and activists, as they receive little funding or support from outside governments.

Bible smuggling in Cuba

Bible smuggling is defined as the act of delivering Bibles into nations where the Word of God is restricted or entirely illegal. In Cuba, the government has tightened its control over religious life, making it increasingly difficult for Christians to obtain Bibles. This has led to the rise of Bible smuggling into the country.

The Voice of the Martyrs (VOM), the world's largest Bible smuggling network, has played a significant role in bringing Bibles into Cuba. They employ various methods, including delivering Bibles by boat, hand-carrying individual copies, and using government-approved shipments. VOM workers face great personal risk as they carry out these covert operations to provide Christians in Cuba with access to the Bible.

The Cuban government's policies and actions have been criticized by international organizations and other governments. Despite taking some steps to address human trafficking, Cuba was placed on Tier 3 by the United States Department of State, indicating a lack of significant efforts to meet the minimum standards for eliminating trafficking. The government has been accused of profiting from forced labor in its labor export program and coercing individuals to participate through deceptive and manipulative tactics.

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