Where is the Bible banned?

All of these scenarios are real situations faced by real Christians in different places around the world where God’s Word is a target. And yet, people are desperate for Bibles. The Bible is one of the primary ways God reaches people in places where it is hard to follow Jesus—His Word is a light for His people, the bread that sustains their faith.

In rare instances, the Bible is completely illegal, like in North Korea; but much more often, it is tightly controlled by the surrounding government or culture. Just because it is not technically “banned” doesn’t mean it’s simple to gain access to God’s Word. For instance, in some very hardline majority-Muslim countries, perhaps some categories of Christian communities—non-converts, for instance—are allowed by local authorities to possess a Bible, but only under severe restrictions.

In other places in the world, local authorities might allow the Bible in a legal sense, but families or communities may actively oppose ownership of God’s Word, making the Bible effectively outlawed. And in still other nations, some parts of the country might allow the Bible while others may more tightly control or forbid it.

Where the Bible is restricted and challenged

So what are some of the restrictions on the Bible around the world? Here are some of the most prominent examples:

• In North Korea, children sometimes are unaware of what their parents’ Bible is. Even having a Bible there is enough to be arrested or killed. An American was arrested and detained for five months, simply for leaving a Bible in a restaurant in the hopes a North Korean might find and read it.
• It is not illegal for a foreigner to have a single Bible in the Maldives in their own language, but there is not a complete translation of a Bible in the native language.
• In Malaysia, Bibles are allowed, but it’s not allowed to refer to God as “Allah” in Christian publications.
• In China, Bibles are allowed, but have been coming under increased scrutiny and regulation.
• In Saudi Arabia, it’s fine to bring in a Bible if you’re a foreigner—but if you do something like read it in public, or it’s suspected you have any intention with speaking publicly about your faith, that could mean prison.
• And in many places it’s permissible for traditional Christians and foreigners to worship in private or in their own ethnic groups, but if someone converts from Islam or is found with a Bible in their own language, it can lead to significant punishment.

Some of the countries that heavily restrict access to God’s Word and other Christian materials might not surprise you. North Korea and Afghanistan both have the highest possible intensity of restriction on Bibles. Yemen also significantly restricts Bibles. In these countries, most, if not all, Christians are prevented from publicly owning, reading or distributing Bibles—and in private, the options are not much better.

Other places may be surprising. For instance, Brunei, has a significant number of restrictions on Bible ownership. For believers in Brunei, even having a copy of God’s Word in their own home can invite persecution. Bibles are banned from being imported, and Christians who access electronic versions of Scripture must be very careful to avoid any accusations of spreading Christianity. It’s another instance of a place where the Bible is not forbidden but is so heavily monitored that it’s difficult for God’s people to gain access to His Word.

In other places, like Sudan, Iran and the Maldives, in the last year, churches have had Bibles and religious literature confiscated and/or have been punished for possessing Bibles and other Christian materials.

For instance, in Iran, a believer from a Christian ethnic group—Assyrians, for instance—may easily have a Bible in Assyrian for home use. But if a Christian who converted from Islam is found to have a Bible in Persian, the national language, they could risk imprisonment and torture. It’s proof that even when God’s Word is technically “legal,” it can still be taken at any time, and the owners arrested. It just depends on who has the Bible and why.

God’s Word is life for His people

The Bible is clearly under attack throughout the world. Even as formal “bans” are very rare, in practice it can still be difficult to buy, read and share God’s Word in places where it’s hard to follow Jesus. In many of these countries, trying to gain access to the Bible can invite danger, difficulty and pain.

And yet, the desire remains. For Christians all of the world, the Bible remains one of the most important parts of deepening their relationship with Jesus. Bibles are often how God reaches into the darkness of even the most impossible situations. Bibles are what Christians living in the hardest places say they want the most.

Technology has changed what a Bible might look like, but it hasn’t changed how God works through them. God’s Word is a treasured possession, a typewritten book, a smuggled item buried in a yard, a data file on a SIM card, a pirate radio broadcast listened to in the dark, a legacy smeared with the blood of a murdered parent. The Bible looks different in different places, but God speaks through it across every time and culture.

And so: whenever and wherever people ask for Bibles, we will provide them, no matter what. We will bring Bibles to God’s people—along with the training to grow in faith and read His Word more deeply—regardless of the challenges.

Top photo: An Indian believer holds her Bible. Copyright IMB.org, all rights reserved.