照片：中国乡村地区的基督徒很难能得到足够的圣经供应和石维翰
    
    对华援助协会对澳大利亚新南威尔士圣经公会新闻稿的答复
    ---新南威尔士圣经公会总裁于2008年11月12日声称“将圣经偷运到中国会把基督徒置于危险境地，而且已经没有必要”
    
    
    对华援助协会虽然肯定新南威尔士圣经公会通过支持南京爱德印刷公司向边远地区提供圣经的新运动来致力于“打碎距离和隔绝的障碍，使我们的中国兄弟姐妹们得到圣经”，然而，新南威尔士圣经公会总裁丹尼尔 • 威利斯却没有充分说明通过其它渠道向中华人民共和国的信徒提供圣经的需要。
    
    自1987年以来，南京爱德印刷公司在中国境内印刷并分发了4千万本以上的简体版圣经。南京爱德印刷公司是唯一一家中国政府允许合法印刷圣经的印刷公司。然而，目前估计中国的新教信徒（三自教会和家庭教会）的人数在三千九百万(最保守数字)至一亿三千万之间，此外，考虑到大部分圣经因过量使用以及大家分享使用，一大部分五年之内会破损，南京爱德印刷公司只能供应中国基督教信徒目前对圣经需求量的一半。
    
    威利斯也没有提到影响中国人能得到圣经的两个关键问题。2007年的印刷及分发速度为六百七十五万整本圣经以及69万本新约全书。以这个速度计算，还需要五年的时间中国国内印刷的圣经数量才能满足目前中国信徒的需要。这还没有把中国教会持续增长的人数以及将圣经分发给一般民众的需求算进去---这一需求量大大地超过南京爱德印刷公司可以印刷的圣经数量。
    
    第二点，南京爱德印刷公司的分发渠道只限于政府允许的三自教会的书店和三自教会分发点。在这种情况下，要买圣经的人就只有去找到一家三自教会才能买到。居住在乡村的基督徒很难找到三自教会或三自教会的书店。此外，这些基督徒当中许多人都生活在贫困线以下，买不起圣经。
    
    威利斯在他的新闻稿里说：“将圣经偷运到中国会把基督徒置于危险境地，… 偷运是一种浪费资源的表现。”然而，许多中国基督徒觉得他们对圣经的渴望超过了为得到它而冒的风险。新疆周恒弟兄因为免费送圣经而从2007年8月3日至2008年2月19日遭监禁。北京基督教书店的业主石维翰因出版及分发圣经以及基督教文献而在2008年3月19日遭逮捕。他目前仍在监狱里。这两位人士以他们的行动和生命证明了中国对圣经有很大的需求。
    
    对华援助协会会长傅希秋指出：“威利斯致力于向中国提供圣经，值得赞扬。然而，他夸大了南京爱德印刷公司满足中国人对圣经需求的能力。他做出结论说不必要通过其他方式将圣经运到中国，这一结论更进一步地帮助了三自教会和国家宗教事务局目的在于误导人们的宣传。
    1http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles%20Nov07/Art_Nov07_17.html
     http://chinaaid.org/pdf/Pre-Olympic_CHina_Persecution_Report_in_English_June2008.pdf
    
    2 http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08446.htm
    若要请求允许复制对华援助协会的照片以及资料，请联络Katherine@ChinaAid.org.
    
    新南威尔士圣经公会的新闻稿网址为： http://www.biblesocietynsw.com.au/china.
    此外，请将您的评语贴在他们的首页上。
    
    以下网址为因印刷及分发圣经而遭监禁的基督教书店业主石维翰的最新新闻：
    http://chinaaid.org/chinese_site/press_release_detail.php?id=6347
    
    如果您对石维翰遭监禁一事表示关心，请和以下人士联络：
    
    北京市人民政府副秘书长 唐龙
    电话: 011-86-10-62362008
    
    外交部新闻司司长 刘建超
    电话: 011-86-10- 65963342
    For Immediate Release: ChinaAid Response to Bible Society NSW’s Press Release:
    “Smuggling Bibles into China places Christians at risk and is unnecessary,” says Bible Society NSW CEO, November 12, 2008
    
    ChinaAid
    Media Contact: Katherine Cason (267) 210-8278 or Katherine@ChinaAid.org
    Washington, D.C. Contact: Jenny McCloy (202) 213-0506 or Jenny@ChinaAid.org
    Website: www.ChinaAid.org and www.MonitorChina.org
    Fax: (432) 686-8355
    
    November 20, 2008
    
    While ChinaAid affirms the commitment of the Bible Society NSW to “break down the barriers of distance and isolation and make Bibles available to our Chinese brothers and sisters,” through supporting the Amity Press’s new drive to provide Bibles to believers in remote areas, Bible Society NSW CEO, Daniel Willis has under-stated the need to provide Bibles to believers in the People’s Republic of China through other distribution venues.
    
    Since 1987, the Amity Press has printed and distributed more than 40 million copies of the Bible in simplified script within China. Amity Press is the only press that is legally permitted and supervised by the Chinese government to print Bibles. However, with estimates of the Protestant believers (Three Self Patriotic Movement church and house church) in China now totaling from 39 million to 130 million1 and considering that most Bibles wear out after five years due to overuse and shared distribution, the Amity Press is only able to supply approximately half of the Bibles needed to meet the present and pressing need of China’s Christian believers.
    
    Willis also fails to make mention of two crucial issues that affect access to the Bible in China. The rate of printing and distribution in 2007 was 6.75 million complete Bibles and 690,000 copies of the New Testament.2 At this rate, it will be another five years at least until the number of Bibles printed in China matches the approximate number of believers in China today. This also does not take into account the continued growth of the church in China and the need to distribute the Bible to the general populace -- a need which totally eclipses the amount of the Scriptures made available by the Amity Press.
    
    Second, distribution of Amity Press Bibles is limited to government-approved Three Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM) bookstores and distribution points. Thus, believers who want to purchase a Bible can only do so only by finding a TSPM church. Christians who live in rural areas have little to no access to a TSPM church or TSPM bookstore. In addition, many of these Christians are living at a poverty-level that makes the expense of the purchase of a Bible impossible.
    
    Mr. Willis says in his press release that, “smuggling Bibles into China places Chinese Christians at risk and … smuggling is a waste of resources.” However, many Chinese Christians feel the desperation for a Bible outweighs the risk. Zhou Heng was in prison from August 3, 2007 until February 19, 2008 for giving away Bibles. Christian bookstore owner Shi Weihan was arrested on March 19, 2008 for publishing and distributing Bibles and Christian literature. He is currently in prison. These two men testify to the great need for Bibles with their actions and their lives.
    
    ChinaAid President Bob Fu notes, “Mr. Willis is to be commended for his commitment to providing Bibles in China. However, he has overstated the Amity Press’ ability to supply enough Bibles to meet China’s pressing need. His conclusion that Bibles do not need to be carried into China through other means furthers the misinformation propaganda goals of the TSPM and Religious Affairs Bureau.”
    
    1http://www.christianexaminer.com/Articles/Articles%20Nov07/Art_Nov07_17.html
     http://chinaaid.org/pdf/Pre-Olympic_CHina_Persecution_Report_in_English_June2008.pdf
    
    2 http://www.pcusa.org/pcnews/2008/08446.htm
    
    To request permission to reproduce ChinaAid photos and/or information, please contact Katherine@ChinaAid.org.
    
    Read the Bible Society NSW’s release at http://www.biblesocietynsw.com.au/china. Also, the Bible Society NSW invites you to post your comments on their home page.
    
    Read the latest news on Christian bookstore owner, Shi Weihan, who is in prison for printing and distributing Bibles.
    http://chinaaid.org/2008/09/04/beijing-book-store-owner-shi-weihan-barely-recognizable-to-close-friends-due-to-extreme-deterioration-of-health/
    
    To express your concern over Shi Weihan’s imprisonment, contact:
    
    Tang Long, City of Beijing Deputy Secretary General of the Municipal People’s Government.
    Phone: 011-86-10-62362008
    
    Liu Jianchao, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Director of Information Department.
    Phone: 011-86-10- 65963342
    
    
    对华援助协会
    媒体部联络人：Katherine Cason (267) 210-8278 或者 Katherine@ChinaAid.org
    首府华盛顿联络人：Jenny McCloy (202) 213-0506或者Jenny@ChinaAid.org
    网址: www.ChinaAid.org 以及 www.MonitorChina.org
    传真: (432) 686-8355 [博讯来稿]