Why is the Bible banned in so many countries?

 

Some of you will know that in recent years I have had the joy (and sometimes the stress) of travelling to different parts of the world. The main reason I visit is to share the message of the Bible with unbelievers and to talk with believers about some of the Bible's great truths.  I was once asked what I did for a living. That can either be a conversation stopper (if the person I am talking to thinks being a Christian preacher is weird) or open an interesting conversation. On that occasion, I decided to be a little coy with my answer, so I said, 'I research and promote the world's best-selling book.' Of course, I was talking about the Bible. You might be surprised by that fact, but it is true. Billions of copies of the Bible are sold every year, and every major source agrees that no other book, religious or secular, comes close to its total circulation[1]. Statistically, no other book comes near. The Bible stands at around 5-6 billion copies sold or distributed; Quotations from Chairman Mao Tse-tung, 1.1 billion; The Qur'an, 800 million, and so on. 

There are around six countries where the Bible is either banned or makes owning a Bible so dangerous that it effectively functions as a ban. In nine nations, despite not having a formal ban, the activity of extremists, and the levels of government surveillance make access to or the use of the Bible extremely difficult. You might be asking, "What is your point?" I have a couple, so please bear with me. Firstly, we should all be grateful that we still have the freedom to read and evaluate religious texts such as the Bible. Secondly, you need to ask – what is it about the Bible that makes it so feared?

 

One of the wonderful things about sharing that Bible with people is knowing how powerful it is. It is the word of God (I know you may not agree, and thankfully, you have the freedom to do so), and it claims to be eternal and living. Reading, believing and acting upon its truth will change your life – maybe this is where the 'fear factor' comes from!  The apostle Peter wrote a similar description of scripture in one of his letters. He was describing the effect of becoming a Christian and confirming that the source of that change was God, as revealed in the Bible. Let me quote the whole of his statement so you can read it for yourself:

 

'Through Christ you have come to trust in God. And you have placed your faith and hope in God because he raised Christ from the dead and gave him great glory. You were cleansed from your sins when you obeyed the truth, so now you must show sincere love to each other as brothers and sisters. Love each other deeply with all your heart. For you have been born again, but not to a life that will quickly end. Your new life will last forever because it comes from the eternal, living word of God. As the Scriptures say, "People are like grass; their beauty is like a flower in the field. The grass withers and the flower fades. But the word of the Lord remains forever." And that word is the Good News that was preached to you,' 1 Peter 1:21-25 (NLT).

 

I challenge you to get a Bible and read it this year. That privilege may not always be available to you, so take the opportunity while you can. Have a good year.

 

[1] Source – Guinness World Records and multiple independent analyses confirm its number one position.

All photos courtesy of Unsplash

The changing landscape of life

 

I was in the Emerald Isle for a St Patrick's Day conference several years ago, and it lived up to its reputation - green and beautiful even on misty and foggy mornings. It was a very sunny day when I arrived, and the views from the plane were stunning. Beautiful beaches and scenery. As I looked out the window, I wished I were there on holiday, but it was a business trip, and there was work to be done.

My mother and my wife are from the north of the country, and there are many similarities in the people's mindset. The way they think and their attitude to life are quite similar, especially those from rural communities. At that time, it was interesting to see the evidence of prosperity; every house I came across seemed to be bigger than the one before. It is, however, not the way things were when I visited. The country was struggling economically, and I was told that there were whole estates of houses which had never been occupied and might even be knocked down. What a shame and a waste of money.

Advice for Growing old

 

We know that life is constantly changing and that nothing lasts forever. In many ways, this is a harsh and sad reality. Most of us find it hard to accept that we will grow old, that loved ones will pass on, and that children will grow up and leave home. You know the types of things that I am talking about. Sad but true!

Please read on, as I have good news for you. The Bible teaches that God made us with an eternal soul. The soul is the real person, the real you. Although the body ceases to live upon our physical death, the soul lives on. Many people don't believe this anymore. The late Stephen Hawking, a British Physicist and author, dismissed the notion of an afterlife in an interview in 2011 conducted by Ian Sample for The Guardian. In that interview, Hawking was discussing his views on consciousness, death, and the afterlife and said, 'I regard the brain as a computer which will stop working when its components fail. There is no heaven or afterlife for broken-down computers. That is a fairy story for people afraid of the dark'. 

Stressed about world affairs?

 

As I sit here writing this, I wonder how you are feeling? I know that many of us find the way things are in the world quite stressful. I know there are a lot of people who really struggle with the negative news feeds and the constant barrage of updates on social media. So I set out to explore whether it was just a general impression I had and discovered that global conflicts are causing widespread stress, anxiety, and profound mental health issues. This is described by experts as a form of ‘globalised trauma’. This stress stems from fear, hopelessness, and a loss of control, affecting not just those directly in combat zones but also civilians worldwide witnessing the events*. 

What is happening globally at the moment is not unexpected. The Bible vividly portrays a world of escalating military conflict. For instance, the Lord Jesus taught His followers (recorded in Mark chapter 13 verse 7, ESV) - ‘And when you hear of wars and rumours of wars, do not be alarmed. This must take place, but the end is not yet’. This is not the only place where this warning is given. If you do a little research, you will find that Iran, Israel, Russia (there are more) are all prophesied as being involved in global conflict in ‘end times’. It would be unwise to claim that these predictions are currently being fulfilled. Still, it would also be careless to ignore the possibility that various scenarios are rapidly taking shape.