Distortion of the Bible narrative in Chinese educational book: Christ sentenced a woman to stoning

A Chinese ethics textbook has distorted the Bible story, changing the ending to show Christ stoning a woman accused of being a "sinner."

This distortion, the latest move by the atheist Chinese Communist Party to control and suppress religion in the country, has angered Christians, many of whom are calling on the Vatican to reconsider its cooperation with the Chinese regime.

The textbook is titled “Professional Ethics and Law” and is taught in all vocational schools in China. The Content Review Committee of the Chinese Ministry of Education approved the use of the book in 2018. One section of the book tells the story of “Jesus and the Woman Taken in Adultery.” However, instead of accurately quoting the narrative, the book distorts the ending of the story and portrays Jesus as a murderer.

In the original text of this account in the Gospel of John, a group of people interrupted Jesus’ teaching session and brought a woman accused of adultery. They asked Jesus if the woman should be stoned according to the Ten Commandments. After ignoring this interruption of the teaching session, Jesus told them that he who is without sin should cast the first stone. After Jesus spoke, they realized that none of them were without sin and left the meeting. Jesus then asked the woman if anyone had accused her, and she answered no. Jesus then said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go away and sin no more.”

On the other hand, the Chinese book completely changes the narrative: "When everyone left the place, Jesus personally stoned the woman, saying, 'I am also a sinner, but if the law were only to be enforced by people who were free from sin, there would be no such thing as the law.'"

The book then goes on to ask the reader: “Based on this short story, what is your view of the law?”

The distortions were exposed after a priest posted photos of the book on social media. A Christian education minister later confirmed the content, saying that the content of the textbook varies across China. Social media users were outraged by the distortion, with many calling the text “blasphemous” and some writing that the real devil is the Chinese Communist Party itself.

The US-based China Aid Association, which supports Christians inside China, condemned this destructive distortion of the Bible, saying that the text seriously distorted the image of Jesus Christ in religion and that the purpose of spreading this distorted narrative was to confirm the ruling party's philosophy.

China Aid said in a statement:

“The text of the CCP’s book directly states that if lawmakers must be innocent of sin, there can be no law. In other words, since illegal behavior by Chinese judicial officials in law enforcement is inevitable, other governments have a duty to tolerate it. The CCP regime has been trying for years to reinterpret and redefine the principles of the Bible to conform to the socialist values ​​of the followers of Xi Jinping, the current leader of China, and past leaders.”

The Chinese Communist Party has pursued a policy of severely suppressing underground Christians and other religious groups, destroying churches and arresting members and leaders. In September 2019, Chinese authorities ordered a Catholic church in the eastern province of Jiangxi to replace a statue of the Virgin Mary and Child with one of China’s leader Xi Jinping. They also ordered the church to hoist a Chinese flag at the church’s entrance and to paint the following message on the church’s door: “Follow, be grateful to, and obey the Communist Party.”

Many Christians have called on the Vatican to review its relationship with the Chinese communist regime. In September 2018, the Holy See signed a historic agreement with the Chinese Communist Party on the ordination of priests in the country. Before the agreement, Chinese Catholics were divided into two groups: those who worshipped in unofficial underground churches loyal to the Vatican, and those who attended the Catholic Church controlled by the communist regime. After signing the agreement, Pope Francis immediately recognized seven Beijing-approved bishops without consulting the Vatican.

The deal and its vague details have drawn sharp criticism from Catholics and human rights advocates outside China, who have described it as a “surrender” to the regime, citing the Chinese Communist Party’s systematic persecution of Christians. The two sides are expected to meet soon to renew the deal, Reuters reported, citing a senior Vatican official.

US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo recently called on the Vatican to take a tougher stance against human rights abuses by the Chinese Communist Party. “It is clear that the China-Vatican agreement has not protected Catholics from the party’s persecution, nor has it stopped its appalling treatment of Christians, Tibetan Buddhists, Falun Gong practitioners, and other spiritual practices,” he wrote in a US religious magazine on September 18.

Source: Epoch Times