OH, BUT the incongruities of Red China. First, it calls itself the People’s Republic of China, but it doesn’t belong to the people and isn’t a republic. And it’s only part of China. Remember, the free Chinese live on Taiwan.
Now comes word that the tariff battle between Washington, D.C., and Beijing might affect Bible sales—because millions of Bibles are printed on mainland China every year.
Some estimates say 150 million Bibles are printed under the watchful eyes of the ChiComs each year. In a country where it can be dangerous to read from one! The Chinese may have an agnostic point of view, but they like their money. Being a proud atheist may be one thing, but don’t go making a religion out of it.
The papers say so many Bibles are printed in China because it so happens that the Chinese have the machinery to print such a large book on such thin paper. For some reason, probably many reasons, those kinds of printers aren’t available in many places elsewhere.
So . . . . Apparently, Donald Trump’s tariff war with China won’t just affect soybean farmers in Arkansas. It also might affect evangelism and Christian organizations that give away Bibles. Or just those of us who might need an upgrade to larger print in the coming year.
This continued tariff back-and-forth might amount to a Bible Tax, and we’re not kidding. The book—that is, The Book—could get more expensive. And, if worse comes to worst, the U.S. could see shortages.
Call this Reason No. 131 why tariffs are bad. The unintended consequences can be a holy mess. In the next round of talks, the administration would be wise to make the Bible issue a former one. To do otherwise would be to surpasseth all understanding. Which might be the only thing tariffs have in common with the peace of God.