Mar 31, 2004 / 22:00 pm
“The Passion of the Christ” has “struck a heavy blow against atheism,” says one Chinese youth, despite government policy that could potentially ban the film from cinemas because of its religious nature.
However, since early March, Mainland China Christians have circumvented this possibility and have resorted to viewing pirated copies of the film on DVD, reported AsiaNews.
“The Passion of the Christ” begins showing in cinemas in Hong Kong, Macao and Taiwan at the beginning of April. But there is no indication about whether the film will be shown in Mainland China.
Foreign movies entering China must undergo strict censorship by government authorities. The State advocates atheism in education, and school textbooks define Jesus as a mythical character. Any film as religious as “The Passion” risks being banned and viewed as a challenge to communist state authority.