News

Bhutan Budges

Buddhist nation will likely legalize Christianity.

For the first time in Bhutan’s history, the long-isolated Buddhist nation’s government seems ready to grant official recognition and accompanying rights to a miniscule Christian population that has remained largely underground.

Chhoedey Lhentshog, the authority that regulates religious organizations, discussed at its December meeting how a Christian organization can be registered to represent its community, according to agency secretary Dorji Tshering.

Thus far, only Buddhist and Hindu organizations have been registered and thus are permitted to openly practice their religion and build places of worship.

Asked if Christians were likely to enjoy the same rights soon, Tshering replied, “Absolutely”—an apparent paradigm shift in policy, given that Bhutan’s National Assembly banned open practice of non-Buddhist and non-Hindu religions in resolutions passed in 1969 and 1979, respectively.

“The constitution of Bhutan says that Buddhism is the country’s spiritual heritage, but it also says that his majesty [the king] is the protector of all religions,” he added, explaining the basis on which the nascent democracy is willing to accept Christianity as one faith among its citizens.

According to a source who requested anonymity, the government is likely to register only one Christian organization, and would expect it to represent all Christians in Bhutan—which would call for Christian unity in the country.

The government’s willingness to recognize Christians is partly aimed at bringing the community under religious regulation, said the anonymous source. Thus, its policy shift is evoking a mixed response among the country’s estimated 6,000 Christians.

Last month, a court in south Bhutan sentenced a Christian man to three years in prison for screening films on Christianity. The government is in the process of introducing a clause into the country’s penal code that bans conversions by force or allurement.

Though never colonized, landlocked Bhutan has historically seen its sovereignty as fragile due to its small size and location between India and China. It has sought to protect its sovereignty by preserving its distinct cultural identity based on Buddhism and by discouraging social tensions and unrest.

Copyright © 2011 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

Related Elsewhere:

See Christianity Today‘s news section and liveblog for more news updates.

Also in this issue

The CT archives are a rich treasure of biblical wisdom and insight from our past. Some things we would say differently today, and some stances we've changed. But overall, we're amazed at how relevant so much of this content is. We trust that you'll find it a helpful resource.

Cover Story

Chasing Methuselah

Unreasonable Doubt

How to Teach Sex

Cartoon

Cartoon of the Month

Review

The Center of the Good News

Changing Forever How You Think

Wilson's Bookmarks

The Enduring Church

Filling the Dad Gap

Review

Luminous Slice of China

Connoisseur for Christ: Roberta Green Ahmanson

Books to Note

News

'Chilling Verdict'

Flunking Pew's Pop Quiz

News

Generic Christian U.

The Meaning of Business

Give to Street People?

Excerpt

Wise Stewards

My Top 5 Books on Poetry for the Soul

Editorial

Cracks in the Crystal Cathedral

News

Go Figure

Sudan's Politics of Prayer

News

Constructing Peace

The Rush to Reconcile

Readers Write

News

A Developing Nation Inside the U.S.

A God-Sized Food Bank

News

CIA Releases Missionary Plane Shooting Report, Church Bolts over ELCA Agricultural Proposal & More

Stay Young! Live Longer!

News

Top 10 News Stories of 2010

News

Boarding Bust: Schools for Missionary Kids See Lower Attendance

News

Resist the TSA?

Interview: Condoleezza Rice's Faith Context for Foreign Policy

View issue

Our Latest

Latino Churchesโ€™ Vibrant Testimony

Hispanic American congregations tend to be young, vibrant, and intergenerational. The wider church has much to learn with and from them.

Review

Modern โ€˜Technocultureโ€™ Makes the World Feel Unnaturally Godless

By changing our experience of reality, it tempts those who donโ€™t perceive God to conclude that he doesnโ€™t exist.

The Bulletin

A Brief Word from Our Sponsor

The Bulletin recaps the 2024 vice presidential debate, discusses global religious persecution, and explores the dynamics of celebrity Christianity.

News

Evangelicals Struggle to Preach Life in the Top Country for Assisted Death

Canadian pastors are lagging behind a national push to expand MAID to those with disabilities and mental health conditions.

Excerpt

The Chinese Christian Who Helped Overcome Illiteracy in Asia

Yan Yangchu taught thousands of peasants to read and write in the early 20th century.

What Would Lecrae Do?

Why Kendrick Lamarโ€™s question matters.

No More Sundays on the Couch

COVID got us used to staying home. But itโ€™s the work of Godโ€™s people to lift up the name of Christ and receive Godโ€™s Wordโ€”together.

Review

Safety Shouldnโ€™t Come First

A theologian questions our habit of elevating this goal above all others.

Apple PodcastsDown ArrowDown ArrowDown Arrowarrow_left_altLeft ArrowLeft ArrowRight ArrowRight ArrowRight Arrowarrow_up_altUp ArrowUp ArrowAvailable at Amazoncaret-downCloseCloseEmailEmailExpandExpandExternalExternalFacebookfacebook-squareGiftGiftGooglegoogleGoogle KeephamburgerInstagraminstagram-squareLinkLinklinkedin-squareListenListenListenChristianity TodayCT Creative Studio Logologo_orgMegaphoneMenuMenupausePinterestPlayPlayPocketPodcastRSSRSSSaveSaveSaveSearchSearchsearchSpotifyStitcherTelegramTable of ContentsTable of Contentstwitter-squareWhatsAppXYouTubeYouTube