Why would you say this? Anybody can be any religion they choose to be. Many religious people switch churches now and again. If the place doesn't fit you then move on to what feels better to 'you'. If the person wants to read a bible there is no harm in that. Let them read it! I always say if it's not bad than it must be good.

I don't know if this is the case in China, but I do know some people who are into mythology beyond Greek and Roman, read the Bible as a form of mythology.

I don't know if mythology from cultures outside of China/Asia would even be acknowledged in China. 

I agree with you, that would be unusual to see. I'm under the impression that Chinese Christianity is kind of... frowned upon. 

I understand what you mean.  It just seems a little out of place and takes a moment to register in your brain.

I was born and raised in Los Angeles, and when I turned 18 I went to live in England for a few years.  On my first visit to London I asked a black man for directions to someplace, when he replied in a Brittish voice my brain temporarily refused to believe it was him talking.

Up until that moment, I had never spoken with a black person who wasn't raised in Los Angeles.  It just seemed, for a moment, like it wasn't natural for him to be talking that way.  

It turned out to be one of the events that opened my eyes to the world around me.  It broke through my narrow views and forced me to look at things from a new perspective.  So while it seemed odd at the time, I am really glad I had the chance to experience it.

China has been the fastest growing region for Christianity in the world in the past decade or so.  Many followers know about this fact.  It isn't that much surprise to see people here reading bible.

I saw a student (about 20yrs old) reading the bible one day. I also thought it seemed a little strange.

The Bible is something that is very important part and deeply ingrained into western cultures, and its not a part of the long history or cultures in the east. Even though christianity has been introduced by missionaries over the last few hundred years, it still stands apart as something wholly non-eastern.

I had a discussion with a woman here who is christian about her views of christianity. How she viewed many of the doctrines were greatly different from mainstream protestant or catholic stances. We were not debating which was right or wrong, but it was obvious that her views were an easternized version of it.

So yes, seeing someone here reading the bible or talking about it seems out of place to me, but it seemed equally out of place when a guy once told me that he was buddhist while we were eating chicken wings and drinking beer in the states.

I will clear up a little ignorance here.  Chinese have been reading the Bible for decades, for various reasons.  Some of my friends have read it because they consider it a strong symbol of the West and western thinking.  Others have read it out of curiousity.  And a few read it because they belong to or wish to belong to a flavor of christianity.  I've found it common enough to be puzzled by the original poster's surprise.  "Christianity doesn't suit Chinese"?  What an odd thing to say.  As if Chinese people are aliens or not human.  After all, the Bible is a book of eastern origin.

It's true that the form of Christianity legally taught here in China is different from the west.  Chinese people are only allowed to attend government approved churches and they are fed government approved doctrine.  This doctrine omits many basic and vital Bible truths.  There are western churches here, but they are not allowed to proselyte to native Chinese, so there is a separation of "Christian" beliefs in China.

Unlike Korea and Japan, who practice their faiths freely, "christians" in China are low key, but not at all rare.  They will inevitibly become more numerous in the future if the Bible is indeed the book it claims to be - a universal book of knowledge and wisdom for all peoples.

And yet (and you didn't hear this from me), China has one of the fastest growing underground Chrisitian movements in the world.

come on guys, there are tons of Westerners reading Chinese classics like the “Tao Te Ching" and "The Art of War"

6 years and counting...haven't seen it at all.

Would I be surprised? Nope...As students say, "I like to read a book!" I wonder if, in the eyes of students, the Bible is just another book anyways.

Would you be offended if I write "Does anyone find it weird seeing Black people reading a bible?". I presume you would.
Just think about how many Koreans and Japanese are Protestants and read the bible.
Anyway, you won't find that many Chinese reading bibles in public, with all the restrictions that go together with religions here, they can be taken away just for reading the bible.

 Jesus knows no nationalities,races, we're all God's children if we're truly saved. More and more christians are reviving up nowadays in china, throughout the history the more reviving christinity is the more powerful the country is. The flame started out in the UK, US, now Korea and China. It's our time to pay the gospel debt, big respect to all missionaries who died for sharing the gospel.
And if you're christian, seeing ur sis and bro reading the bible on the street, simply say hi, and plus Sangoku, you won't get arrested for reading the bible for I always carry the bible and read it whenever I'm free in public;)

emmanuel everyone!

Personally I attend church every Sunday. Approximately 3000 in total will attend the 5 Sunday session. Not sure if  'some' have got the total gist with regards to it, as many chat on the phone while service is being conducted. One lady noticed that I had blessed myself [sign of the cross] [ signing in-out] and ask what I was doing. Then she insulted me by expressing that I was not a true christian. [1] because I had blessed myself and [2] because I have tattoo's. Obviously to her being christened/baptized, into the Roman Catholic faith and the oldest establishment in the world, with the biggest following was not acknowledged by her. I was always lead to believe that we should always respect others religious beliefs and never question or query them.

Why weird?

The same OK like me reading Dao De Jing while being in my homeland.

Am I weird? I don't fit into my homeland? Or it is just Dao that don't fit?

Bible is not for someone..........It's a gift for all..............though i don't read it but i guess Chinese are welcome to............No body is different in the eyes of god....we all are his children in a way.............Hear me preaching my Expat children.......God Bless me and you and everyone............Now can i hear "Ameen"?!!!!!

A friend's grandma once convinced me to believe in God.As she said,her legs ached for nearly a whole year,she tried many medicines without any effect.One day,somebody told her to believe in God and said  the Father would cure her if her belief  was strong enough.And then miracle happened,she recovered gradually after becoming a Christian.I have no religion,but i think some religions do have good effects on the society,especially on the social morality.I bought a Bible a few months ago out of curiosity,i want to know why the book has so great an influence on so many people all over the world.

I do not consider this to be weird. Anyone around the world has the right to choose their religion and it should not be shocking if Christianity is visible in China. I have a good friend, she believes in God, and it was no shock to me when she told me that.