Crucifixes are being made at the Junxingye Factory in Dongguan, China, by mostly young women-- several just 15 and 16 years old--forced to work routine 14 to 15 ½-hour shifts, from 8:00 a.m. to 10:00 or 11:30 p.m., seven days a week. There are also frequent 17 to 18 hour shifts ending at 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. and even monthly all-night 22 ½ to 25-hour shifts before shipments must leave for the U.S. All overtime is mandatory, and anyone missing even a single overtime shift will be docked a full day's wages. It is common for the workers to be at the factory at least 100 hours a week. Workers are paid just 26 ½ cents an hour, which is half of China's legal minimum wage (already set at a below-subsistence level) of 55 cents an hour. After fees deducted for room and board, the workers take-home wage can drop to just nine cents an hour. Workers are housed in primitive dorm rooms sleeping on narrow double-level metal bunk beds that line the walls. There is no other furniture, and the rooms reek of perspiration. The walls are filthy, smudged with black, while spider webs cling to the ceiling. The bathrooms are so damp and dirty that moss grows on the floor...Anyone missing a day due to sickness will, as punishment, be docked two-and-a-half day's wages. Workers fear that they may be handling toxic chemicals, but they are not told the names of the chemicals and paints, let alone their potential health hazards.

The National Labor Council held a press conference outside St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York last week to publicize the report. Prior to that point, St. Patrick's sold the crucifixes on site, but they have since pulled them from shelves. Trinity Church in New York City did the same. The ACR, on the other hand, has only issued this brief statement:

While we occasionally hear this issue raised, and believe there are factories in China where human rights are violated, we believe claims that products sold through CBA member stores are made in these shops are irresponsible and unfounded."

The ACR's media relations person sent me a generic statement that said there were "inaccuracies" in the NLC report, but she refused to give specifics when I asked. The statement only said that their supplier had gotten "assurances" from the owners of the factory in China that the allegations were false. The media relations person at Family Christian Stores in Grand Rapids was unaware of the report and said they would return the call with any statement they wished to make. They never called back.

Christian merchandising is a lucrative and growing segment of the retail market, a multi-billion dollar a year industry that markets everything from Bibles to keychains to the ubiquitous What Would Jesus Do stickers. It seems unlikely that the Jesus who told his followers "Whatever you do to the least of these, you do unto me also" would countenance the use of virtual slave labor to produce the symbols of his life.