Posted on 01/21/2005 4:38:06 PM PST by Tolerance Sucks Rocks
NEW YORK (Talon News) -- Rock music magazine Rolling Stone rejected an ad on Wednesday for a new Bible translation designed to reach "spiritually intrigued 18- to 34-year-olds" because it was deemed too religious.
Zondervan, the largest Bible publisher in the United States, was hoping to purchase space in the popular secular magazine to attract their target consumers for the new "Today's New International Version of the Bible," which is due to hit bookstores in February.
Doug Lockhart, who serves as the executive vice president of marketing for Zondervan, said he purchased the ad in Rolling Stone last July in preparation for the campaign to promote this new Bible.
"We were surprised and certainly disappointed that Rolling Stone had changed their mind and rejected our ad," Lockhart told the Associated Press.
Kent Brownridge, the general manager for Rolling Stone's parent company Wenner Media, said the Zondervan ad "doesn't quite feel right in the magazine."
"The copy is a little more than an ad for the Bible," Brownridge explained to USA Today.
He added, "It's a religious message that I personally don't disagree with."
But he said since there is "a spiritual message in the text," the ad would not be allowed to appear in Rolling Stone, because "we are not in the business of publishing advertising for religious messages."
"It's hard to have a policy that covers every conceivable product," Brownridge continued to USA Today when asked why the magazine granted Zondervan permission to advertise.
Talon News was unable to find any policy against "religious messages" on the Rolling Stone web site on Thursday.
Lockhart said he offered to change the ad, but Rolling Stone would not permit him to do so and refused to provide any written policy banning religious messages from appearing in Rolling Stone ads.
Lockhart said the ad does not even mention the name of God and features a young male looking intently at a Bible.
"In a world of almost endless media noise and political spin, you wonder where you can find real truth," the ad reads. "Well, now there's a source that's accurate, clear and reliable. It's the TNIV - Today's New International Version of the Bible. It's written in today's language, for today's times - and it makes more sense than ever."
Despite Rolling Stone's rejection of this ad, Lockhart said it will be featured in other media formats, including Modern Bride magazine, The Onion, MTV.com, VH-1 and America Online.
Zondervan is still disappointed their ad will not be featured in Rolling Stone as part of its $1 million blitz to reach an audience that is not accustomed to seeing an ad for a Bible.
"Our mission is more people engaging the Bible more, and Rolling Stone was a perfect fit for the group we want to reach," Lockhart explained to USA Today. "This rejection underscores the challenge we face."
Lockhart states Zondervan will not pursue any legal action against Rolling Stone for rejecting their ad and is still hopeful they will reconsider their decision.
"We were excited about it," Lockhart told Christian Retailing magazine. "We were surprised and disappointed when they changed their mind last week."
The TNIV is the first update of the New International Version, the world's bestselling English translation of the Bible, since 1978. The new language and interpretation is meant to appeal better to the younger generation of Bible readers.
Copyright © 2005 Talon News -- All rights reserved.
Christians and Lions PING!
Move on.....(not .org)
I guess they should have poised it as an ad for pedophilia.
It's beyond decadence-it's evil.
It's conduct like this that pushed me from agnosticism to Christianity. It's the Eighth Proof of the existence of God.
This trash called Rolling Stone comes to me free of charge. Yes I do run a Wedding DJ service, but I have never paid for it. It simply goes in the trash.
I have thought for some time that the existence of Satan is easier to prove than most religious ideas.
Anybody know the difference between the TNIV and the NIV?
I'm familiar with the NIV, but not the newer one.
And it's certainly shouldn't be a surprise that they would reject God and His Word.
You are absolutely correct. Par for the course. Yet let's be clear; they have every right not to accept advertising that wouldn't (in their view) have a positive impact on their readership.
By the same token, I wouldn't expect American Rifelman to accept an ad for Bowling for Columbine.
"Rolling Stone has the right to reject anything thaey want."
Apparently I missed the part where someone challenged their rights. The point is, this action should be publicized to exemplify the manifest hostility of the left media toward traditional values in general and Christianity in particular...sabotaging of America which has barely been answered as yet.
Yeah -- so what?
This decision merely reinforced the fact that their rag is cowardly, dishonest, pretentious garbage while it's content caters to the orgaistic, drug, homo, leftist culture.
Since when does rejecting material not deemed consistant with a publications theme considered "manifest hostility"?
Ridiculous.
Rolling Stone is not the place to reach a young demographic. My aunts and uncles read it!
Your point being?
I was just wondering the same thing, if anyone knows anything about this bible.
Here's your chance to educate yourself, kid.
Go back and actually read the article, to begin with.
Then, explain the facts as they are presented without alluding to a posture of hostility toward the object of the ad, ie an edition of the Bible. If you can do that without looking ridiculous yourself, I'll be glad to acknowledge it.
If you're as smart as you think you are, you'll shut up and take a lesson.
Yah. I have a few different xlations, but the NIV was my favorite. Good use of proper english without being dated or PC.
Anyway, what's going on with it is the logical conclusion of "dynamic equivalence." When you translate something, there are two ways you can try to translate it - as literally as possible, or thought-for-thought. The old NIV tried to be somewhat more thought-for-thought, without becoming a paraphrase.
The new tNIV's biggest change is to eliminate gender-specific pronouns where a modern writer would not use them. For instance, rather than address "brothers," "brothers and sisters" are addressed. "People" instead of "man" in some contexts.
It effectively communicates the message, and won't offend the feminists. But I wouldn't rely upon it for close exegesis.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.