Put some lipstick on that pig.
Posted on 10/07/2005 8:38:02 AM PDT by Caleb1411
As evangelicals debate the inclusive-language Today's New International Version (TNIV), many liberal mainline churches have slipped far down the slippery slope in what they have done to the Bible.
In 1990, the National Council of Churches published the New Revised Standard Version (NRSV), an inclusive-language rendition of the well-accepted Revised Standard Version (RSV). This translation keeps masculine references to God and to Jesus, but changes them for human beings, getting rid of the generic "man," putting "brothers and sisters" where the original just has "brothers," and using awkward plurals and repetitions to avoid the generic "he." Never mind that the messianic title "Son of Man" is now "a human being." What the NRSV did to the RSV is pretty much what the TNIV did to the NIV.
But that much inclusive language was not enough for many mainline churches. An Inclusive Language Lectionary, a rendition of Scripture texts read during the worship service, takes the next step of changing the gendered language for God. Today, the congregations who use this lectionary in Sunday worship pray to "our Father-Mother." Jesus is not the Son of God, but the "child of God." The pronoun "he" is not even used for the man Jesus, replaced with ungrammatical constructions: "Jesus Christ, who gave Himself for us" becomes "Jesus Christ, who gave self for us" (Titus 2:13-14).
But that much tinkering proved not to be enough either. In 1995, Oxford University Press published the New Testament and Psalms: An Inclusive Version. This revision of the NRSV not only uses gender-inclusive language for God and Jesus ("God our father-mother"), it also eliminates, in the words of the introduction, "all pejorative references to race, color, or religion, and all identifications of persons by their physical disability." In avoiding all "offensive language," "darkness" is changed to "night," lest it offend black people, and "the right hand of God" is changed to "the mighty hand of God," lest it offend left-handed people.
But that does not go far enough. The liberal Catholic group Priests for Equality published in 2004 the Inclusive Bible. "Kingdom" is both sexist and authoritarian, so the priests made up a new word, "kindom." Adam is not a "man," he is an "earth creature." And to avoid offending homosexuals or others in nontraditional relationships, the words "husband" and "wife" are changed to "partner."
But since radical theology depends on demonizing the "patriarchy" of the Bible, the Inclusive Bible includes footnotes admitting that "the actual Hebrew is even more brutal" and chastising the apostle Paul for his retrograde attitudes. Then the translators just change the text to something more suitable.
But the Inclusive Bible does not go far enough either. The Bible version Good as New: A Radical Retelling of the Scriptures uses what its introduction calls "cultural translation." Not only is it inclusive, it translates ancient terms into their modern-day equivalent. Thus, "demon possession" becomes "mental illness." Even names are changed: Peter, Nicodemus, and Bethsaida become "Rocky," "Ray," and "Fishtown." Religious terminology is eliminated, as not being in accord with our culture: "Baptize" is changed to "dip"; "salvation" is changed to "completeness."
The translation describes itself as "women, gay and sinner friendly." Thus, when Paul says that it is better to marry than to burn, the Inclusive Bible says, "If you know you have strong needs, get yourself a partner. Better than being frustrated." The Inclusive Bible follows the higher critics in leaving out the Pastoral Epistles and Revelation, and it follows The Da Vinci Code in including instead the Gnostic Gospel of Thomas. This translation is endorsed by the Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, and the evangelical leader Tony Campolo.
But does any of this matter, as long as people are exposed to the Bible? Yes, it does. The bisexual deity "Father-Mother" is not the true God, nor is this made-up religion Christianity. These translations are not the Word of God. Just the Word of Man.
I'm annoyed by the whole "10 Commandments" idea. Can we change it to "8 Suggestions"? Thou shouldn't ___________ (unless thou really feels like it). < /sarcasm>
I wonder if one of the disciples was renamed "Bulwinkle."
Have you tried a PCA (Presbyterian Church of America) or Orthdox Presbyterian church? You won't find any of that nonsense in either one of them.
It includes the Gospel of Thomas???
I'm sorry, but bending over backwards to make a bible PC and then including the Gospel of Thomas???
That's kind of like the MC, "I must apologize to the audience for permitting the last act on stage. I can't believe he said 'Afro-Americans,' when the term is 'African-American.' Now here's D.J. Sambo the Cop-Killer singing 'The Final Solution: Ahm So Lazy 'Cuz Ah Miss My Plantation.'"
I know the Gospel of Thomas is a favorite among writers (By the way, if you're going for offensive anyway, skip the dull DaVinci code and go straight for the jaw-droppingly offensive but at least provocative movie, "Stigmata.") who like to promote the notion that there are ancient stories of Christ which were rejected for inclusion in the bible, but I seriously wonder how many have ever read the Gospel of Thomas. It's from an ascetic, celibate sect with some revoltingly non-modern ideas.
My thoughts exactly... read post #32.
Although it is highly unusual to translate foreign-language based proper nouns (my own name in real life would, if translated, be a rather long phrase) "Rocky" is a reasonable translation of "Peter" or "Cephas". I don't know what "Bethsaida" means. They must have been smoking something to get "Ray" out of "Nicodemus".
As for the rest, what they have produced is not the Bible, and is arguably blasphemous.
>> The pastor at the Presbyterian USA church of which my wife and I are members has already started inserting the Father-Mother thing. <<
What do you expect from a church named PC-USA?
Put some lipstick on that pig.
Gimme that old time religion, it's good enuf for me.
Rocky for Peter (petra) is understandable, and Bethsaida was a fishing village on the Sea of Galilee. Ray for Nicodemus? Ya got me on that one.
It's all about homosexuality. The gay agenda trumps everything.
Oops... I should've read your link before commenting. I had been very impressed by a concert a friend of mine dragged me too, but it looks like she fell off the deep end again. Whenever I defend a singer based on her music, I should always remember that the song "Respect Yourself," featured a video promoting bondage and sexual sado-masochistic humiliation.
Oops, I mean post #44.
Just amazing how the Bible predicts such, Christ will return when his Church no longer exists on this earth....this is just one more step in that direction.....
Yetch. I'm not going to argue that New King James is the best translation, but at least it's readable! And if you've got the Internet, you can easily enough check out the original language anyhow...
If nothing else, Fishtown is stupid. OK, suppose we are translating the bible culturally... Do you call any fishing villages, "Fishtown?" How about Fish Harbor, at least? Fishport? Bethesda?
As for Ray... I'm stumped, also. I would suggest Victor, instead... if I were one to screw with the bible, that is.
Traditional Anglican ping, continued in memory of its founder Arlin Adams. Literally, "House of fish." We start calling the state of Colorado "red" (or "ruddy," if having an offical red state is too confusing), and Utah "People of the Mountains," and Michigan "Big Sea Water", then I'll see the logic behind changing Bethsaida to "Fishtown"...
There have been legions of unknown people who have copied, faithfully, the "original" OT and NT Hebrew and Greek texts. For example, multiple copies and fragments of John's gospel are known to exist. Despite being spread out over time and space, these texts are amazingly consistent. Another example is the Dead Sea Scrolls, which are (IIRC) ~900 years older than previously-known OT documents. The differences in the texts over 900 years are minor.
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