Friday, June 25, 2004
New Bible advocates fornication
New versions of The Bible pop out at the drop of a laptop these days. I've lost count of the number. But a new one -- dubbed a translation, but really a paraphrase -- is causing raised eyebrows.
Titled Good as New, the new Bible is translated by former Baptist minister John Henson for the "One" organization, to produce what the group calls a "new, fresh and adventurous" translation of the Christian scriptures.
Among the innovations: it changes the original Greek and Hebrew names into modern nicknames. Peter becomes "Rocky," Mary Magdalene becomes "Maggie," Aaron becomes "Ron," Andronicus becomes "Andy" and Barabbas becomes "Barry." In keeping with the times, translator Henson deftly translates "demon possession" as "mental illness" and "Son of Man," the expression Jesus frequently used to describe himself, as "the Complete Person." In addition, parables are rendered as "riddles," baptize is to "dip" in water, salvation becomes "healing" or "completeness" and Heaven becomes "the world beyond time and space."
What is raising even more eyebrows, is endorsement of the version by Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams, who describes it as a book of "extraordinary power," but admitted many would be startled by its content.
For instance, "Instead of condemning fornicators, adulterers and 'abusers of themselves with mankind'," says Ruth Gledhill, the London Times religious affairs correspondent, "the new version of his first letter to Corinth has St. Paul advising Christians not to go without sex for too long in case they get 'frustrated.'"
Fortunately, we can easily ignore this new Bible, as there are some superb modern versions around which are very easy to read but don't commit gross violations of the original.
New versions of The Bible pop out at the drop of a laptop these days. I've lost count of the number. But a new one -- dubbed a translation, but really a paraphrase -- is causing raised eyebrows.
Titled Good as New, the new Bible is translated by former Baptist minister John Henson for the "One" organization, to produce what the group calls a "new, fresh and adventurous" translation of the Christian scriptures.
Among the innovations: it changes the original Greek and Hebrew names into modern nicknames. Peter becomes "Rocky," Mary Magdalene becomes "Maggie," Aaron becomes "Ron," Andronicus becomes "Andy" and Barabbas becomes "Barry." In keeping with the times, translator Henson deftly translates "demon possession" as "mental illness" and "Son of Man," the expression Jesus frequently used to describe himself, as "the Complete Person." In addition, parables are rendered as "riddles," baptize is to "dip" in water, salvation becomes "healing" or "completeness" and Heaven becomes "the world beyond time and space."
What is raising even more eyebrows, is endorsement of the version by Anglican Archbishop Rowan Williams, who describes it as a book of "extraordinary power," but admitted many would be startled by its content.
For instance, "Instead of condemning fornicators, adulterers and 'abusers of themselves with mankind'," says Ruth Gledhill, the London Times religious affairs correspondent, "the new version of his first letter to Corinth has St. Paul advising Christians not to go without sex for too long in case they get 'frustrated.'"
Fortunately, we can easily ignore this new Bible, as there are some superb modern versions around which are very easy to read but don't commit gross violations of the original.
