Conservative Bible Project Cuts Out Liberal Passages
The Huffington Post
Rachel Weine
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Lo and behold, the Bible has gotten too liberal, according to a group of conservatives. And it needs a little editing.
That's the inspiration behind the Conservative Bible Project, which seeks to take the text back to its supposed right-wing roots.
Yes, even scripture is not orthodox enough for the modern conservative. Not that it's the fault of the author(s), exactly. The group cites a few reasons why the Bible is too progressive: "Lack of precision in the original language ... lack of precision in modern language" and "translation bias in converting the original language to the modern one."
So how can the Bible be conservatized? The group has proposed a Wikipedia-like group editing project. Some of the ideas would only bring the translation closer to the original. But others would fundamentally change the text.
1. Framework against Liberal Bias: providing a strong framework that enables a thought-for-thought translation without corruption by liberal bias
2. Not Emasculated: avoiding unisex, "gender inclusive" language, and other modern emasculation of Christianity
3. Not Dumbed Down: not dumbing down the reading level, or diluting the intellectual force and logic of Christianity; the NIV is written at only the 7th grade level[3]
4. Utilize Powerful Conservative Terms: using powerful new conservative terms as they develop;[4] defective translations use the word "comrade" three times as often as "volunteer"; similarly, updating words which have a change in meaning, such as "word", "peace", and "miracle".
5. Combat Harmful Addiction: combating addiction by using modern terms for it, such as "gamble" rather than "cast lots";[5] using modern political terms, such as "register" rather than "enroll" for the census
6. Accept the Logic of Hell: applying logic with its full force and effect, as in not denying or downplaying the very real existence of Hell or the Devil.
7. Express Free Market Parables; explaining the numerous economic parables with their full free-market meaning
8. Exclude Later-Inserted Liberal Passages: excluding the later-inserted liberal passages that are not authentic, such as the adulteress story
9. Credit Open-Mindedness of Disciples: crediting open-mindedness, often found in youngsters like the eyewitnesses Mark and John, the authors of two of the Gospels
10. Prefer Conciseness over Liberal Wordiness: preferring conciseness to the liberal style of high word-to-substance ratio; avoid compound negatives and unnecessary ambiguities; prefer concise, consistent use of the word "Lord" rather than "Jehovah" or "Yahweh" or "Lord God."
Among the words to be eliminated: "government." A conservative columnist at Beliefnet described the effort as "just crazy ... like what you'd get if you crossed the Jesus Seminar with the College Republican chapter at a rural institution of Bible learnin'."
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There are no words :/
Sauce
The Huffington Post
Rachel Weine
---------------------
Lo and behold, the Bible has gotten too liberal, according to a group of conservatives. And it needs a little editing.
That's the inspiration behind the Conservative Bible Project, which seeks to take the text back to its supposed right-wing roots.
Yes, even scripture is not orthodox enough for the modern conservative. Not that it's the fault of the author(s), exactly. The group cites a few reasons why the Bible is too progressive: "Lack of precision in the original language ... lack of precision in modern language" and "translation bias in converting the original language to the modern one."
So how can the Bible be conservatized? The group has proposed a Wikipedia-like group editing project. Some of the ideas would only bring the translation closer to the original. But others would fundamentally change the text.
1. Framework against Liberal Bias: providing a strong framework that enables a thought-for-thought translation without corruption by liberal bias
2. Not Emasculated: avoiding unisex, "gender inclusive" language, and other modern emasculation of Christianity
3. Not Dumbed Down: not dumbing down the reading level, or diluting the intellectual force and logic of Christianity; the NIV is written at only the 7th grade level[3]
4. Utilize Powerful Conservative Terms: using powerful new conservative terms as they develop;[4] defective translations use the word "comrade" three times as often as "volunteer"; similarly, updating words which have a change in meaning, such as "word", "peace", and "miracle".
5. Combat Harmful Addiction: combating addiction by using modern terms for it, such as "gamble" rather than "cast lots";[5] using modern political terms, such as "register" rather than "enroll" for the census
6. Accept the Logic of Hell: applying logic with its full force and effect, as in not denying or downplaying the very real existence of Hell or the Devil.
7. Express Free Market Parables; explaining the numerous economic parables with their full free-market meaning
8. Exclude Later-Inserted Liberal Passages: excluding the later-inserted liberal passages that are not authentic, such as the adulteress story
9. Credit Open-Mindedness of Disciples: crediting open-mindedness, often found in youngsters like the eyewitnesses Mark and John, the authors of two of the Gospels
10. Prefer Conciseness over Liberal Wordiness: preferring conciseness to the liberal style of high word-to-substance ratio; avoid compound negatives and unnecessary ambiguities; prefer concise, consistent use of the word "Lord" rather than "Jehovah" or "Yahweh" or "Lord God."
Among the words to be eliminated: "government." A conservative columnist at Beliefnet described the effort as "just crazy ... like what you'd get if you crossed the Jesus Seminar with the College Republican chapter at a rural institution of Bible learnin'."
-------------
There are no words :/
Sauce
the only way to get rid of the 'liberal bias' is to get rid of Jesus, since he was all into sharing and caring and loving, right? Which would then make these fundies not christians, since christians believe in Jesus and his messages.
Besides, I thought questioning the word of god was a sin. And, since the bible is the 'word of god,' editing it is a sin, right?
These people give Christians a bad name.
I don't have the same faith as these people.
I don't recognise their religion.
It upsets me and I'm ashamed of it.
But yeah. Just come on out and say you're Paulians.
Unless they're not actually retranslating, and just throwing out whatever they don't like from the already translated ones.
Accept the Logic of Hell
Logic. Of Hell. Logic ... in religion.
And I LOL'd IRL. I'm sorry, but religion is not logical. It's just NOT. I'm not saying that's a bad thing; just because I don't have religious faith doesn't mean I don't think anyone else should, either. But it's NOT LOGICAL. (ETA: let me clarify. I'm not saying that believing isn't logical. I'm saying that what people are told to believe in isn't logical.)
Exclude Later-Inserted Liberal Passages: excluding the later-inserted liberal passages that are not authentic, such as the adulteress story
So ... basically, what you're saying is that the "infallible word of god" is infallible only so long as you agree with it. Why don't you just go ahead and strike the entire New Testament - or at least the Gospels - since it's all that lovey dovey la-di-da-di claptrap about "love your neighbor" and all that other community organizer bullshit that that longhaired hippie spouted? Cause obviously, religion should never be about love, it should be about how high the smiting count is, amirite?
Good grief, these people need to go read The Prodigal God.
Edited at 2009-12-03 07:05 pm (UTC)
What. Bitches, don't you touch my favourite NT Jesus story! Seriously, get rid of that story, and you remove a lot of the theology of 99.9% of Christianity - which is forgiveness, redemption, Salvation and repenting of sins. But, I can see how they'd have a problem with the forgiveness and not stoning a woman part.
Edited at 2009-12-03 07:17 pm (UTC)
Also, Doesn't the last book in the Bible warn against changing things or taking things out lest God takes a page out of the Book of Life or something like that?
Edited at 2009-12-03 07:22 pm (UTC)
Revelation 22:18-19 says, "For I testify unto everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book, if anyone adds to these things, God will add to him the plagues that are written in this book; And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of this prophecy, God shall take away his part from the Book of Life, and from the holy city, and from the things which are written in this book."
avoid...unnecessary ambiguities
That...sums it up nicely
always thinking that Liberal Bias is trying to trick them all the time, and follows them around everywhere like that evil black cloud thingo from LOST (dunno what its called, never actually watched it)
The basis of all the religions I'm familiar is to basically be kind to others and to be a good person. But I guess that's not as much fun as being an intolerant dick, hence the religious right who seem to have fallen asleep during all the parts that didn't involve stoning people you don't like or misogyny. But if you're re-writing the bible to leave out all the peace, love, acceptance, and helping those less fortunate you might as well leave Jesus out entirely.