Custom-printed Bibles for U.S. Special Ops on the way

[Logansquare]

Sojourners
http://www.sojo.net/index.cfm?action=sojomail.current_issue#20
From "Sojomail" (email newsletter)

Custom-printed Bibles for U.S. Special Ops on the way
by Steve Peacock
Although the International Bible Society (IBS) indeed will crank out a limited-run, special edition of the New International Version Bible in the near future, it's unlikely that readers will discover, for example, a previously unreleased surprise ending to the Good Book. Rather, according to FedBizOpps.com, a site for federal government procurement opportunities, the Department of Defense intends to award the IBS a sole-source contract for the production of 10,000 Bibles containing military-specific messages and imagery. The Bibles - which will be distributed to soldiers of the elite U.S. Special Operations Command - will feature a "custom-designed cover" and "Army designed color photographs and text inserts."

It appears that IBS's crafting of the Special Ops Bible will rely on the "new package, same great taste" approach that the commercial sector often takes when introducing a new logo or easy-grip handle for an existing product. It's hopefully safe to assume that though the Bibles are new, they will not be "improved." IBS has an extraordinary task ahead of it, as they must juxtapose, hypothetically, Christ's "Blessed are the peacemakers" pronouncement with army-centric motivational messages and images. A tough job indeed, given the context of 100,000 "excess casualties" - consisting mainly of women and children - that U.S. and British military forces may have caused since the 2003 invasion of Iraq, as indicated in the Oct. 29, 2004, edition of The Lancet, a British medical journal.

+ No kidding (Author's comment)
******************
Here's the requisition:

76-Custom printed Bibles
http://www1.eps.gov/spg/ODA/USSOCOM/FortBraggNC/Reference-Number-W81YJR4248N003/SynopsisP.html

[Maat]

1. You are kidding, right?

Isn't this a direct violation of the law (excessive entanglement between the government and religion)? I think so.

[Julius Civitatus]

18. NO MONEY FOR ARMOURED VEHICLES...

...in the frontlines, but apparently there's plenty of money to publish special war-morngering versions of the Bible and send them to the troops.

Well, I'm sure if they are thick enough, a bundle of these books could be strategically taped to the sides of the humvees...

:wtf:

[PROGRESSIVE1]

2. This cannot be legal?

:grr:

[Eric J in MN]

26. The Constitution says, "Congress shall make no law

respecting an Establishment of religion."


Not that "Congress shall spend tax dollars printing bibles."

[Quill Pen]

3. Perhaps if they made the covers out of Teflon...

...soldiers could duct-tape the bibles to the sides of their Humvees to use as armor.

What a colossal waste of money.

[Logansquare]

11. I'm sure such a premium Bible will fetch a premium price. n/t

[Left Brain]

13. Or perhaps

soldiers could just hold them out in front of them while walking through a hailstorm of arsenal.

Yeah, that'll work.

[genieroze]

4. Oh so they are translating the Bible into a Neocon version?

Can you say Antichrist? I'll stick with the King James Version.

[mdhunter]

5. Interesting that they are NIV bibles and not KJ versions.

The fundies think the NIV is the work of the devil. Honestly.

[DulceDecorum]

8. The evangelists CREATED the NIV

and that is about the only version they endorse or use.

[mdhunter]

10. Check this out, links concerning the "evil" NIV and Zondervan

Fundamentalists pledging allegiance to the 1611 KJV.

http://www.jesus-is-lord.com/#kjv

Scroll down to "ALL Modern Bible Versions are corrupted" as click on a few links. Crazy folk.

*ON EDIT* I'm posting this for illustrative purposes, I do not visit, endorse, or wish to believe I inhabit the same planet as, the creators of the linked site.

[ExclamationPoint]

19. Wow

I wish I could email those evil freak idiot creators of that site and kindly explain that they are fundemental idiots and if what they beleive in is true, then they will most definitley burn in hell the Bast****. GRRRRRRR! :mad:

Response to Original Message: Well I suppose now, since this is such a just and equal nation, that they will be making Torah's and Muslim holy books for everyone there. (sarcasm)

SHALOM OUT MAN!

[Doctor Panacea]

27. I took a long look at that site

I spent about an hour reading through that crazy website that defends the KJV Bible.

Spending time there is truly a trek through paranoia. I have never seen so much pure Angst in my life. It is everything imaginable: e.g., mistranslations of the Bible, Satanists, secret societies, homosexuals, homosexual marriage, Catholics a.k.a. Papists, witches, charismatics, Mormons, Seventh Day Adventists, and of course, as always, liberals.

They even discussed foreign-language versions of the Bible. They criticized the standard Spanish-language Bible (Reina-Valera, 1960) because, for example, in one place it leaves out the pronoun "él" ("he", in reference to Jesus) that had been in an earlier translation, even though the meaning of the sentence is perfectly clear to anyone who speaks Spanish.

[DulceDecorum]

6. Giving the Gideons the pink slip, eh?

Description
This is a notice of intent to issue a sole-source purchase order to International Bible Society, 1820 Jetstream Drive, Colorado Springs, CO 80921 for custom-printed Bibles. The Government intends to solicit and negotiate with only one source under authority of FAR 6.302-1(a)(2)(ii). Responses to this notice will be used to determine whether bona fide competition exists. Responses must be in writing, including technical and pricing information. The items being purchased are 10,000 New International Version (NIV) Bibles with a custom-designed cover. The Bibles include Army-designed color photographs and text inserts. The Bibles are being purchased as a follow on for compatibility with previously-purchased Bibles. All responses must be received by 4:00 pm EST on 30 November 2004. No telephone requests will be accepted. Requests for a solicitation will not be considered an affirmative response. All responses from responsible sources submitting the required information will be fully considered. As a result of analyzing responses to this synopsis of intent, the Contracting Officer may determine that the action may be competed with resulting award under the Simplified Acquisition Procedures. Responsible firms responding to this synopsis will be considered if the action is competed.

THe bibles in question are the New International Version.
Correct me if I am wrong,
but I am certain that the rights to that particular version are already taken.

The New International Version is a completely new translation of the Holy Bible made by over a hundred scholars working directly from the best available Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek texts. It had its beginning in 1965 when, after several years of exploratory study by committees from the Christian Reformed Church and the National Associations of Evangelicals, a group of scholars met at Palos Heights, Illinois, and concurred in the need for a new translation of the Bible in contemporary English. This group, though not made up of official church representatives, was transdenominational. Its conclusion was endorsed by a large number of leaders from many denominations who met in Chicago in 1966.

Responsibility for the new version was delegated by the Palos Heights group to a self-governing body of fifteen, the Committee on Bible Translation, composed for the most part of biblical scholars from colleges, universities and seminaries. In 1967 the New York Bible Society (now the International Bible Society) generously undertook the financial sponsorship for the project - sponsorship that made it possible to enlist the help of many distinguished scholars. The fact that participants from the United States, Great Britain, Canada, Australia and New Zealand worked together gave the project its international scope. That they were from many denominations - including Anglican, Assemblies of God, Baptist, Brethren, Christian Reformed, Church of Christ, Evangelical Free, Lutheran, Mennonite, Methodist, Nazarene, Presbyterian, Wesleyan and other churches - helped to safeguard the translation from sectarian bias.
http://www.ibs.org/niv/background.php

I think that
the only company that publishes NIV blibles is Zondervan.
And wait till you get a load of what else they publish
and the folks they give money to.

[DulceDecorum]

7. Yup, Zondervan just got a DOD contract.

Founded in 1931, Zondervan is the leading international Christian communications company. From its headquarters in Grand Rapids, Michigan, Zondervan produces best-selling Bibles, books, new media products, a growing line of gift products from its Inspirio group and award-winning children's products from its Zonderkidz group. The world’s largest Bible publisher, ZONDERVAN HOLDS EXCLUSIVE PuBLISHING RIGHTS TO THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION OF THE BIBLE—a translation with more than 150 million copies distributed worldwide. It is also one of the top Christian publishers in the world, selling its award-winning books through Christian retailers, general market bookstores, mass merchandisers, specialty retailers and the Internet.

Hodder & Stoughton is one of the biggest publishers of Bibles and Christian books in the UK having started as a Christian book publisher in 1868. Today Hodder's authors include Philip Yancey, Alister McGrath, JI Packer and Richard Foster. Hodder has published the NIV in an anglicised edition since 1978 and also publishes the NIrV across a range of both adult and childrens editions. As with the NIV and NIrV Hodder is the exclusive publisher of the TNIV in the European market.
http://www.tniv.info/story/organizations.php

The Coalition strikes again.

[Logansquare]

9. You are all adding some VERY interesting content to this thread

Thanks. I would think a mainstream media religion reporter might be interested in this story. If they don't belong the the World Journalism Institute.

[The Zanti Regent]

12. This is beyond abomination.

Is this what my only child died for?

Every day that goes by only makes me hate Jesusland MORE!

[atommom]

14. Creepy! A Bible with military imagery and "kill your neighbor" passages

to fire up the troops. That is just twisted.

[Sgent]

15. Bible Versions

The true right wingers (Ashcroft associates) will only use the KJ version.

More "mainstream" right wingers like the Southern Baptists will usually use either the KJ or the NIV version -- but that's it.

The real idiocy comes when the KJ bible mistranslates something "Thou shall not kill", and they will insist to high heaven (pun intended) that there is no mistranslation, but that the KJ is the inerrant word of God. I don't even bother anymore.

[Julius Civitatus]

16. Can you say CRUSADE???

I'm sure you could.

[bloom]

17. 'Train to kill, kill we will,'

"I was walking to chow hall with my unit, and we were yelling, 'Train to kill, kill we will,' over and over again," recalls Hinzman. "I kind of snuck a peek around me and saw all my colleagues getting red in the face and hoarse yelling -- and at that point a light went off in my head and I said, 'You know, I made the wrong career decision.'" 

(see the "deserter" thread)

[gordianot]

20. Let's see a plastic turkey and now plastic Bibles?

Like they said in one post and no add on armor?

Unreal

[rickrok66]

21. Hi from the heart of Jesusland

This is my first post.

The NIV seems to be one of the favorites of the Fundies. The problem is that they take this version literally, when the NIV is combination paraphrase and literal translation. It is supposed to be the best of both worlds in readability and accuracy, but I feel it lacks in both.

It is also not very ecumenical. I have never seen the NIV published with the Apocrypha - or Deuterocanonical books found in the Catholic Bible. I think if the they go forward and make this purchase, it could leave out a lot of folks.

The most ecumenical and most academic IMO would be the New Revised Standard with the Apocrypha included - very expensive and hard to find here in Oklahoma.

Finally, there is a source for Bibles to be provided for service members - it is called the Chaplain's Corps. It looks like these guys are duplicating efforts and thus wasting funds.

If you issues with this purchase, the bid is an open solicitation and the public has been invited to contact the listed points of contact.

[rodeodance]

22. seems that the US gov. can do what it wants--even distort the Bible to

its military image. Just when I think I have seen it all--something like this pops up!!!!!

[bloom]

24. Welcome to DU!!

While it would be nice if their Bible were more universal - I think the entire idea is a disgrace to Christianity anyway.

On the one hand - if they were going to have a special BIble for Christians - they should have special books for all religions...

What would be better - is not to do it at all.

[gordianot]

28. Maybe they will make them bullet proof.

Welcome to DU from another resident of Jesusland.

[teryang]

23. Does it come with the belt buckle?

What about a cool looking special insignia?

[Heartland]

25. This is the Neo-Christian Bible