Controversial New Bible Cuts Out Difficult Gospel Passages

[Mark E. Smith]

Ekklesia 10/18/06

A new Bible translation is causing controversy after it cut out difficult
parts surrounding economic justice, possessions and money.

The new bible version, released by the Western Bible Foundation in
the Netherlands, has created a storm by trying to make the Christian
gospel more palatable.

According to Chairman Mr. de Rijke the foundation has reacted to a
growing wish of many churches to be market-oriented and more
attractive. "Jesus was very inspiring for our inner health, but we don't
need to take his naive remarks about money seriously. He didn't
study economics, obviously.

According to DeRijke no serious Christian takes these texts literally.
"What if all Christians stopped being anxious, for example, and
started expecting everything from God? Or gave their possessions to
the poor, for that matter. Our economy would be lost. The truth is
quite contrary: a strong economy and a healthy work ethic is a gift
from God."

http://www.ekklesia.co.uk/content/news_syndication/article_061018bible.shtml

Well, what the hell. Might as well make it official.

[Hissyspit]

1. The Word of God

sanitized, propagandized, censored...


whatever.

[Eric J in MN]

4. " the Western Bible is a joke."

"It is published by Time to Turn, a network of Christian students and young adults in the Netherlands 'who want to choose a sustainable and just way of life, based on their faith in Jesus Christ.'"

[Bandit]

38. For about the 20th time

It worked in the past so why shouldn't it work now?

[msongs]

2. christianity doesnt need any of that Jesus crap does it?

the alleged man's words are SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo inconvenient when the followers want to gas jews, and lynch negroes or bash gays, beat up their wives and kids, commit adultery, all the usual stuff.

darn Jesus, cut his words out of the bible right now :-)

Msongs
www.msongs.com/political-shirts.htm

[Megahurtz]

36. You forgot

"what if Christians gave their possessions to the poor" so I guess now they're poor bashing too.
I guess according to their Bible it's okay to be greedy now.:eyes:

Wow, I'm so glad that the Reich Wing will now be able to sleep at night. :sarcasm:

[notadmblnd]

3. So now God is too naive for the christians?

but.. but.. but... I thought he was all knowing and all powerful (hence no need for an economics class). And they call us non- believers faithless. :crazy:

[ThoughtCriminal]

5. Forget all that "Sermon on the Mount" stuff

that requires us to care about the poor and oppressed. Just let us know which republican we need to vote for to get into heaven.

[Goblinmonger]

6. Yeah, this is horrible

because this is the first time that the "word of god" has been changed. :sarcasm:

Through translation and blatant censorship, the changes are legion. This is just another brick in the wall of how silly religion is.

[Gabi Hayes]

7. Supply Side Jesus....see Al Franken

[seabeyond]

8. change the constitution, change the bible to fit the right wing agenda?

[cap]

9. did they bother to ask "The Man" about this???

what did Jesus say? You cant go monkeying around with what he said....

[Wilms]

10. I suppose, too,

that the Ten Commandments are just a "God-damned piece of" stone to these folks.

More layers to the hypocrisy.

[Swede]

11. Jesus is sooo 1st century.

:shrub:

[genie_weenie]

12. So is it just reduced to Mark 12:31?

Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. There is none other commandment greater.

[Iris]

13. It's a joke.

"Sometimes Christians seem to have more anger than humour, however. The names of the board, ‘De Rijke’ (meaning ‘the rich’) and ‘Fortuijn’ (meaning ‘fortune’), as well as the holes in the pages of the Western Bible hint to the truth: the Western Bible is a joke."


Sometimes it pays to click on the link and read what's there!

[struggle4progress]

27. The Bible photo is a classic.

[woo me with science]

29. a pretty scathing and effective statement

about society more than the Bible, i think.

[Iris]

30. yes, I should have said it's scathing satire!

[OwnedByFerrets]

14. Well, how convenient

Did they remove the parts about hating homosexuals also?
Oh wait, they didnt have to cut that out. Its never been IN there.:sarcasm: :rofl:

[papau]

15. God never did understand economics - or how to spread Democracy -

Jesus should have spoke about the need to make the rich more rich so there is more trickle down for the poor. But then Jesus was not well educated and didn't even have good genes - not coming from a rich family and all that.

No one who is a Christian takes Jesus' words seriously. really.

Heck he was probably against torture and war - and he never owned a piece of a military industrial company or an insurance company or even a drug company.

[NYC]

16. The Word by Irving Wallace.

I just read it a week ago. How timely.

[Vidar]

21. One of my favorites 30 years ago.

[Charlie Brown]

17. "a strong economy and a healthy work ethic is a gift from God"

sounds like the Gospel According ot Dick Cheney. I can't believe this was not an Onion article.

[Generic Other]

18. The story of the fish and the loaves is now about Jesus' franchise

fish and chips business.

[omega minimo]

19. "be ye as the nitwits of the field"

:wow: NO WAY. This has gotta be a joke

[TygrBright]

20. Please, please, please, somebody tell me this is SATIRE, right?

>> "Jesus was very inspiring for our inner health, but we don't
need to take his naive remarks about money seriously. He didn't
study economics, obviously<<

This is The Onion, yes?

fearfully,
Bright

[LWolf]

37. Yes. Just read the whole thing. n/t

[TygrBright]

39. Whew. Thanks! Knowing some of the Christianists....

...and their attitudes about "God helps good people get rich," I was really worried there!

relievedly,
Bright

[Vidar]

W e need to restore lost material-apocrypha & gnostic texts--not take more

[treestar]

22. LOL, they must be kidding! What is their religion, then?

why claim it is Christian at all? LOL, they think they can just edit it to co-incide with their desires?

[Canuckistanian]

23. The Gospel of Supply Side Jesus

http://www.buzzflash.com/contributors/03/09/17_franken.html

A must read, if you haven't seen it.

[Mr_Spock]

24. lol - Jesus was very inspiring ... but ... naive

:rofl:

This just shows the foolishness of making a business (religion) out of a perfectly fantastastic philosophy as imagined by Jesus.

So many so-called "Christians" just don't fucking get it.

[Miss Chybil]

25. Jesus was naive? LOL!

I guess the "H." in Jesus H. Christ must stand for Hypocrite to some people.

[GreenPartyVoter]

26. Okaaaay. That was one of my fave things abt Jesus, tho

[StellaBlue]

28. HAHAHAHAHAHA - HELLO?!?!?!?!?!?! Not the first time!!!

They've been cutting books and phrases for years. Like, since about 100AD.

:eyes:

[KittyWampus]

31. That is a great point! How many times has the text been altered

to fit the power structure's needs?

[porkrind]

32. Carl Sagan...

"... religions are tough. Either they make no contentions which are subject to disproof or they quickly redesign doctrine after disproof. The fact that religions can be so shamelessly dishonest, so contemptuous of the intelligence of their adherents, and still flourish does not speak very well for the tough-mindedness of the believers. But it does indicate, if a demonstration was needed, that near the core of the religious experience is something remarkably resistant to rational inquiry."

--Carl Sagan, Broca's Brain

[radfringe]

33. and it's the NINE commandments now (with a revision)

they removed the one about NOT LYING...

...it gets bush off the hook

and the one about adultry has been revised with a signing statement which exempts republicans

[Megahurtz]

34. Just so the Fundies

can justify their "legal" thieving I bet.:eyes: Doesn't surprize me at all from that bunch.:puke:

[LWolf]

35. It's Christian satire.

Delivered by a group of Christians who want to point out disagreement with picking and choosing which scripture to live, and which to discard.

For those who did not actually clicked the link and read the article:

<snip>

Hundreds of Western Bibles have been sold in the first few weeks, whilst anxious Christians filled newspapers and web logs with their doubts.

Sometimes Christians seem to have more anger than humour, however. The names of the board, ‘De Rijke’ (meaning ‘the rich’) and ‘Fortuijn’ (meaning ‘fortune’), as well as the holes in the pages of the Western Bible hint to the truth: the Western Bible is a joke.

<snip>

Frank Mulder, chairman of Time to Turn, is surprised by the commotion.

"Many Christians accept the Western lifestyle, including the degradation of creation and the injustice of our trade, and they only take the easy parts of the gospel. But it isn't until we publish this gospel with holes, that they get confused!"


My copy of the "Boomer Bible" is satire of another sort.

[bobbolink]

40. What a creative way to bring attention to the true message!

Hurrah for the Dutch!

:applause: