A gender-neutral bible

General Academics Religion and Philosophy
1

Fascinating sarcasm

Nashville - In the old translation of the world's most popular Bible, John the Evangelist declares: "If anyone says, 'I love God', yet hates his brother, he is a liar." Make that "brother or sister" in a new translation that includes more gender-neutral language and is drawing criticism from some conservatives who argue the changes can alter the theological message.

The 2011 translation of the New International Version Bible, or NIV, does not change pronouns referring to God, who remains “He” and “the Father”. But it does aim to avoid using “he” or “him” as the default reference to an unspecified person.

The NIV Bible is used by many of the largest Protestant faiths. The translation comes from an independent group of biblical scholars that has been meeting yearly since 1965 to discuss advances in biblical scholarship and changes in English usage.

Before the new translation even hit stores, it drew opposition from the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, an organisation that believes women should submit to their husbands in the home and only men can hold some leadership roles in the church.


Lovely.

2

while their attempt is admirable, it’s still misguided. agga shame.

3

Hmm, curious that no one made anywhere near as much of a fuss when Enid Blyton’s stories were sanitised and PC-fied. The fundies doth protest too much, methinks.

'Luthon64

4

I don’t read either anymore, so I don’t really care what they do to them, but please don’t tell me that the Famous Five are now 2 girls, 2 boys and a castrated dog?

5

No, these days they’re two Chinese, one Indian and one Caucasian person plus a mulatto cripple, all of indeterminate age and gender. They converse in Esperanto and HR newspeak. The dog was traded in for a duckbilled platypus that used to do unicycle tricks blindfolded for Boswell Wilkie. They all have Blackberry smartphones.

'Luthon64

6

One shudders to think what they may have done to the Secret Seven or Noddy and Bigears. Perhaps what Noddy and Bigears were accused of in the distant past is now what they proudly do (in the back of Noddy’s little car), and even PC Plod is too PC to care.

7

Yeah, but Noddy’s little red car is now an even smaller hybrid SUV from Korea. Mr Plod does regular emission tests on it, ably assisted by Mrs Plod and Plod Jr, who is studying towards a postgraduate degree in interior decorating while smashing gender stereotypes. Golliwog joined the Black Panthers and soon thereafter was appointed CEO of a large multinational in nature conservation. They don’t drink or smoke.

'Luthon64