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The Bible-New and Improved

Published on Saturday, November 7, 2009 by CommonDreams.org

The Bible-New and Improved

by Christopher Brauchli



Both read the Bible day and night,
But thou read'st black where I read white.
-William Blake, The Everlasting Gospel

The Pope is not the only person keeping religion in the news. His efforts to
do so by inviting Anglicans to join his congregation, are almost
overshadowed by a less well-known but more ambitious project being
undertaken by none other than Andrew Schafly, son of the well-known
conservative activist, Phyllis Schafly. Andrew, Harvard Law and Princeton
undergraduate who majored in electrical engineering, has decided to use his
skills as engineer and lawyer to fix something that many people did not
realize was broken-the Bible.

Andrew created Conservapedia which is the conservative's answer to
Wikipedia, an on line encyclopedia that Andrew believes has a liberal bias.
Conservapedia, however, is more than a conservative encyclopedia. It has
undertaken the translation of the Bible that will correct the liberal
infusion of thought that now permeates that book. This it turns out, is no
minor task because the King James Version (KJV) and the New International
Version (NIV) have so many examples of a liberal bias that correcting them
is an enormous challenge. Although its work has just drawn attention, it is
already well underway. As of this writing, of the 8000 verses in the New
Testament 30% or 2400 verses have been translated. (The word "translate" has
a different meaning for Conservapedia than for most scholars. KJV is the
baseline text used for "developing a conservative translation" rather than
the "original Greek or Hebrew".)

The work is being done by very sophisticated people who are able to
translate verses from the KJV that make the verses more understandable to
the contemporary reader while, simultaneously, removing the liberal
influence. Two newly translated verses make the point. In Matthew 4:19 and
20 the KJV has the following confusing passage that displays a distinct
liberal bias. It reads as follows: "And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I
will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and
followed him." The new, much clearer and less liberal translation by
Conservapedia reads as follows: "And he told them, "Follow Me, and I will
make you fishers of men. And immediately they left their fishing nets behind
and followed Him."

Although the translations were done by highly sophisticated translators, Mr.
Schafly recognizes the importance of public input in such a significant
project. Thus, in the description of the project that lists which Gospels
have been completely translated, it notes, parenthetically next to the name
of the Gospel that has been translated: "improvements welcome." That is
egalitarian, suggesting, as it does, that coming up with a better
translation of the KJV or the NIM is not limited to a few pointy headed
scholars but can be assisted by the likes of you and me, even if we know
nothing of Hebrew or Greek.

Defining the scope of the project, Conservapedia says there are three major
sources of error. The most significant is that Greek and Hebrew lacked the
words to adequately "convey new concepts introduced by Christ." A footnote
embellishes on this, explaining that "Christianity introduced powerful new
concepts that even the Greek and Hebrew were inadequate to express, but
modern conservative language can express well." The second source of error
(apparently contradicting the first) says the rewriting is necessary because
of the "lack of precision in modern language." The truth of that is
demonstrated by reexamining the passage from Matthew quoted above. Finally,
there was a translation bias in converting the original language to modern
language. The three errors are, says Conservapedia, easily addressed.

The first error is cured by using experts in ancient language (and you and
me by letting us suggest improvements). Linguists are able to cure the
second type of error. But the "third-and largest-source of translation error
requires conservative principles to reduce and eliminate." A footnote to
that sentence observes that professors and higher education participants
were involved in the NIV and could be "expected to be liberal and feminist
in outlook" thus producing a Bible influenced more by political correctness
and other liberal distortions than by genuine examination of the oldest
manuscripts."

Conservapedia sets out 10 guidelines that a conservative translation of the
Bible will satisfy. They include providing a "thought-for-thought
translation without corruption by liberal bias", avoidance of "gender
inclusive" language and "other modern emasculation of Christianity", not
"dumbing down the reading level", and use of conservative terms to capture
the "original intent." (That is similar to adhering to the "original
intent"
of the U.S. Constitution favored by Antonin Scalia.) One way of getting back
to original intent is to "utilize "powerful new conservative terms. . .
.Defective translations use the word 'comrade' three times as often as
'volunteer'."

It is impossible in a few words to do justice to Mr. Schafly's effort. It is
worth going to the website linked above in order to enjoy the full flavor of
this very important work by a few dedicated Christians. Some of my more
creative readers may even want to accept the invitation to offer their own
suggestions on how this new Bible can be improved.


--
NOTICE: This post contains copyrighted material the use of which has not
always been authorized by the copyright owner. I am making such material
available to advance understanding of
political, human rights, democracy, scientific, and social justice issues. I
believe this constitutes a 'fair use' of such copyrighted material as
provided for in section 107 of the US Copyright
Law. In accordance with Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107

"Let the word go forth from this time and place, to friend and foe alike,
that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans--born in
this century, tempered by war, disciplined by a hard and bitter peace, proud
of our ancient heritage--and unwilling to witness or permit the slow undoing
of those human rights to which this nation has always been committed, and to
which we are committed today at home and around the world.
"
-John F. Kennedy, 1961

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