In which I ramble about religion
I've been holding back a soap box regarding tons of outrage over the replaced words in one of the newer versions of the Bible. Put as simply as I can: I teach kids from a KJV because that's all I'm allowed to teach from. They get glazed eyes as I read and don't understand a word of what I'm saying. Lucky for me, my teaching book translates it all into a lesson using the same words the newer versions of the Bible use. Go figure. Then again, if a person didn't own a newer version they probably wouldn't know this. I've heard all the arguments many times. But God gave me a brain that scored an almost perfect score on my reading comprehension section of my ACTs. I choose to read and research and form my own opinions. It is my God-given right. I also know the history of King James and wouldn't trust him to watch my goldfish much less to oversee the translation of a Bible. I've also worked with Latin several times while writing and the language is difficult to translate. Greek is no better.
Once I overheard a person in conversation say they heard that one of the newer versions referred to Jesus and Satan as the "Morning Star". Now because this person trusted the person who made this claim, they believed it to be true. I happened to own the version that was accused of such a thing. I spent the night looking through it. The accusation was false. Let me just add that referring to Lucifer as Satan is unjust and unfair. Lucifer was his name as an angel. Satan was the name God gave him later, after the fall. One means "light bearer" and the other means "enemy". Research does a body and mind good. It also prevents us from falling into the same dark dungeon our ancestors were kept in before the Bible was translated into English the very first time. What was this dark dungeon? It was trusting that what we were being told was all true, but not being able to read or find out ourselves. The point behind the first translation was to give every person, no matter their station or height of education a chance to learn God's Word. History tells us many men, women and children lost their lives fighting to have this privilege. Their theory? If all men are created equal in God's eyes then every person should be able to understand the Bible. I feel they had it right on and would hate to see their deaths be in vain.
Now if Shakespearean language is something a person has big trouble understanding then not only do I think it's perfectly acceptable but I encourage them to read a clearer version of the Bible. The men and women working to translate from the original texts are not dumber than the men who translated the texts all those years ago. Of course, back then the educated (as in those who knew Latin) of the world thought we should release bad humors in our bodies by slitting our skin and bleeding into a bowl.
Today we call this "cutting" and it screams of a need for help regarding our mental state.
The first thing to maturity is understanding that every day we deal with people we don't agree with. We just have to agree to disagree and work together anyway. So, yeah, maybe you don't agree with all these newer versions. And sure, you can voice your opinion, but that's all it is. Just an opinion. And that's all this is, just my opinion. Thank goodness we're not still living in the time that King James can burn me at the stake for disagreeing with the way he spoke English. Having an opinion NEVER gives a person the right to persecute those who think differently. It just doesn't. I'm sorry.
And this is another example of why I don't write for the Christian market. Christians have argued over doctrines for ages. Because of this, we have tons and tons of denominations. For my own sanity, I refuse to take a ride on that tailspin.
But I believe in God and I believe the KJV of the Bible is a beautiful piece of work. But it's okay that the KJV isn't for everyone. In my Christianity, I'm very thankful a person who has never been to church and who flunked English Lit class can pick up a newer version of the Bible and be able to understand the words printed before them.
Of course, I have no idea how people feel about the German, French, Chinese, Japanese, etc. versions. ;-)
Once I overheard a person in conversation say they heard that one of the newer versions referred to Jesus and Satan as the "Morning Star". Now because this person trusted the person who made this claim, they believed it to be true. I happened to own the version that was accused of such a thing. I spent the night looking through it. The accusation was false. Let me just add that referring to Lucifer as Satan is unjust and unfair. Lucifer was his name as an angel. Satan was the name God gave him later, after the fall. One means "light bearer" and the other means "enemy". Research does a body and mind good. It also prevents us from falling into the same dark dungeon our ancestors were kept in before the Bible was translated into English the very first time. What was this dark dungeon? It was trusting that what we were being told was all true, but not being able to read or find out ourselves. The point behind the first translation was to give every person, no matter their station or height of education a chance to learn God's Word. History tells us many men, women and children lost their lives fighting to have this privilege. Their theory? If all men are created equal in God's eyes then every person should be able to understand the Bible. I feel they had it right on and would hate to see their deaths be in vain.
Now if Shakespearean language is something a person has big trouble understanding then not only do I think it's perfectly acceptable but I encourage them to read a clearer version of the Bible. The men and women working to translate from the original texts are not dumber than the men who translated the texts all those years ago. Of course, back then the educated (as in those who knew Latin) of the world thought we should release bad humors in our bodies by slitting our skin and bleeding into a bowl.
Today we call this "cutting" and it screams of a need for help regarding our mental state.
The first thing to maturity is understanding that every day we deal with people we don't agree with. We just have to agree to disagree and work together anyway. So, yeah, maybe you don't agree with all these newer versions. And sure, you can voice your opinion, but that's all it is. Just an opinion. And that's all this is, just my opinion. Thank goodness we're not still living in the time that King James can burn me at the stake for disagreeing with the way he spoke English. Having an opinion NEVER gives a person the right to persecute those who think differently. It just doesn't. I'm sorry.
And this is another example of why I don't write for the Christian market. Christians have argued over doctrines for ages. Because of this, we have tons and tons of denominations. For my own sanity, I refuse to take a ride on that tailspin.
But I believe in God and I believe the KJV of the Bible is a beautiful piece of work. But it's okay that the KJV isn't for everyone. In my Christianity, I'm very thankful a person who has never been to church and who flunked English Lit class can pick up a newer version of the Bible and be able to understand the words printed before them.
Of course, I have no idea how people feel about the German, French, Chinese, Japanese, etc. versions. ;-)