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New Testament translation: Thou shalt have sex
Boston Herald (print edition) | June 23, 2004 | Unattributed

Posted on 06/23/2004 7:55:02 AM PDT by maryz

LONDON – The Archbishop of Canterbury has given his personal backing to a new translation of the New Testament in which Christians are told to go out and have more sex.

St. Paul’s condemnations of homosexual sodomy are deleted.

Instead of censuring fornicators, adulterers and “abusers of themselves with mankind,” the new version of his first letter to Corinthians has St. Paul advising Christians not to go without sex for too long in case they get frustrated.

The translation appears to contradict the authorized King James version which, in a passage in I Corinthians, often used to back the celibacy requirement in the Roman Catholic priesthood, quotes St. Paul saying, “It is good for a man not to touch a woman.”

But in the new version, he says, “My advice is for everyone to have a regular partner. Husbands and wives should strive to meet each other’s sexual needs. . . . It’s not good to refuse a partner.”

The new version was translated by John Henson, a member of a network of radical Christians that favors “inclusive language” in the Bible.

His translation also changes the original Greek and Hebrew nomenclature into modern nicknames. St. Peter becomes “Rocky,” Mary Magdalen becomes “Maggie,” Aaron becomes “Ron,” Andronicus becomes “Andy” and Barabbas becomes “Barry.”

In other passages, Henson renders “demon possession” as “mental illness” and “Son of Man,” the phrase used frequently to refer to Jesus, as “the Complete Person.”

Times of London


TOPICS: Current Events; General Discusssion; Religion & Culture
KEYWORDS: catholiclist; johnhenson; newtestament; stpaul
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To: ahadams2; sionnsar; Grampa Dave; AnAmericanMother; N. Theknow; Ray'sBeth; hellinahandcart; ...

London Times article, complete with excerpts from the new 'translation' posted as #40 in this thread.


41 posted on 06/23/2004 4:04:15 PM PDT by ahadams2 (http://trad-anglican.faithweb.com is the url for the Anglican Freeper Resource Page)
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To: ahadams2
Thanks for the Times version! As I said, I had trouble accessing it. Not substantively different from what the Herald picked up, but has more.
42 posted on 06/23/2004 4:10:40 PM PDT by maryz
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To: redgolum

This seems like something from the Onion. This *has* to be satire... "Rocky"? "Maggie"?


43 posted on 06/23/2004 5:19:49 PM PDT by GOPrincess
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To: maryz

Unless he was tricked into writing the foreward without reading this trashy so-called Bible, it seems that the Archibishop of Canterbury may have sold out to the dark side - and I don't mean The Simpsons.




BBC Version:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/3833693.stm

Canterbury backs updated Bible
A new translation of the Bible which seems to contradict traditional Christian beliefs on sex has been backed by the Archbishop of Canterbury.
The book, entitled "Good as New", is aimed at refreshing the language and themes of the Bible for modern readers.

In the new version, St Paul's advice that men and women should marry is replaced with they should have a "regular partner".

Dr Rowan Williams says it is a book of "extraordinary power".

But the Church of England leader admitted many readers would be startled by its content.

The words of St Paul are likely to cause most controversy.

A passage from the standard version of his Letters to the Corinthians reads: "It is well for a man not to touch a woman.
"But because of the temptation to immorality, each man should have his own wife and each woman her own husband."

In the Good As New version the same passage reads: "Some of you think the best way to cope with sex is for men and women to keep right away from each other.

"That is more likely to lead to sexual offences. My advice is for everyone to have a regular partner."

St Paul gives stronger advice in another section of the Corinthians.

"There's nothing wrong with remaining single, like me. But if you know you have strong needs, get yourself a partner. Better than being frustrated," he says in the new version.

John Benson, the former Baptist minister who translated the new book, made terminology changes throughout the book, such as replacing "demon possession" with "mental illness".

Mr Benson also chose "God's new world" in place of "kingdom of God".

Dr Williams said he hoped the new translation would "spread in epidemic profusion through religious and irreligious alike".

"Instead of being taken into a specialised religious frame of reference... we have here a vehicle for thinking and worshiping that is fully earthed, recognisably about our humanity," he said.


44 posted on 06/23/2004 5:54:56 PM PDT by plushaye
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To: maryz

As many have already pointed out, this is so extreme as to be a caricature of itself.

In other words, it lacks Satan's customary subtlety.

The 20th century was supposed to be Satan's. It's over. I suspect Satan may be lashing out in desperation as he feels his power waning.


45 posted on 06/23/2004 6:09:37 PM PDT by dsc
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To: dsc

Interesting you mention Satan...because this 'Bible' doesn't. Jesus isn't tempted by Satan in this heresy. The temptation thoughts just pop into His head. Here's an excerpt:

"Jesus felt he needed to spend some time in the desert to be clear in his mind which direction his life should take. (2) He went without food for about six weeks. By then he was near to starvation. (3) The thought came to him, "If I am God's Chosen One, all I need to do is to order these stones to become bread." Then he remembered some words from the old books, "People cannot live just on bread. They need God's words as well." (5) Then he had another idea. He saw in his mind's eye the temple in Jerusalem. (6) "Perhaps if I were to jump off the highest point I could prove I come from God? It should work like the song,

"God has friends who only wait

To lift you when you fall;

Soft your feet will touch the ground

Without a scratch at all."

(7) But then Jesus thought again of some other words from the old books, "You must not push God too far." (8) Then his mind formed another picture. This time he seemed to be looking down from a very high mountain on all the countries of the world. (9) Jesus thought, "All this could easily be mine. All I have to do is to be cunning and gain the support of the right people." Jesus quickly dismissed these ideas. He thought "These are the ways of evil. The old books tell us the only one we should try to please is God.

(11) Then Jesus felt at peace. Some of God's helpers arrived to look after him. "


There's no Satan and no angels and guess what else. Jesus goes around preaching about the New World Order. Doesn't that explain everything about this 'Bible'.

"(17) It was then Jesus started to say to people, "Turn your backs on wrongdoing. The New World is on its way!"


The laughable excerpts are from:
http://one.gn.apc.org/Translation.htm#Matthew


46 posted on 06/23/2004 6:21:52 PM PDT by plushaye
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To: plushaye

Forgot to also mention the female-gender Holy Spirit at Jesus' baptism took the form of a pigeon. Good thing it didn't poop on Him in this version.

" 16) After Jesus had been dipped in the river and was climbing up the bank, there was a sudden gap in the clouds and he experienced the coming of God's Spirit. She was like a pigeon flying down and perching on him. A voice from overhead was heard to say, "This is the one I love and I'm delighted with him."


47 posted on 06/23/2004 7:10:29 PM PDT by plushaye
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To: ahadams2

I don't know whether to laugh or rend my garments or what.

This is just unbelievable.

It's also some of the worst writing I've ever seen. This stuff should be entered in the Bullwer-Lytton contest, it's grand-prize material.


48 posted on 06/23/2004 7:20:24 PM PDT by hellinahandcart
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To: sauropod

You have to see this.


49 posted on 06/23/2004 7:23:26 PM PDT by hellinahandcart
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To: hellinahandcart

Someone made an acute comment on another site that it was the Monty Python version of the Bible.


50 posted on 06/23/2004 7:35:26 PM PDT by plushaye
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To: JimRed

Demons are trying to re-write the bible.


51 posted on 06/23/2004 7:38:51 PM PDT by tessalu
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To: hellinahandcart; ahadams2
This may be too much even for the Bulwer-Lytton folks.

(St. Paul rending his garments, by Raphael)

Where's a good lightning bolt when you REALLY need one?

52 posted on 06/23/2004 7:42:24 PM PDT by AnAmericanMother (. . . Ministrix of Venery (recess appointment), TTGC Ladies' Auxiliary . . .)
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To: dsc
The 20th century was supposed to be Satan's. It's over. I suspect Satan may be lashing out in desperation as he feels his power waning.

Sounds like some liberal democrats we know...

53 posted on 06/23/2004 7:46:58 PM PDT by kstewskis ("Political correctness is intellectual terrorism..." Mel Gibson)
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To: plushaye

Where's the part about the Holy Hand Grenade of Antioch?


54 posted on 06/23/2004 8:49:01 PM PDT by kaehurowing
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To: maryz

Yeah, I think I might have gotten it slightly backwards... Maybe it was the argument was that the use of the masculine in Hebrew did not imply necessarily male, and they wanted to use gender-neutral English words (i.e., "one who...") rather than masculine words ("He who...") but decided the English was acceptably gender-neutral, even if modernists don't get that "He" doesn't necessarily mean masculine, either.

Something like that. Point is the bible stays politically incorrect.


55 posted on 06/23/2004 9:03:54 PM PDT by dangus
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To: ahadams2

A pigeon? A frickin' pigeon? What, is "dove" too difficult a vocabulary word? Do they release "peace pigeons" at the Olympics now (right, bad example... the animal-rights wierdos have'm releasing paper birds.)?

No, the Holy Spirit descends like a bird of peace, not a frickin' ratbird.


56 posted on 06/23/2004 9:08:15 PM PDT by dangus
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To: plushaye

Actually, on one level, I do like the thoughts popping into his head like that. That IS how Satan works. If we only understood that our bad ideas were Satan speaking to us, we would recognize him much more easily.


57 posted on 06/23/2004 9:10:52 PM PDT by dangus
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To: Pio

Yep. The new breviary has Dag Hammerskald in it, why not this?


58 posted on 06/23/2004 9:12:03 PM PDT by narses (If you want ON or OFF my Catholic Ping List email me. +)
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To: Pio

See http://www.catholic-library.org.uk/catalogue/search_results.php?action=find_title&find=d


59 posted on 06/23/2004 9:13:50 PM PDT by narses (If you want ON or OFF my Catholic Ping List email me. +)
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To: dangus

True. But the Bible, as we know it, says Satan is an actual spiritual being. It implies he was there with Jesus (Matt 4:3) - or that's always been my interpretation. And their 'Bible' version of the Temptation is really rather mundane and boring tripe.

"(7) But then Jesus thought again of some other words from the old books, "You must not push God too far." (8) Then his mind formed another picture. This time he seemed to be looking down from a very high mountain on all the countries of the world. (9) Jesus thought, "All this could easily be mine. All I have to do is to be cunning and gain the support of the right people." Jesus quickly dismissed these ideas. He thought "These are the ways of evil. The old books tell us the only one we should try to please is God. "


60 posted on 06/23/2004 9:28:25 PM PDT by plushaye
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