New American bible changes some words such as ‘holocaust’

The Bible, one of the two most prominent books of fairy tales ever written (the other is the Koran) goes through more tweaking, as words and phrases are changed to presumably better reflect modern society and offer more profound meaning to certain passages. Talk about nonsense! And almost 50 so-called scholars have worked on this since 1994; what a waste of time!

The Bible went through so many translations and gyrations while being written and reproduced across generations (by barbarians I might add) along with countless additions and deletions of books within the volume by arbiters, that it’s really just a completely disjointed document; full of fables, absurdities and contradictions.

To summarize, the Bible is about as holy as the people who wrote it. And anyone who has read the Bible, even in part, will soon realize there was nothing remotely holy about its authors – nor could it have been “inspired” by a Supreme Being. No such entity could ever orchestrate a text as ridiculous as the Bible. TGO

Refer to story below. Source: Reuters

By Andrew Stern Andrew Stern

CHICAGO (Reuters Life!) – A new edition of one the most popular English-language bibles will offer substitutes for words such as “booty” and “holocaust” to better reflect modern understanding, a Catholic group said Wednesday.

Nearly 50 scholars from all faiths and a committee of Roman Catholic bishops have labored since 1994 over the first fresh edition of the New American Bible since 1970, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said.

The annual best-seller to be issued by a dozen publishers beginning next week on Ash Wednesday “is a beautiful translation — it’s a new way to look at an old love,” said Mary Sperry, who oversees bible licensing for the bishops.

The changes go beyond a few words being altered, and include freshly-written notes that should help readers better understand the Catholic church’s interpretation of biblical concepts, Sperry said. The Book of Psalms contains over 70,000 words, both text and notes, she said.

The revisions more accurately reflect translations of ancient Hebrew and Greek versions of the Old Testament and the constant evolution of modern-day language, Sperry said.

For example, the word “holocaust,” which for most people refers to the World War Two genocide of Jews, was changed to “burned offerings,” which clarifies the original, positive idea of making offerings to God.

“Booty,” which has come to have a sexual connotation, was changed to “spoils of war;” and “cereal,” which many think of as breakfast food, became “grain” to reference loads of wheat.

In a change in a passage in Isaiah 7:14 that foretells the coming of Jesus and his birth to a virgin mother, the 1970 edition’s reference to “the virgin” will become “the young woman,” to better translate the Hebrew word “almah.”

“The bishops and the bible are not signaling any sort of change in the doctrine of the virgin birth of Jesus. None whatsoever,” Sperry added.

The new edition will revert to more poetic versions of Psalm 23 to have it read, “I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,” instead of “dark valley.” And “I will dwell in the house of the Lord for years to come” was changed to “for endless days,” which Sperry said carried a more profound and hopeful meaning.

The current edition of the New American Bible sold more than one million copies last year, mostly in the United States, the Philippines, India, and Africa. The new version could spark a pickup in sales, Sperry predicted.

The edition will be available in many formats: as a family hardback, a basic paperback, as an “e-book,” as an “app” for cell phones, and in a Braille version.

(Editing by Greg McCune)

About The Great One

Am interested in science and philosophy as well as sports; cycling and tennis. Enjoy reading, writing, playing chess, collecting Spyderco knives and fountain pens.
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