crownboy

Hey, that's the bible of my "religion"! It is somewhat biased, and the readability is not the best. Ironically, JW's believe it is the least biased translation around, and that it was prepared by dedicated scholars .

I think the Harper's Collins one is pretty good, BTW.

gilly54

The tally so far has the NRSV as the most recommended. I'm also going to look into Godless Sodomite's suggestion of the Layman's Parallel Bible, if only because I like a bargain and you get 4 for the price of one! And I want to read Writer@Large's suggested "The Happy Heretic", which seems like a good air trip book.
What is this NWT Bible all about that it'll raise eyebrows? I'm curious.

King Arthur

You can probably get it for free from most any Jehovah's Witness!

gilly54

Thanks everyone. I bought my daughter the NRSV ($6.99). I also printed parts of the SAB criticisms for "balance". I told her that the SAB takes the KJV wording to task, rather than trying to interpret the phrases in an appropriate context. The insults to women, though, are indefensable, regardless of what version you read.

Paul5204

Gilly:

What insults to women are you referring to?

The Torah gives the greatest praise possible to a woman, since it reports that the first human to have ever uttered the Name was that first woman, the mother of all living. The story reports that she was desirous of becoming wise like God. Apparently, she did.

Michael Ledo

I use a Gideon myself. They give them away at every motel I ever stayed at.

The newer translations are removing many of those controversial words and giving them new meaning in an attempt to change/alter the original meaning of the Bible. A give an example in my book "Bible Bloopers...."


Jesus’ Breasts
“The entire Bible is inspired, not just certain parts!”
–Josh McDowell


Revelation 1:13 reads as follows: “And in the midst of the seven candlesticks one like unto the Son of man, clothed with a garment down to the foot, and girt about the paps with a golden girdle.” The literal word used in this case is the Greek word “mastos” meaning “a (properly female) breast.” The word “paps” was changed in later Bibles to “breast plate,” but still remains in the King James version and in Gideon.
 An androgynous Christ does not translate well into modern day theology outside of the New Age. It was, however, well understood by the people of that time. Many gods were androgynous, including Shiva, Eros, Hermaphroditus, and Satan. Likewise statues frequently represented these gods/goddesses with exposed breasts, sometimes several pair. The androgynous image of Christ was utilized by the Gnostic Christians.
 The Gnostics prayed to the goddess of wisdom, the virgin Sophia. The Old Testament has completely removed Sophia from its text, although wisdom is still personified as feminine. A text from the Gnostic “Sophia of Jesus Christ” will leave no doubt of their androgynous belief: “I desire that you understand that First Man is called the Begetter, Mind who is complete in himself. He reflected with the great Sophia, his consort, and revealed his first-begotten androgynous son. His male name is called the ‘First-Begetter Son of God”; his female name is ‘First Begettress Sophia, Mother of the Universe.’ Some call her Love. Now the First-begotten is called ‘Christ.’” (5) In the Gnostic “Gospel of the Hebrews” Jesus refers to the Holy Spirit as “My Mother, the Spirit.” The Gnostics ordained women as priests and gave them an equal footing in the religious realm. Paul specifically spoke out against women speaking and teaching (Tim. 2:11-12, 1 Cor. 14:34-35: “it is a shame for women to speak in church,” 1 Cor. 11:1-12). There were deeper divisions among Christians in the belief of Christ in the first and second century than there are today.
 Ancient literature is filled with the rivalry of Paul and the Gnostics. Simon Magus was one of the Gnostic leaders and an arch-rival of Paul. It is doubtful that the scene of Simon’s conversion in Acts 8 actually took place.
 The apostle John could not have written Revelation. John knew Jesus personally, and would not have written about him in a Gnostic fashion. Besides, John was illiterate (Acts 4:13: “Now, when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men”). “Unlearned” or “agrammatos” in Greek is usually used in the context of “unlettered” or “illiterate.”

Toto

Michael Ledo - have you published this book you keep talking about? Or do you have a web page with your ideas in a readable form?

Michael Ledo

It is not on line. But if you keep reading all my posts, in time, you won't have to buy it. I mention it in my brief introduction. Infidel Guy has read it....and then sold it!!!

Radcliffe Emerson

The thing about the King James is it has verses added to it that are not in the oldest found manuscripts.
The passage in 1 John 5:7 about the Trinity does not appear anywhere prior to the 13 century.