Out of the Ordinary...

I'm stepping out of the Bible reading mode for this post. Today comes the news that the publishers of The New International Version Bible are going to tweak it to update the language. For example the article says that Mary will no longer be "with child" but instead will be "pregnant".

I don't use the NIV. I've never liked what I felt was the dumbing down of the Bible. I don't know why it's done. Tweaks here or there, changes in the terms of gender mentioned, making it more universal than saying God created man, it now says God created human beings, seems rediculous.

Christianity seems to be one of the few religions that bends to modern "standards". It goes as far back as commandeering Pagan holidays and calling them Christian holidays (Christmas, Easter) in order to attract Pagans. The dangling of the shiny coin "Look! Shiny! Christmas!!" They changed the music in the services because the old hymns were deemed too boring. They created mega churches with huge movie screens with which to view the pastor from 1000 people away. They play hard rock music where there's suppose to be a message somewhere in amongst the screaming guitar, hard hitting drums and yelling front man. They add coffee shops outside the foyer so you can take your mocha into the mega church service and while I have never agreed with having people arrive to church wearing expensive "Sunday" clothes, there seems to have been a complete disconnect and we see teens showing up in butt lifting jeans and midriff baring tanks.

Today, I'm sounding much older than my 41 year old self feels but I don't like the bending to modern standards. The word should be enough and if it's not, then it's the way you're telling it, or not telling it that's the problem. It's the constant begging for money to support the mega churches expenses that's losing people. It's the lack of compassion. The lack of Christ Like behaviors that's turning people away. It's the loud angry screams from people holding Bibles while at the same time demanding that we shouldn't give people access to healthcare, that's sending people away in droves.

It isn't the way the Bible was written.



Tracy (Now back to our regular programming)

(Link to NIV changes)