Bible Translation Causes Trauma


For most people reading the Bible can transform and uplift the spirit. However, one man claims that certain verses in particular translations have caused him "emotional pain and mental instability," according to a recent RNS story printed in the Grand Rapids Press. Because of this trauma, Bradley Lashown Fowler of Canton, Michigan, is now seeking $60 million from Zondervan, as well as $10 million from Thomas Nelson Publishing in a lawsuit filed in federal court on July 7. The reason for his trauma? Fowler claims that the Bibles published by the above companies refer to homosexuality as a sin and therefore have made him "an outcast from his family" and have "contributed to physical discomfort and periods of demoralization, chaos, and bewilderment." He believes that "the intent of the publisher was to design a religious, sacred document to reflect an individual opinion or a group's opinion or a group's conclusion to cause him or anyone who is a homosexual to endure verbal abuse, discrimination, episodes of hate, and physical violence...including murder."

Enough of the conspiracy thinking and paranoia. Maybe the Word is simply doing what it is intended to do: convict the sinful heart and lead it to repentance. When the hammer of the law strikes a sinful heart, there is bound to be inner pain. The Old Adam does not die easily. Perhaps Fowler is feeling the effects of the Spirit's calling, rather than imagined hatred of his assumed enemies.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Firefighter's Cross

Image
[Note: A similar article to this will be shared with my department at their next meeting. During this Lenten season when we are meditating on the significance and meaning of the Passion of our Lord and the Cross at Golgotha, it seemed like one way to offer a witness to the department that captured their interest and yet was not too heavy.] [Editorial Note: In response to a recent comment on this article I have made some changes to the original version of this article especially in regard to references to the so-called St. Florian's Cross. For any confusion the previous unreferenced information may have caused I apologize. I hope that the changes are satisfactory.] THE STORY OF THE MALTESE CROSS In many ways the familiar symbol to the right requires no explanation. It is the universal insignia of firefighting nationwide. Yet the precise origins of this symbol are less clear. The most popular explanation proposes its beginning in the far distant past of medieval Crusaders fi...
Read more

Historical Roots of the Warham Guild Hood

Image
In doing just a little checking on the internet, it's interesting to see how the Warham Guild hood, which I have as part of my STM degree attire, is actually a throwback to the Medieval hood. One article notes "the work of the Warham Guild in its imaginative renderings of medieval hoods" (reference is from here ). Again, here is my hood: The Medieval hood, which was originally a very practical outer garment to cover a person's head and shoulders, protecting both from the elements, bears striking resemblance to this revived form: This hood was also a part of the garb of monks in that era. The Medieval hood, in some cases, also had what is known as a "liripipe," a long tail hanging from the back of a hood. You can see the modern stylized version of this on my own hood. From an article on "Academic hood development" we read that "By 1463 the favourite dress of doctors was the hood with round bell-shaped cape, and the lir...
Read more

Five Things You Shoud Not Say at Funerals

Image
After preparing for a couple of funerals here recently, I was reminded of an article I read a few years back in the Concordia Journal entitled, "Five Things You Should Not Say at Funerals" (October 2003). My one pet peeve with funerals I attend as a guest is the all too frequent absence of Christ crucified and risen. Too often the content is trivial and shallow and centered on the life and times of the deceased instead of our Lord. However, even after several years of ministry, I realize that I may not have always presented the fullness of our hope as accurately as possible, even while preaching Christ. Dr. Jeff Gibbs gave me pause to think. The five things he tells us we ought not to say: 1.) "Bob has received the crown of righteousness, and he has heard the Lord say, 'Well done, good and faithful servant.'" Gibbs reason for not saying this: Like some of the phrases to follow, these are words that point to the final Day of Judgment, not to th...
Read more