Sshado - 29 September 2007 10:40 PM

Very interesting website. Those types of things are handy if you aren’t the type of person that wants to read the original and develop your own interpretations. I believe this is a truer way to do it, and I disagree with ‘translating’ scripture into an easier to read English. However, as you said, most believers will dispute it!

Why not into easier to read English?  What’s important?  The words or the message?  The originals weren’t in “difficult to read Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek.” And the King James Version is so outdated in terms of language that it’s laughably misunderstood.  I know two different people who were taking a seminary course (at different times, probably the same teacher) and there was a discussion as to which translation the teacher was using.  It seemed close to NIV but it was still different.  Somebody snuck up to the podium to have a look.  He was reading Greek and translating on the fly.

fmiddel - 27 June 2008 12:58 PM

Why not into easier to read English?  What’s important?  The words or the message?  The originals weren’t in “difficult to read Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek.” And the King James Version is so outdated in terms of language that it’s laughably misunderstood.  I know two different people who were taking a seminary course (at different times, probably the same teacher) and there was a discussion as to which translation the teacher was using.  It seemed close to NIV but it was still different.  Somebody snuck up to the podium to have a look.  He was reading Greek and translating on the fly.

“Why not into easier to read English?”

Because “The Bible condemns homosexuals” - except it doesn’t. For one thing there is no discussion of lesbians at all, so women can do as they wish.

Also, the passages about male homosexuality are not comprehensible now.

Overview of Leviticus 18:22

This is a passage from the Mosaic Code that is often used to condemn homosexual behavior in general.

In transliterated Hebrew, the verse is written: “V’et zachar lo tishkav mishk’vey eeshah toeyvah hee.”

The first part of this verse is literally translated as “And with a male you shall not lay lyings of a woman.”

Now if it said “And with a male you shall not lay” that would be clear, but “lyings of a woman”? It seems no one knows what that means in this context.

It’s like the 2nd amendment - without the “Militia” bit it would be simple but why the extra qualification? How does that alter it?

There are many other words in the bible not found elsewhere - Iscariot is one notable example.

I’d like a bible in Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek with a word for word translation to English and then a list of alternate possible meanings. Then I could make up my own mind.

A Voice of Sanity - 03 July 2008 06:53 PM

“Why not into easier to read English?”

Because “The Bible condemns homosexuals” - except it doesn’t. For one thing there is no discussion of lesbians at all, so women can do as they wish.

Also, the passages about male homosexuality are not comprehensible now.

Overview of Leviticus 18:22

This is a passage from the Mosaic Code that is often used to condemn homosexual behavior in general.

In transliterated Hebrew, the verse is written: “V’et zachar lo tishkav mishk’vey eeshah toeyvah hee.”

The first part of this verse is literally translated as “And with a male you shall not lay lyings of a woman.”

Now if it said “And with a male you shall not lay” that would be clear, but “lyings of a woman”? It seems no one knows what that means in this context.

It’s like the 2nd amendment - without the “Militia” bit it would be simple but why the extra qualification? How does that alter it?

There are many other words in the bible not found elsewhere - Iscariot is one notable example.

I’d like a bible in Hebrew/Aramaic/Greek with a word for word translation to English and then a list of alternate possible meanings. Then I could make up my own mind.

I like that idea.  It would be most beneficial.

edited to change color.

I found this on Sam Harris.org. I thought some here may be interested.

~ Volunteer Editors Needed for The Scripture Project - http://www.samharris.org/

Steve Wells, the creator of the Skeptic’s Annotated Bible, Qur’an, and Book of Mormon, has donated the full contents of his website to the Reason Project.

At the Reason Project, we intend to refine Steve’s work in a section of our website entitled “The Scripture Project” where we will have religious scholars, historians, scientists, and other qualified people continue to annotate these texts on a Wiki. With the input of the right scholars, we are confident that the Reason Project website will quickly become the preeminent place for scriptural criticism on the internet.

In the meantime, however, we need help porting the full contents of the Skeptics Annotated Bible, Qur’an, and Book of Mormon over to the Reason Project website. We are seeking volunteers to help us edit each page of the Scripture Project Wiki to see that it correctly duplicates the parent-page on Wells’ site. This is a big job, but it will be quickly accomplished by a hundred or so volunteers. If you are familiar with adding to Wikis and are willing to donate a few hours over the next few weeks to the launch of the Reason Project website, we would be enormously grateful for your help.

(pssst----you might want to change the color of your text.......blue is only to be used by the administrators.)

Right, Asanta.  I don’t read this thread very often, but I’ll change mfiddel’s post #18 now. 

Occam