New Indian Bible Draws Fire over Hindu References [Excerpts]
A new Indian version of the Bible recently, published by the Catholic Church, has run into controversy over its inclusion of verses from the Bhagavad Gita, a form of Hindu chant, and references to the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.
An illustration in the new version, New Community Bible, depicts Jesus, Mary and Joseph as poor Indian villagers. Mary wears a simple sari and has a bindi on her forehead alongside Joseph in a turban and loincloth.
According to the 30 Indian biblical scholars who worked for more than 15 years on the new edition, the Bible draws on "the rich cultural and religious heritage of India."
Although approved by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India and published by the Society of St. Paul, the Bible met the disapproval of Protestants and other Christian groups, who believe it diverts from biblical truth.
Pastor Vijay Thomas, who heads a Bible college in Chennai, told Christian Today, "By making it appear 'Indian' with references to Hindu scriptures and great poets, people will not come to the truth. This is a complete turn back from the real Bible."
Oswald Gracias, the Catholic Archbishop of Bombay, defended the Bible edition, saying, "I am sure this Bible, made in India and for Indians, will bring the word of God closer to millions of our people, not only Christians."
__________________ Jesus said "I am the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE"......Without the WAY there is no GOING, without the TRUTH there is no KNOWING without the LIFE there is no LIVING......"I am the way the truth and the life" thats what Jesus said
I see a bad pattern in these new editions of the bible. Some places the texts don't just get a updated language, but also get another meaning. I have a version of the new testament in Norwegian, and it is supposed to have a more modern language, but several places it is completely different from what my old 1930 edition says.
An illustration in the new version, New Community Bible, depicts Jesus, Mary and Joseph as poor Indian villagers. Mary wears a simple sari and has a bindi on her forehead alongside Joseph in a turban and loincloth.
Why is this even notable? The portrayal of Jesus has changed numerous times throughout history to match the audience that was being shown. He did not even get a beard until the 6th century.
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Why is this even notable? The portrayal of Jesus has changed numerous times throughout history to match the audience that was being shown. He did not even get a beard until the 6th century.
Why is this even notable?
It is of note because it is an erosion of the scriptires.
The Bible claims to be and is, the Word of the only true God.
In addition to historical, archaeological, and scientific proofs, there are numerous internal proofs. No such evidences exist for other "sacred writings."
The Bible was written during 1,600 years by 40 prophets, most of whom lived in
diverse cultures, at different times in history, yet who never contradict
but complement each other. For the Qur'an, Muslims must take the word of
Muhammad, just as the Book of Mormon rests solely upon Joseph Smith's word.
But every biblical prophet is confirmed by 39 other prophets, and they
condemn the "scriptures" of every religion!
It would be difficult for a single author to avoid contradiction when
dealing with such a lengthy period of detailed history involving so many
individuals and nations and covering such a wide variety of subjects as does
the Bible. But 40 different prophets writing with one voice over a period of
many centuries? There can be only one explanation: divine inspiration!
__________________ Jesus said "I am the WAY the TRUTH and the LIFE"......Without the WAY there is no GOING, without the TRUTH there is no KNOWING without the LIFE there is no LIVING......"I am the way the truth and the life" thats what Jesus said
New Indian Bible Draws Fire over Hindu References [Excerpts]
A new Indian version of the Bible recently, published by the Catholic Church, has run into controversy over its inclusion of verses from the Bhagavad Gita, a form of Hindu chant, and references to the teachings of Mahatma Gandhi.
An illustration in the new version, New Community Bible, depicts Jesus, Mary and Joseph as poor Indian villagers. Mary wears a simple sari and has a bindi on her forehead alongside Joseph in a turban and loincloth.
According to the 30 Indian biblical scholars who worked for more than 15 years on the new edition, the Bible draws on "the rich cultural and religious heritage of India."
Although approved by the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India and published by the Society of St. Paul, the Bible met the disapproval of Protestants and other Christian groups, who believe it diverts from biblical truth.
Pastor Vijay Thomas, who heads a Bible college in Chennai, told Christian Today, "By making it appear 'Indian' with references to Hindu scriptures and great poets, people will not come to the truth. This is a complete turn back from the real Bible."
Oswald Gracias, the Catholic Archbishop of Bombay, defended the Bible edition, saying, "I am sure this Bible, made in India and for Indians, will bring the word of God closer to millions of our people, not only Christians."
What shall we say for this? We could do nothing except to pray that these sort of things(so claimed bible) shouldn't hinder the progress of newly saved souls or those who are yet to be saved.
It is of note because it is an erosion of the scriptires.
No it is not. This is common practice for centuries, and nowhere in the Bible does it actually state what Jesus looks like. Most translations also have the translator putting their own words into the Bible, since it is impossible to get a straight word-for-word translation that makes sense.
And I'm somewhat confused, is the references to Indian texts in the Bible itself or commentary? If its the former, yeah then its bad. If the latter, then I don't see the big deal. The Early Church Founders frequently made references to Greek philosophers to help make Christianity easier to accept.
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If the Gita, and Ramayana are simply referenced I don't see the problem. A seeking Hindu could read the Bible, and then using the reference perhaps understand the meaning better if it uses language that is similar to him.
How they would use the reference would be interesting since the Gita doesn't have verses or chapters like the Bible. It could also come across a difficulty since alot of hindus don't read the Gita regularly, at least from what I've observed with my friends.
The way I see it is there are many ways to Jesus, but only one way to God. God uses many things to bring people to the Messiah, and if this brings just one person to salvation, then it's done it's job. Personally I would like to get my hands on it. I love parallels between faiths since it makes the evangelists job that much easier.
And why are we freaking out over Mary, Joseph, and Jesus being depicted as a Desi family? Technically speaking a Desi depiction of the Holy family is alot closer to reality than a white Caucasian family. I would love to see the picture.
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