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Bible Too Liberal? Conservatives Say Yes

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mwkruse
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AOL News: Bible Too Liberal? Conservatives Say Yes

(Oct. 6) — Debates between conservatives and liberals are going biblical.

A collaborative online project seeks to update the Bible with a more conservative translation — and has drawn the ire of less right-leaning bloggers and columnists.

The Conservative Bible Project is the brainchild of attorney and teacher Andy Schlafly, a son of conservative standard-bearer Phyllis Schlafly. His Bible-related Wiki, which allows contributors to post information, comment on others' and suggest tweaks or fixes, went up this summer. …

… The 10 commandments of the project include avoiding unisex or "gender inclusive" language, being concise (Lord, instead of Lord God) and expressing "free market parables." …

Free market parables??? Since peasant communities were barter economies with little trade outside the community (and attempts made by the Romans to monetize transactions so they could impose taxes were resented), and since prices were not determined by supply and demand but rather by political issues and patron-client relationships, I wonder what "free market" parables are in view here. I'm as free market as the next guy, but sorry folks, there ain't no neoclassical or Marxian economics in the Bible.

Comments

7 responses to “Bible Too Liberal? Conservatives Say Yes”

  1. Rick McGinniss Avatar
    Rick McGinniss

    Interesting comment “there ain’t no free market parables” … but are not many of the parables of Jesus indicative of how the free market works? Especially those that have to do with rewards and freely trading for what has the greatest value?

    Reply
  2. Michael W. Kruse Avatar
    Michael W. Kruse

    I’d need to see what parables they’re talking about but free markets entails unregulated (i.e. no price controls) transactions where the price is set by variances in supply and demand. Prices/wages were either dictated by Roman authorities and wealthy land owners. We see money as freedom. Money for peasants was oppression.
    Certainly, I think there are general values and ethics that transfer into a free market system but the people of Jesus’ world would have found the modern idea of free markets very odd. I expect to have more to say about this in posts next week.

    Reply
  3. Travis Greene Avatar
    Travis Greene

    They also go through and change “fellow workers” to “volunteers” and “colleagues” and the like, for fear of sounding cooooomuuuniiiist.
    Also, they want to describe Salome as a “bimbo”.
    They are basically paraphrasing the KJV into what they already think it means.
    I would really be afraid of Revelation 22:18 if I were them.

    Reply
  4. Michael W. Kruse Avatar
    Michael W. Kruse

    Interesting. Probably should change “sinners and tax collectors” to “sinners and Democrats.” 🙂 The possibilities are endless.

    Reply
  5. Travis Greene Avatar
    Travis Greene

    They practically do. They refer to the Pharisees as “intellectuals”.
    They also want to excise the story of Jesus and the adulteress and Jesus saying “Father forgive them for they know not what they do”.
    I realize there are textual reasons to believe those were late additions to the gospels but the arrogance at work is stunning. Thomas Jefferson would be pleased.

    Reply
  6. John Avatar
    John

    Of course the sub-text of this exercise is the presumption that ONLY their interpretation of the Bible is correct and that all other interpretations are false, as are all other Faith Traditions.
    This is an attitude shared and propagated by all of those who associate with First Things and the “Discovery” Institute too.
    The “wedge” project.

    Reply
  7. John Avatar
    John

    Another comment from me which is about “conservative” politics and capitalism altogether.
    I recently came across a marvelous new book titled The Barbaric Heart: Faith Money and The Crisis of Nature by Curtis White.
    White argues that capitalism is the leading edge manifestation of the “culture” created in the image of the Barbaric Heart.
    His critique of the sophistries peddled by Milton Friedman are spot on.

    Reply

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