The right words from the right Bible

In biblical translation classes, there’s a saying: “There is no translation without interpretation;” it’s a way of acknowledging that whenever a disputed passage is up for translation, you’re not likely to going to go against your biases.

But one group — one with an American origin — is in a unique position: their interpretations are based on a specific translation.

The group? The Jehovah’s Witnesses. The translation? The New World Translation.

The Witnesses go back further than the existence of the New World Translation, which their organization — the Watchtower Society — publishes. But many of their doctrines or teachings that stand in opposition to orthodox Christianity are best supported by the New World Translation.

For example, their Christology is supported by the NWT’s rendering of John 1:1-2:

1 In [the] beginning the Word was, and the Word was with God, and the Word was a god. 2 This one was in [the] beginning with God.

Compare this to the Authorized Version, which many Witnesses used before the NWT was widely available:

1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 The same was in the beginning with God.

Likewise, the NWT is used to support their teaching that Christ was killed on a stake rather than the traditional cross; in fact, the NWT says he was impaled. See John 19:14-25a:

14 Now it was preparation of the passover; it was about the sixth hour. And he said to the Jews: “See! YOUR king!” 15 However, they shouted: “Take [him] away! Take [him] away! Impale him!” Pilate said to them: “Shall I impale YOUR king?” The chief priests answered: “We have no king but Caesar.” 16 At that time, therefore, he handed him over to them to be impaled.

Then they took charge of Jesus. 17 And, bearing the torture stake for himself, he went out to the so-called Skull Place, which is called Gol´go·tha in Hebrew; 18 and there they impaled him, and two other [men] with him, one on this side and one on that, but Jesus in the middle. 19 Pilate wrote a title also and put it on the torture stake. It was written: “Jesus the Naz·a·rene´ the King of the Jews.” 20 Therefore many of the Jews read this title, because the place where Jesus was impaled was near the city; and it was written in Hebrew, in Latin, in Greek. 21 However, the chief priests of the Jews began to say to Pilate: “Do not write ‘The King of the Jews,’ but that he said, ‘I am King of the Jews.’” 22 Pilate answered: “What I have written I have written.”

23 Now when the soldiers had impaled Jesus, they took his outer garments and made four parts, for each soldier a part, and the inner garment. But the inner garment was without a seam, being woven from the top throughout its length. 24 Therefore they said to one another: “Let us not tear it, but let us determine by lots over it whose it will be.” This was that the scripture might be fulfilled: “They apportioned my outer garments among themselves, and upon my apparel they cast lots.” And so the soldiers really did these things.

25 By the torture stake of Jesus, however, there were standing his mother and the sister of his mother…

Then, there’s the teaching that Christ was raised as a spirit person, based on the NWT’s rendering of 1 Peter 3:18:

Why, even Christ died once for all time concerning sins, a righteous [person] for unrighteous ones, that he might lead YOU to God, he being put to death in the flesh, but being made alive in the spirit.

For comparison, again, here’s the Authorized Version:

3:18 For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:

The examples go on.

Many Jehovah’s Witnesses will adamantly demand that the NWT is the most accurate translation of the Bible ever rendered. That the most accurate translation ever rendered exactly affirms their teachings is not lost on them.

So, what great biblical scholars translated the NWT?

No one knows.

The translation committee was anonymous at their request, though some have hazarded a guess at who it could have been.

You can read the NWT online at the Watchtower Society’s website.

Gimme that Old Time Religion

Looking for luck in all the wrong places

Appalachian religion is a hard thing to decipher, and the more you try to untangle the different associations of Regular, Old Regular, Old-Time Regular, Old Primitive, Old-Time Regular Primitive, Old-Time Regular Particular Primitive Baptists, etc., it gets very confusing. And that’s just the Baptists, nevermind the old circuit churches, the various forms of Pentecostalism, the mainline churches that made inroads there, the Mennonites and other Anabaptists and the religious associations that sociologists have only been able to label “mountain churches.” The hillbillies are not as doctrinally unified as a quick glance would have you believe.

But there is one area where you do see some homogeneity, and that’s in folk superstitions. And while it may be funny to point to some of them and think they are the imagination of isolated hillbillies, from personal experience I can attest that these beliefs were exported from the mountains to the Gulf South, though by my lifetime they were mostly mocked by old and young alike.

Here are a few examples:

If a bird flies in the house, death follows.

Hang your boots on the wall with toes pointed toward the wall is a sign of your death.

 If a rooster crows near the back door, company’s coming.

To keep the Devil away, throw salt over your left shoulder.

Never give a knife as a gift; it will cut friendship.

Misfortunes come in threes.

Small ears indicate a stingy personality.

If you rock a cradle empty, you will have babies a’plenty.

To take the last piece of pie, biscuit, or from a plate is a sign that the girl will be an old maid.

Marry in green; ashamed to be seen. 
Marry in brown; you’ll move into town. 
Marry in blue; you’ll always be true.
 Marry in yellow; ashamed of your fellow. 
Marry in black; you’ll wish yourself back.

Source: http://www.projecttaney.org/50083/supersti.html.

You can chalk superstitions up to pagan syncretism or to acceptable forms of folk religion, but at their core — while one may be tempted to dismiss them as “old wives tales” — superstitions are religious beliefs. It’s fairly obvious how practices that supposedly ward off witches, hobgoblins and ghosts have religious connections, but even folks customs related to “luck” have their spiritual aspect. While mountain folk may not have had the classical education of their European forebears, what are the practices for luck (a vaguely defined concept at best) other than ways to avoid the Fates? The people throwing a pinch of salt over their shoulders may not have believed three Greek crones with beards were hanging over them, planning their eventual demise, but many of these practices were certainly an attempt to steer clear of an unavoidable predestination to a certain end (or, in some cases, to encourage it). Why else would you cover your mouth and say the Lord’s Prayer after sneezing other than to prevent your soul from leaking out?

And while most people have dismissed these practices as silly (many of them are silly), they still linger in the American subconscious, not because people are afraid of witches and ghosts anymore, but because — even in a culture that has gulped down postmodernism like cheap beer — there is a great sense of fatalism these days. Just listen to the nightly news, and especially the news commentators. The difference is that, thanks to their skepticism, people don’t have anything to use to fight that feeling anymore.

Running — or driving — the good race

For fans of stock car racing, this Bible is a must-have. It features commentary and testimonies from some of racing’s most famous names, as well as full-color action photos of some of racing’s most famous faces.

Description: 

Featuring exciting and inspiring full-color inserts with photos of and insights from stock car racing’s finest personalities, the NIV Thinline Bible: Stock Car Edition is sure to be a motorsports fan’s favorite Bible. Motor Racing Outreach, a ministry to the world of motorsports, has partnered with Zondervan to create this Bible designed to delight race fans. MRO brings testimonies and photographs of the popular race personalities with whom they work on a daily basis—the drivers, the pit crews, the media spokespeople, and others associated with the world of racing. Combined with the complete text of the New International Version and offered in two innovative and cost-effective bindings, this title will make a wonderful gift for the true racing fan.

Source: Zondervan.

Niche Bibles are a fairly recent phenomenon in the grand scheme of things, but they embody a certain pragmatism in American religion that has become more and more pervasive in the last couple of generations — becoming all things to all people means creating a Christian/religious market that will cater to their tastes. In the past, that meant adapting hymns to fit the meter of saloon music. Now, it means getting NASCAR drivers to write devotions for a study Bible.

The effectiveness of this is, of course, a matter of debate.

Praise him with tambourine and dance

Seen (on a car bumper) from the narrow road

Bumper stickers were at one time a popular part of revivalist culture, akin to having a quick tract or other witnessing tool on the back of your vehicle. With a bumper sticker, you could tell someone to repent, where you stand (and where they should stand) on hot-button socio-religious political issues or just let them know that yes, you are, in fact, a born-again, fire-baptized, tongues-speaking, holy-rolling, unapologetic Child of God.

And of course, you need to warn them about your possibly erratic (non-)driving.

For the most part the Christian bumper sticker industry has dried up (except for very sincere or very ironic uses), but tonight I found a gallery of pictures that take the Christian bumper sticker to a whole new level.

Here are a few:

These come from the website Watchman Gospel Signs: Effective Tools for the Burdened Watchman.

Here’s the description of the service from the site:

Have you lost all shame for the Lord and His words? Get ready for lots of heads turning your way! We can help you turn your vehicle into a billboard on the move.

This lettering consists of durable vinyl stickers that we will mail to you and you can affix to your vehicle or other substrate yourself (unless you want to drive to Oregon so we can do it for you). They will already be laid out and spaced correctly so that you will be able to put them on your vehicle neatly with a minimum amount of skill or tools required. (We will enclose simple application instructions with the signs to help guide you through the process.) Just choose your message, call us with your dimensions, and we will take it from there.

A Christian t-shirt is only as big as its wearer. Having stickers like these on your car is like having a traveling billboard.

Easy Riding on the Highway to Heaven

I got a copy of this for free a couple of years ago from the Christian Motorcyclist Association tent at a Harley-Davidson rally I was covering. Nice folks, very evangelical, cool bikes.

SHARE THE TESTIMONIES OF THOSE WHO FOUND THE
ROAD TO FAITH

Get in gear to reach out to the motorcycle (biker) world with this handy, pocket-sized Hope for the Highway NIV New Testament. Developed by Biblica, in conjunction with the Christian Motorcyclists Association, this starts off with a full-color photo essay of motorcycling and four powerful faith stories of motorcyclists/bikers who found Christ. Full-color gospel presentation also included. Targeted to both men and women.

Source: http://www.ibsdirect.com/p-155-niv-hope-for-the-highway-new-testament.aspx

Fighting fire, war and storms with Prompt Succor

The fact that there are many different manifestations of Marian devotion within Catholicism is no secret, but not many of them are indigenous to the United States. Louisiana, however, has supplied us with one – Our Lady of Prompt Succor (literally –“ quick help”).

The title “Our Lady of Prompt Succor” refers specifically to a statue housed in the Ursuline Academy and Convent in New Orleans at the National Shrine to Our Lady of Prompt Succor. The statue itself – of the Virgin holding the Christ child – was commissioned following the answered prayer of a nun who wanted to go to the Ursuline convent in New Orleans but was hindered by the French Revolution, which wasn’t exactly friendly toward the religious.

The statue was originally housed in the convent in the French Quarter, and here is where Louisiana’s devotion to Prompt Succor comes in.

During the Battle of New Orleans, the sisters asked for Our Lady of Prompt Succor’s intercession for a defeat of the British. The Americans won despite not having all that many fighting men, and General Andrew Jackson later thanked the sisters for their prayers. (The other side to this story is that the nuns took in the wounded British and tended their wounds.)

Another miracle attributed to Our Lady of Prompt Succor was that, when a great fire struck New Orleans, the order had come to evacuate the convent. One nun, however, placed a small statue of Our Lady of Prompt Succor on the windowsill and prayed, “Our Lady of Prompt Succor, we are lost unless you hasten to our aid!” The winds reportedly immediately shifted, blowing the fire away from Jackson square and saving what we now know as the French Quarter. Those present are reported to have taken up the cry, “Our Lady of Prompt Succor has saved us!”

Our Lady of Prompt Succor is considered the patroness of Louisiana and the city of New Orleans specifically. During hurricanes, the population of New Orleans especially seeks her intercession. You can see the official website for the shrine here.

(On an unrelated note, as a child I thought “Prompt Succor” sounded hilarious. I don’t know why, but hearing it said aloud always made me laugh.)

Pledging allegiance to Church and state, Exhibit A

I post this as a follow-up to my initial post about how the Pledge of Allegiance has taken on a blended civic and religious significance in some circles. This is not the only such example I have seen, but it is perhaps the most blatant. Note that not only is the cross striped with an American flag, but that the Pledge is placed at the center.

The Pledge of Allegiance Cross

From the product description page:

 This Pledge of Allegiance Wall Cross will be displayed proudly in the home of any Christian American family. The combination of Old Glory and this symbol of Christian faith is a stunning way to show your pride of God and country!

The Pledge of Allegiance Wall Cross is made of resin but it looks of deep wood. The stars and strips of Old Glory drape beautifully across the form of the cross, their folds fluid and alive in a show of amazing and realistic detail. The bright colors awaken the senses, while the text of the Pledge of Allegiance scrawled on the center scroll fills the heart. Measuring 11 ½” high, this Pledge of Allegiance Wall Cross is nicely sized to fit in with your existing décor, or place it in a spot of honor over the mantle or near the entry.

This Pledge of Allegiance Wall Cross is the ideal gift for a Christian military family or anyone who shares a deep pride in the Land of the Free and faith in Jesus Christ.

Source: Sacred Mint

Pledging allegiances to church and state

I’m sure I will have lots to say about American national religion before this is all said and done, but I think a good place to start is with the Pledge of Allegiance. I have not doubt that the Pledge was initially meant to be nothing more than a loyalty oath for immigrants (and from a quick look at its original, Socialist-penned form seems to confirm that ), but in recent decades it has taken on — if not explicit — implicit religious overtones.

It’s more uncommon to enter an American church and NOT find the national flag there, and many churches will have at least one service a year in which worshipers recite the Pledge of Allegiance. (Similarly, most American Protestant hymnals have the national anthem and other patriotic hymns such as “America the Beautiful.”)

Somewhere through the years, Evangelicals have made their own Pledges patterned after the Pledge of Allegiance, the Pledge to the Christian flag and the Pledge to the Bible.

Pledge to the Christian Flag:

“I pledge allegiance to the Christian Flag and to the Savior for whose kingdom it stands. One brotherhood, uniting all mankind, in service and love.”

Pledge to the Bible:

I pledge to the Bible God’s Holy word, and will take it as a lamp unto my feet, a light unto my path, and hide it’s words in my heart that I may not sin against God.

What makes me link a sense of religious devotion of the Pledge of Allegiance to the Christian pledges is that rarely are the pledges to the Christian flag and the pledge to the Bible recited without the Pledge of Allegiance.

When I was a child, attending Bible schools in Baptist churches, all three pledges were recited every morning for the entire week; the Pledge of Allegiance led, followed by the pledge to the Christian flag and then the pledge to the Bible. Even if it was not intended to send such a message, it was a blended message of God and state.

I’ll have more to say about this later.