And God saw that it was :)

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Teinz

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One of the most widely translated works in history has been given a 21st-century update with the publication of the Emoji Bible.

I'm not a regular poster in this part of AW. I do not identify as a Christian, although I was raised one. Still, when I found out about this story, I thought I'd share, because I think it's kinda cool.

But then I thought, perhaps it is not cool at all, and who am I to judge as a lapsed Christian.

So, is this a good idea? Will it help connect young people to the stories of old? Is it the beginning of a total rewrite of the Bible? Perhaps you feel it debases the whole thing. What do you guys think?

Such a shame, smileys don't work in thread titles....

Story, here.



 

cmhbob

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As long as the the message remains the same, why not translate it? I recall 15 years ago or more someone creating a text-speak transliteration. Even Paul changed the way he delivered the Gospel message, depending on his audience.

And Godiva wafers? I'd be right there next to you Calla, and I'm Nazarene!
 

Teinz

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I had to google Godiva wafers. :)

Church would be packed. My mother always bribed us with a roll of peppermints, but I guess that's too frugal for this day and age.

Cmhbob, you and I think alike. As a kid, we were encouraged to read the Good News Bible, where the most important stories were translated into something kids could relate to. That was official sunday school policy.

And that was ofcourse not the first time the bible was translated, re-translated, reinterpreted and so on. Why should this be any different?
 

Tazlima

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I had to google Godiva wafers. :)

Me, too. Then, remembering how chocolate used to upset my stomach when I was a kid, I started wondering how churches handle communion for people with celiac disease. So I googled "gluten-free communion wafers" and discovered that they exist, but there's a debate in the religious community as to whether or not they "count," since the required ingredients for communions wafers are really specific. Apparently, it's a whole big thing. Who knew?
 

Perks

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See now, to me, even if you don't believe that the Bible tells a story that is true, the Last Supper is still one of the most poignant scenes in all of literature to me.

Jesus, fully aware of what he is about to go through, and also knowing how terrible it is going to be for his group of devoted friends, who have walked the earth with him for three years, growing ever more excited by what he can do, what they think he will do in the days and years to come, sets up this small, easily realized ritual. He tells them, that when they are together, to take a little bread and wine and eat it together and to remember him as they do it, remember what he did, even though as he explained it to them, the horrible sacrifice was yet ahead of him, and of them.

Even I couldn't do a chocolate Eucharist. It's too sad to be made a treat.
 

Calla Lily

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I've read multiple translations of the Bible front to back. My favorite is Wyclif's, but that's because I'm a Middle English fanatic. Some of the best retellings I've read are paraphrases. Reynolds Price created beautiful prose in A Palpable God. I think as long as the paraphrasers know the source and have access to experts who can explain context and the original languages, then why not try a new way of paraphrasing the Bible?

Perks, I do concur with you about a chocolate Host. I was being a smartass up above. :evil
 

Latina Bunny

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Oh, that reminded me of those recent Emoji-and text slang book translations for Shakespeare. I think those series of books were called OMG Shakespeare, or something like that? YOLO Romeo and Juliet was the title of one of them, I believe. Srsly, Hamlet was another.

My sister and I actually had a bit of trouble understanding the emojis and text slang when we were skimming through those OMG Shakespeare books. I would rather read a simplified English translation over text- and emoji-speak, but I think those kinds of books would be good for those people who actually understand and prefer the text- and emoji- speak.

Still pretty cool. :) Whatever gets readers to read those subjects, or, in the case of the Emoji Bible, to read the Holy Book/God's Word.

I tried reading a sample of the Emoji Bible, but I was struggling with a couple of the emojis. I'll be sticking with reading the NIV, NIrV, and NLT versions, thanks, lol. ;) (Yeah, I know, those versions are seen as blasphemy by some Christian peeps, but I feel they're easier to digest than the older KJV one. )

Even though I struggle with some of the slang stuff, I still think this whole situation of translating ancient works into contemporary slang is pretty awesome. :D

I :heart: it. :)
 
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cmhbob

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Yeah, I know, those versions are seen as blasphemy by some Christian peeps, but I feel they're easier to digest than the older KJV one.

Wanna have some fun? Mention The Message around KJV purists. It's a paraphrase by Eugene Peterson designed to get closer to the tone of the original Hebrew.

The discussion about denominational rituals is always interesting. I was raised Lutheran, but am now a member of the Church of the Nazarene. For Communion, we've used matzo crackers, homemade unleavened bread, and even regular bread. If you ever have the opportunity to participate in a Seder dinner, do so. If you're at all religious, no matter the denomination, you'll gain a whole new perspective on the Last Supper and more.
 

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f you ever have the opportunity to participate in a Seder dinner, do so. If you're at all religious, no matter the denomination, you'll gain a whole new perspective on the Last Supper and more.

Do ! Even if you're not religious. And if you're at all interested, try to go to a Seder in the Sephardic tradition, too.

One of my long term Things I will Do is to publish an edition of the Wycliffe bible with linguistic annotations and textual notes, but no religious commentary.

Wycliffe really did a pretty good job.
 

Latina Bunny

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I had to look up Seder dinner, I'm embarrassed to admit. ;_;

It also took me a while to realize I may have been exposed to something similar to that concept from...an old special Passover episode of Rugrats (back when I was a young girl).
 
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