Monday, October 19, 2009
Books Christians: They Oughta Ban the Bible
Posted by Paul Constant on Mon, Oct 19, 2009 at 3:32 PM
I've been reading R. Crumb's adaptation of the Book of Genesis, and I've already talked on Slog about how I really enjoyed how literal a translation it is. Crumb doesn't throw in any of his goofy enormous penises or weird psychedelia. It is the most literal adaptation of any part of the Bible that I've ever read.
Naturally, Christians hate it.
"It is turning the Bible into titillation," said Mike Judge, of the Christian Institute, a religious think-tank. "It seems wholly inappropriate for what is essentially God's rescue plan for mankind."If you are going to publish your own version of the Bible it must be done with a great deal of sensitivity. The Bible is a very important text to many many people and should be treated with the respect it deserves."
First of all, a Christian spokesman named Mike Judge is hilarious on at least two levels. Second of all: This sounds suspiciously like those anti-cartoon Islamic extremists we Americans got all huffy about. ("How dare they tell someone not to draw their prophet!") Third of all, and most importantly: Crumb doesn't draw anything that doesn't appear in the book. He's not glamorizing or overselling it. He's not even Crumb-ing it up. And it's too much for some Christians to take because there's a visual aspect to the book.
Between this, the Christian Bible-burning, and the Conservative Bible movement, I think we might be seeing the beginning of an outlet of Christianity that rejects the Bible outright but somehow still embraces Jesus.
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1
And since the "Jesus" they claim shares little more than a name with the fellow the Bible describes, they'd have totally deconstructed the whole schmear. Very redneck pomo.
2
Gotta love God's generous offer to "rescue" his creation from the tribulations he inflicts upon it.
"...what is essentially God's rescue plan for mankind. "
Gotta love God's generous offer to "rescue" his creation from the tribulations he inflicts upon it.
3
It's too damned bad he didn't start with the Gospels. Now that would have really stirred up all the Bible-thumpers.
4
the jefferson bible already rejects the bible outright but embraces jesus. i suppose Deism could be considered an "outlet" of Christianity.
5
There was an incredibly well-done webcomic of the book of revelations a few years back. I haven't been able to find it. Anyone know what I'm talking about or know if it still exists?
7
Paul, there's been a movement that divorces Jesus from the Bible for over a century: Pentecostalism. Any Charismatic sect that emphasizes direct interfacing with the Holy Spirit obviates the need to mediate contact through a text, any text. Every believer is a prophet, and so can preach whatever the hell they want. It's nice if you have a snippet or two that can lend authority to your direct revelation, but even if you can't, so what? You've got it direct from the source, just like Moses or Amos, or say, Joseph Kony.
Honestly, of all the fucked up shit that the Southern Baptists do, at least they changed their theology to emphasize an unmediated connection to Scripture, rather than Jesus. This makes them much less dangerous.
Honestly, of all the fucked up shit that the Southern Baptists do, at least they changed their theology to emphasize an unmediated connection to Scripture, rather than Jesus. This makes them much less dangerous.
8
Gitai beat me to it. If you were to go to a pentecostal church service, you'd notice that the actual Bible reading is often perfunctory and minimal.
I can't wait to read Crumb's adaptation. Looks pretty awesome.
I can't wait to read Crumb's adaptation. Looks pretty awesome.
9
People who claim to own the bible HATE when someone outside their circle quotes it back to them. They have the same reaction whether it's a word-for-word Crumb interpretation or a California ballot initiative making divorce illegal. Their hypocritical zealotry doesn't leave any room for actually reading the documents they claim to accept as God's truth, and they're terrified that someone will find out. Yay for Crumb for calling their bluff.
10
More that we might be seeing the beginning of an outlet of Christianity that rejects the Bible outright but somehow still embraces PAUL. Jesus was a dirty hippy that didn't have proper respect for authority and hung around with prostitutes.
11
People believe whatever they want first, and THEN look around for stuff to justify their beliefs.
The bible has so many bizarre entries and contradictions it's PERFECT for doing this.
The bible has so many bizarre entries and contradictions it's PERFECT for doing this.
12
I have to confess I was reared... uhm, brought up in a Baptist household and I'm fairly well acquainted with the bible. I have Crumb's adaptation of Genesis and he hasn't added anything to what's already there; it's a faithful (perhaps too faithful) take on the first book of the Bible.
I think Crumb's done a great job and I absolutely love his book, but, hey, I'm an atheist these days and don't give a fig about the opinions of fundamentalists Christians...period. I sincerely doubt these detractors have bothered to read Crumb's Genesis side by side with the Biblical version.
Now if anyone is interested in a truly bizarre look at the bible give "The Wolverton Bible" a look.
I think Crumb's done a great job and I absolutely love his book, but, hey, I'm an atheist these days and don't give a fig about the opinions of fundamentalists Christians...period. I sincerely doubt these detractors have bothered to read Crumb's Genesis side by side with the Biblical version.
Now if anyone is interested in a truly bizarre look at the bible give "The Wolverton Bible" a look.
13
To be fair, no christians are violently opposing this or threatening to kill Crumb or bomb his publisher. There is a difference. That aside, this is a pice of awesome.
I remember as a kid having the Picture Bible, which was a kiddie friendly comic-book version of the bible.
I remember as a kid having the Picture Bible, which was a kiddie friendly comic-book version of the bible.
16
The Christian Institute is an insignificant British special interest/lobbying group. They need to make the papers so people will donate to them. That doesn't make them valid spokesmen for Christians. Genesis is very frank about passion, sex - how do you think we got more people? If you read it, it becomes pretty clear that Crumb wasn't making this stuff up to be super extra juicy and titillating.
17
(to clarify @16, in the genesis story, how do you think more people were created. I am not suggesting a literal reading of Creation - even the early Church fathers rejected this idea, it is a pretty recent phenom from last century)
18
@13, a Christian nut drove his schoolbus into the movie theater In Ithaca, NY, for showing "The Last Temptation of Christ." It's not hard to find incidents like this.
And R. Crumb is probably still hiding in quiet, rural France, where it's harder for them to find him and step on his glasses or shoot him like an abortion doctor.
And R. Crumb is probably still hiding in quiet, rural France, where it's harder for them to find him and step on his glasses or shoot him like an abortion doctor.
19
I am currently enjoying a lovely discussion of the insanity of the bible on the Facebook cause for rejecitng Ref 71.... seriously, nothing annoys a christianist like a quote from their book that contradicts the other bible quote they used to support their opinion..
at least the xtians are dumb. and their book really poorly editied.
at least the xtians are dumb. and their book really poorly editied.
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