Sacrilege & Heresy: Translations of Bible Revised to Avoid Offending Muslims, Christian Scriptures Are Now Omitting “Father,” “Son of God, & “Son”
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on January 29, 2012
Translations of the Bible are omitting 'Father,' 'Son of God,' and 'Son' so as to not offend Islamics
Translations of the Holy Bible by three U.S. Bible translation companies are being revised so as to not anger or offend Muslims.
While oppression, bigotry, assaults, imprisonment, and oft-times murder/jihad are being perpetrated daily against Christians, Jews, and other non-Muslims in most Muslim countries (as well as the despicable honor killings of Muslim girls and women who dare to defy radical, misogynist Muslim men — as reported here, here, here, and here), this latest atrocity by the “religion of peace and tolerance” against Christians is happening right here in the United States of America.
Terms in the Holy Bible that Muslims supposedly find offensive include “Father,” “Son of God,” and “Son.” And so to accommodate, Bible translation companies are revising the “offensive” words in the Scriptures to appease radical Islamics. For instance, “Father” has been replaced with the word “guardian” and “representative” or “proxy” has replaced the term “Son” in a Turkish biblical translation. Elsewhere, “Allah, his Messiah and his Holy Spirit” is replacing “in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.”
Instead of translating the Scriptures, these companies have taken it upon themselves to reinterpret, and thus manipulate and malign, the holy message of God.
Sacrilege and heresy.
Pamela Geller at Atlas Shrugs has an in-depth post on this atrocity — here are the first paragraphs: New Bible Versions REMOVE ‘Father’ and ‘Son of God’ Because It Offends Muslims:
Mainline Christian organizations are changing their holy scripture to avoid offending Muslims. Not only does this violate Scripture, but it also defeats the purpose of their mission–to share the Gospel. If mainline Christian organizations fear Muslims so much that they have to edit what they believe to be the Word of God, how far can they be from submission? Where are the righteous, the outraged, the proud?
It is Islamic authorities who should be excising the quran and hadith of the ideology that calls for jihad, genocide, subjugation and oppression of women, Jews, Christians, Hindus, Sikhs and all non-Muslims. It is the ummah who should be calling for sharia bans. Instead, the Christians are bastardizing their scripture? The Muslims refer to Christians in their daily prayers as “those who are led astray” (Muslims curse Christians and Jews multiple times in daily prayers). This madness validates their contempt and supremacism:
Concerned Christian missionaries, Bible translators, pastors, and national church leaders have come together with a public petition to stop these organizations. They claim a public petition is their last recourse because meetings with these organizations’ leaders, staff resignations over this issue and criticism and appeals from native national Christians concerned about the translations “have failed to persuade these agencies to retain “Father” and “Son” in the text of all their translations.”
Biblical Missiology, a ministry of Boulder, Colorado-based Horizon International, is sponsoring the petition. The main issues of this controversy surround new Arabic and Turkish translations. Here are three examples native speakers give:
First, Wycliffe and SIL have produced Stories of the Prophets, an Arabic Bible that uses an Arabic equivalent of “Lord” instead of “Father” and “Messiah” instead of “Son.”
Second, Frontiers and SIL have produced Meaning of the Gospel of Christ , an Arabic translation which removes “Father” in reference to God and replaces it with “Allah,” and removes or redefines “Son.”
For example, the verse which Christians use to justify going all over the world to make disciples, thus fulfilling the Great Commission (Matthew 28:19) reads, “Cleanse them by water in the name of Allah, his Messiah and his Holy Spirit” instead of “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.” Rev. Bassam Madany, an Arab American who runs Middle East Resources, terms these organization’s efforts as “a western imperialistic attempt that’s inspired by cultural anthropology, and not by biblical theology.” (more here.)
Click here for the rest of Geller’s post.
The Wycliffe Bible Translators/USA Mobilization Center is headquartered in Orlando, Florida and the Summer Institute of Linguistics is at the University of North Dakota; I’ve been unable to locate the physical location of Frontiers.
This is from the Wycliffe website:
Wycliffe was founded in 1942 by William Cameron Townsend. A missionary to the Cakchiquel Indians of Guatemala, Townsend caught the vision for translation when Cakchiquel-speaking men expressed their concern that the Bible was not available to them in the language they understood clearly. As a result, Townsend resolved that every man, woman and child should be able to read God’s Word in their own language.
Since its inception, Wycliffe has made great progress in Bible translation all around the world. To date, we have played a part in completing more than 700 Scripture translations.
No doubt founder William Cameron Townsend would be shocked and disgusted at what is transpiring at the Bible translation company he created 70 years ago. Likewise, many employees at Wycliffe and the other Bible translation companies would also be shocked and disgusted at the evolution away from Christianity.
From Yahoo Contributing Network, ‘Father’ and ‘Son’ Ousted from the Trinity Bible Translations:
A controversy is brewing over three reputable Christian organizations, which are based in North America, whose efforts have ousted the words “Father” and “Son” from new Bibles.
Wycliffe Bible Translators, Summer Institute of Linguistics (SIL) and Frontiers are under fire for “producing Bibles that remove “Father,” “Son” and “Son of God” because these terms are offensive to Muslims.”
Concerned Christian missionaries, Bible translators, pastors, and national church leaders have come together with a public petition to stop these organizations. They claim a public petition is their last recourse because meetings with these organizations’ leaders, staff resignations over this issue and criticism and appeals from native national Christians concerned about the translations “have failed to persuade these agencies to retain “Father” and “Son” in the text of all their translations.”
Biblical Missiology, a ministry of Boulder, Colorado-based Horizon International, is sponsoring the petition.
From Jihad Watch, Report: American Bible translators bowdlerize scriptures to avoid offending Muslims: no “Father” and Son”:
If this is true, for the parties they are trying not to offend, anything short of Islam — of professing that there is no god but Allah, and that Muhammad is his messenger — would be “offensive.” This is not making Christianity more palatable. It is de-Christianizing it.
It is manufacturing yet another Christian heresy.
Indeed, for many denominations, the validity of baptism depends on the words used:
“I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” No euphemisms, no nicknames: for example, trial balloons aiming to portray a more gender-neutral God have already been burst: the use of “Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier” in baptism has been rejected by the Catholic Church, if not others.
Those who truly believe they are winning souls for Christ would not risk the validity of baptism, and those who are genuinely convinced that they possess the truth will not apologize or worry it is offensive.
As a technical matter, one wonders how the translators handle the words: “Who is a liar but he that denies that Jesus is the Christ? He is antichrist, that denies the Father and the Son” (1 John 2:22). And “But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:33).
Reminder: Last year, Muslim-dominated Pakistan banned the use of 1,000 words, such as “Jesus Christ,” from text messages generated in the country.
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We have supported workers from Wickliffe and SIL for many years and this article caused me to be concerned. After corresponding with our friends in these organizations and reading their official responses, I do not feel the concern is justified. Wickliffe & SIL continue to hold a high view of Scripture as the Inspired Word of God. I think you should read their response, talk with them if you still feel it is warranted and then consider a retraction based on our findings.
Retraction? Respectfully, no, Phil, there will be no retraction. My information is sound and fact-based.
Additionally, these people don’t agree with your assessment — comments posted at Change.org. These are but a few comments – you can visit the site for more:
From Ken Wienecke:
I am a Wycliffe member, working in software development under SIL. Spurred by the PCA’s stand (which has already affected my support base), I am now considering the end of my 26-year Wycliffe career over this issue. Years of intense internal protest by many support workers as well as translator/linguists over this issue has made no difference, except to disturb the ministries of many Wycliffe good people. It appears that only external pressure, resignations and the cutting of financial support *might* stop this trend. It’s time for the “man in the pew” to do what only he can.
From Engin Duran:
I am a Turkish Pastor and I don’t wan’t to use this wrong translation in my church. How dare they can publish such a wrong translation and distribute it in my country? Already Muslims in my country believe that the Bible is changed by men and these mission agencies are making it harder for us!
From Bassam Chedid:
Apart from the theological miscalculations, missiologically, unfortunately Wycliffe has failed to realize that within a very short time, the Muslim World will discover that this new translation is not more than a gimmick, used by Christian organizations to make the Bible more attractive to them. Many Muslim apologists, leaders and Imams are waiting for such a blunder. It will be certainly another proof in their arsenal to attack modern day Christian as falsifying their Scripture.
As far as the church is concerned, I believe, this new translation will be: 1- A great waste of time, efforts, and Christian stewardship. 2- It will serve the enemies purposes. 3- It will divide the church of Jesus Christ.
As a teaching elder of the PCA, I whole heartedly agree with my denomination statement in connection with Wycliffe, Frontiers and SIL who are producing Bibles that remove Father, Son and Son of God because these terms are offensive to Muslims:
“Unfaithful to God’s revealed Word” because they “compromise the doctrines of the Trinity, Scripture, and the person and work of Jesus.”
From Brad Fleming:
Wycliffe/SIL member who is leaving the organization because of the lack of doctrinal integrity on the part of WBT/SIL.
From Ken Sladaritz:
I was heavily involved with scripture publication via the web for Wycliff/SIL and sister organizations for three years on a volunteer basis. I was oblivious to these Idiomatic Translations, to my shame. Once I became aware of the practice, I petitioned the organizations to confirm the practice and they were very adamant that what they were doing was OK. I have since ceased all volunteer support and financial support for these organizations. Hopefully this type of petition and dropping of support will grab someones attention. Wycliffe/SIL does a lot of good work, but I will not support an organization that does not present a clear and true Gospel.
From E.A.L.:
Former Wycliffe member who resigned due to the reasons laid out in this petition. Wycliffe even tried to get us to tell supporters we were resigning for other reasons and wouldn’t let us explain the issues at all in our prayer letter. It wasn’t til our resignation was complete that we were able to full explain the situation to our supporters. We pray every day for the integrity of Wycliffe and SIL leaders. Some would be shocked and surprised to know how many TOP leaders in the family of organizations support these practices.
From Steve Parker:
I am a linguistic consultant with Wycliffe and SIL. I am also a professor with the Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics. I add my name to this petition to join a growing list of Christains both inside and outside our organizations who are concerned about this disturbing practice.
From Seth Vitrano-Wilson:
As a member of SIL, I am grieved and dismayed that translations are being produced that ignore the way that God Himself has chosen to reveal Himself. The Eternal Sonship of Christ is not something that is relative to Hebrew culture. All humanity has children, and God chose to reveal His Son using a metaphor that everyone should be able to understand. While it is important that Bibles have some sort of explanation or clarification that no physical union between God and Mary ever took place (what an impossible and blasphemous thought!), using this misunderstanding as an excuse for taking away one of the most fundamental and holy revelations of God about Himself is never justified. I urge all bringers of the good news, whether in Wycliffe, SIL, Frontiers, or any other organization, in the strongest terms possible, to refrain from these mistranslations that fundamentally alter God’s Word in a way that takes out a beautiful and sacred image of God, which He gave to all humanity for our benefit and His glory.
From Meredith Boone:
My husband and I were new members of Wycliffe this past spring assigned to work in their aviation division known as JAARS when it came to light that this was a standard practice by some of the translators. As more information became known to us we began to understand that the leadership was in favor of these translation standards among many of the Muslim language groups. It became apparent that the “face” Wycliffe was putting forward was really a facade. There are many within Wycliffe that disagree with this practice and some encouraging meetings took place, but unfortunately the result of those meetings was a confirmation that this practice will continue and has been given a free reign to move forward with the issuance of “SIL International Statement of Best Practices for Bible Translation of Divine Familial Terms.” Because of these translation practices and the theological implications, we have resigned from Wycliffe.
From Atif Debs:
Manipulating with the Word of God is exactly what the Qur’an accuses People of the Book of doing. The Bible stands on its own and Muslims are coming to Christ without this manipulative scheme.
From Roger Dixon:
I have seen the damage the Indonesian MIT has done to evangelism and biblical theology/ Christian nurture teaching in Indonesia. Although Wycliffe did not do this translation, your approval of similar translations has encouraged independent MIT.
From Alan White:
I have lived among Muslims for 25 years. They reject the biblical teaching of Father and Son primarily because they believe the Qur’an is God’s unchanged word, while they believe Jews and Christians have corrupted the Bible from its original (Islamic in their minds) message. Trying to make the Bible Muslim-friendly only reinforces their mistrust of both the Bible and Christians.
From Ken Stoltzfus:
I have supported Wycliffe for 50 years, and will continue to ONLY IF they are serious about correct translation in every aspect.
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