George Harris Kansas City Star Reader Advisory Panel 2008

The Conservapedia Bible Project has a plan to remove liberal bias from the Bible. This is an interesting idea, and I went to the project’s web site to learn more.

The web site click here states:

“Liberal bias has become the single biggest distortion in modern Bible translations. There are three sources of errors in conveying biblical meaning are (sic), in increasing amount:

“lack of precision in the original language, such as terms underdeveloped to convey new concepts introduced by Christ.
lack of precision in modern language.
translation bias in converting the original language to the modern one.

“Experts in ancient languages are helpful in reducing the first type of error above, which is a vanishing source of error as scholarship advances understanding. English language linguists are helpful in reducing the second type of error, which also decreases due to an increasing vocabulary. But the third--and largest--source of translation error requires conservative principles to reduce and eliminate.”

The second sentence of the quote seems to need removal of the extra “are”. And I don’t understand what is meant by “terms underdeveloped to convey new concepts introduced by Christ.”

The meaning of the first two sentences in the next paragraph (beginning “Experts in ancient languages...”) is also wobbly to me.

I think I understand what is meant by the third sentence. However, I don’t understand how conservative principles could “reduce and eliminate” translation error. An accurate translation depends fundamentally on understanding the ancient language. Applying either conservative or liberal “principles” to the translation would only distort accuracy.

A cursory review of examples of “liberal” bias suggested that the project found most of these in the New Testament.

The Conservapedia project gives an example of the liberal bias of the New Testament and how it should be reinterpreted. When Jesus is hung on the cross, he is reported to have said, “Father forgive them for they know not what they do.” The conservative slant on this is to point out that those who crucified Jesus surely knew exactly what they were doing and therefore were not candidates for forgiveness.

I’m no biblical scholar, but the New Testament emphasizes mercy and forgiveness over the fire and damnation found in the Old Testament. The New Testament is liberal. The Old Testament is conservative.

And this made me think that liberals might take a shot at removing conservative bias from the Old Testament.

For example, Adam and Eve, rather than being expelled from the Garden of Eden for eating the forbidden apple, should be given second and third chances to see the error of their ways. If they continue to fail, God would give them a bailout in the form of a bushel basket of apples. How else could the fertile lands of the world producing bountiful fruits be explained! God intended for everyone to be forgiven and to have second and third chances, and the story of Adam and Eve should reflect that truth.

And whoever said the Bible was the literal word of God!