http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/a...at_050921112127




I get the impression that this is simply turning Christianity into a religion of 'convenience'. If someone is unwilling to divest the time into reading the whole Bible and instead getting this 'snapshot' they are lacking in sincerity. It is akin to wanting to change the Catholic church because it doesn't fit in with 'todays modern lifestyle'.

Not to mention that boiling down the Bible into a 100 minute read will get rid of much of the original text. Considering that theologists have debated the meaning of this very text for generations apon generations that means they are presenting only a very narrow interpretation of the Bible, this in itself is dangerous.

If you think the Bible is a way of understanding God, then READ THE BIBLE. Not this Christmas Cracker version of it.

Also this is being presented as a potential 'Bestseller'. A religious work should be published as a means to enlightening people, not as a means of generating coin. This seems to part of a series of "Under 100 minutes" works. Somehow that smacks of immorality

Damn, this pisses me off and I'm agnostic....

Anyway, DISCUSS! Is it a good way of making the Word reach more people? Or is it a gimmick and a dangerous one at that?

I know many people who have a real interest in religion without actually following christianity, My wife is a pagan for example and she feels that knowing about other religions is a good and healthy thing, I have known her to trawl the internet for hours looking up other religions, she doesn't nescesarily want to read the koran/tao de ching/the bible after all it isn't her religion but she does want an overview. Maybe this text could be of assistance to people like her.

Good point, but it is only one groups take on the Bible. It's their take on the meaning taken out of the context of the text so that a reader can make their own judgement on what it means.

Heh. I suppose it's a bit like watching Shaolin Soccer, to take a non-serious example. In the US version you're suppossed to hate the owner of Team Evil unreservedly and adore the poor crippled Golden Leg (I think thats his name). But in the original version (that is cut from the US version) you find out that originally the roles were reversed, Golden Leg was the evil one until the supposedly 'evil' guy got his revenge.

If you take it out of context you remove all chance of knowing the underlyning message.

I think that is what is happening here. One view is being presented as the true meaning of the words and all ability to see differently is being deliberately cropped out.

I know this has been attempted throughout history. However it wasn't right then, why is it right now?

It would be interesting to have books which give you the "gist" of a religion- their rules, laws etc. But that would be silly as religion isn't just that...


Is it?

A book that outlines the main tenents and beliefs would be good, but it should not be presented as a condensed version of the whole scripture. It is what it is, just a primer for further study.

This on the other hand presents itself as the whole truth of the Bible laid out in an easy 100 minute read.


I actually feel quite passionate about this. Odd.

Maybe it is because I am agnostic I am open to pursuasion. I don't like the way this 'Mini-Bible' closes off so many doors. It is a cut, dried, (microwaved?), tunnelvision look at a book that has needed interpretation for millenia. The fact that it can present itself as the only true diffinition of the Good Book with all the useless bits thrown out smacks of hubris.

Maybe we should read it before we judge...

I've read a cut down version of the new testament that an evangelist friend gave me, and it bore no resemblence to what I've read of the New Testament (admittedly I've not got the whole way through yet), it was basically one church's interpretation of what the New Testament meant with the odd quote for good measure. There are many similar books around it just seems that this one got lots of publicity. (My friend hadn't actually read the pamphlet, when I got her to she thought it was stupid too).

Do not infringe on my right to be offended!

*huffs*

Even Christians have many different versions of the Bible, compare the King James and the one used by the Jehovah's Witness for example. By approaching the original text with a set idea they have defined the basic tenants of their faith before they began the translation, only to find that their slant on the text supports their ideas. Of course, everyone else's version is wrong and theirs is the only real translation...

Certainly this text is shorter than those, but is is likely to be any more biased? There's certainly greater odds for corruption of the material, but given the amount of changes that the Bible has been through in translation I doubt that it can really take it much further away from what may or may not have been the true words of a guy who died two thousand years ago.

Precisely. Except there is ALWAYS room to further misunderstand someones teachings. Truth is always lacking but the capacity for ignorance is limitless. To needlessly and pointlessly cripple yourself in the search for truth shows no dedication to the pursuit in the first place.

And that is enough ranting for now. It's Pub'oclock time!

100-minute Bible?

...


10 bucks says Ray Bradbury is telling someone "I told you so."

Great call!

Yeah just wait we'll have a McChruch before you know it. Drive through salvation, comunion at one window, confesion at another and finally repentance at the last window. You'll even get plast action figure Jesus with donations over $4... Just wait it'll happen.

*Jimmy glances down at watch* Any time now.

I honestly thought that those already exist in the US (except for the plaster Jesus action figure... Although that seems quite likely too now I think about it).

It's really just a sign of the times. I'm not sure on how many people still devote themselves to reading the entire bible anyway - most of my family is devout, extreme catholic and they've not read the entire thing either. The 100 minute bible is obviously not a 'Catholicism for Dummies' remedy. I think it exists for the sole purpose of understanding the basics as a prompt on whether you want to learn more. Like say, perhaps, it'd be a pre-course to an actual Christianity study so that one knows some of what one's getting into before tackling the entire thing.

As a kid who went to constant religion classes from the age of six to thirteen before being kicked out for "views that were too open" (), I know that there is a LOT. to learn to become a member of the catholic church. It isn't really just showing up and going. It's very hard for people to convert into catholics because of all the stuff they've missed like first communion and confirmation and things like that. The bible is not the entirety of Christianity. It's the raw bit, yes, if you believe that it's Jesus' voice behind it all, but I think that a 100 minute bible is the least of one's worries in trying to become Catholic.

It's not something that would automatically turn you into one, is what I'm saying. No one in their right mind would call that passing as a tool to becoming a certain religion. It's a prop, and nothing more.

Which is why I say, if people want to read it, they're more than welcome. It's a good overview for people who are considering whether they'd like to become members of the church or not.

I was going to be cranky and rant about this, but then I had an epiphany. As long as this isn't an excuse for purely pc editing, go for it! The goal for me as Christian should be to have people read it. If this gets a foot in the door, its a start. The same as a pamphlet, a brief conversation over lunch or a prayer with someone. So I don't think (barring purely pc edit attempts) I have much room to complain. I wish people had more than a five minute attention span, but hey.

Edit- What syuu said, basically.

I should point out that this does, in fact, exist.



That too.