A NEW BIBLE translation, the "Western Bible", has been released in the Netherlands which literally cuts out the difficult bits, leaving holes in the pages.
The new version, released by the Western Bible Foundation has created a storm by trying to make the Christian gospel more acceptable. Parts of the good book (about justice, possessions and money) are simply not there.
Chairman, Mr. De Rijke, says the new Bible is in response to the growing wish of many churches to be market-oriented and more attractive. "Jesus was very inspiring for our inner health, but we don't need to take His naïve remarks about money seriously."
According to De Rijke no serious Christian takes texts about money or the poor literally. The foundation wanted to "boldly go where no-one has gone before" by cutting out the confusing texts.
"We don't use them anyway! There's no single Christian selling his possessions and giving them to the poor."
Hundreds of Western Bibles have been sold in the first few weeks. Meanwhile anxious Christians filled newspapers and web logs with their doubts.
Perhaps the names of the board, 'De Rijke' (meaning 'the rich') and 'Fortuijn' (meaning 'fortune'), as well as holes in pages hint to the truth: the Western Bible is a joke.
It is published by "Time to Turn", a network of Christian students and young adults in the Netherlands "who want to choose a sustainable and just way of life based on their faith in Jesus Christ."
This is certainly a joke with a sting in the tail. Many Christians do blindly accept the "Western lifestyle" with its injustice and wasteful consumerism, only taking in the "easy" parts of the Bible.
Perhaps the "Bible with holes" has actually been doing very well for a good deal longer than anyone realises.
The Jesus Army aims to be a "church of the poor". It has some sixty Christian "community houses" in which church members live a relatively simple lifestyle and share their money and possessions to ensure equality. In addition, the Jesus Army has opened Jesus Centres which aim to help the disadvantaged in various practical and spiritual ways.
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