Author Topic: What's the deal with this whole KJV-Only silliness?  (Read 5018 times)

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Offline Barbarella

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What's the deal with this whole KJV-Only silliness?
« on: April 13, 2015, 10:15:10 am »
I tried looking for websites that explain, from an anti-frummie point of view, why a number of frums have a hard-on for the KJV Bible...but no dice. There's plenty of sites talking about this phenomenon but I never could get a good answer.

The only answer I could come up with is that some translations are better translated and the real text was more ambiguous about stuff like being Gay or whatever.

But even then, the differences are minute and the virulent hatred of Bible translations before & after KJV is ridiculous.

Why would a bunch of holy-rollers (who are homophobes) totally worship a translation commissioned by a 16-17th Century gay guy?

Offline Ultimate Paragon

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Re: What's the deal with this whole KJV-Only silliness?
« Reply #1 on: April 13, 2015, 10:22:33 am »
I tried looking for websites that explain, from an anti-frummie point of view, why a number of frums have a hard-on for the KJV Bible...but no dice. There's plenty of sites talking about this phenomenon but I never could get a good answer.

The only answer I could come up with is that some translations are better translated and the real text was more ambiguous about stuff like being Gay or whatever.

But even then, the differences are minute and the virulent hatred of Bible translations before & after KJV is ridiculous.

Why would a bunch of holy-rollers (who are homophobes) totally worship a translation commissioned by a 16-17th Century gay guy?

Wait a minute, King James was gay?  Huh, didn't know that.

Anyway, what I really don't get is frummers considering it the only legitimate version of the Bible.  What, do they really think Jesus talked like a character from a Shakespeare play?

Offline Askold

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Re: What's the deal with this whole KJV-Only silliness?
« Reply #2 on: April 13, 2015, 10:53:42 am »
It is quite simple actually. Christianity has divided into many branches that have slightly different interpretations on different things. One of the differences has often been that the bible has been translated and re-translated numerous times and often modified slightly as well. The different branches like to say that THEY are the ones who have the "True way" and the others are heretics so claiming that their bible is the only true one is quite common tactic as well.

...Just look at Ireland. Until few years ago christians were killing each other and one of the justifications of the killings was that the two sides belonged to different churches. But apart from that wars between christians have been over mostly for centuries. It used to be bigger and some of the crusades in the middle ages were against other christians for example. These days different branches get along much better.

For reasons unknown the americans who hold the KJV to be the "ONE TRUE BIBLE" are among those who want to keep the divide alive. I think the fact that they are americans is the main reason, as US vs THEM mentality seems to be pretty strong in USA in other matters as well. IF these people belonged to a different branch of Christianity then they would have some other version of the bible that they would hold with the same esteem.

Wait a minute, King James was gay?  Huh, didn't know that.

...I think you need to re-read her post as she didn't imply that.
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Offline Sigmaleph

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Re: What's the deal with this whole KJV-Only silliness?
« Reply #3 on: April 13, 2015, 11:49:33 am »
Wait a minute, King James was gay?  Huh, didn't know that.

...I think you need to re-read her post as she didn't imply that.

...yes she did? Not sure how else you can interpret "a translation commissioned by a 16-17th Century gay guy".

And that King James was gay is a common allegation. Not sure how much stock historians put on that, but it's definitely a common rumour.


On topic, I have no idea why the KJV is so popular. Apparently there are people who argue that the KJV is not just the best English translation but that it's divinely inspired and that it's as reliable or more than the Greek and Hebrew texts it was translated from. Why? Not a clue.
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Offline Askold

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Re: What's the deal with this whole KJV-Only silliness?
« Reply #4 on: April 13, 2015, 11:50:55 am »
Ah, I missed a line of text. My bad.
No matter what happens, no matter what my last words may end up being, I want everyone to claim that they were:
"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."
Aww, you guys rock. :)  I feel the love... and the pitchforks and torches.  Tingly!

Offline Barbarella

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Re: What's the deal with this whole KJV-Only silliness?
« Reply #5 on: April 13, 2015, 01:18:31 pm »
But even that "keeping the divide alive" thing isn't that good an answer because plenty of frums use other translations as well.

And yes, I did say King James was (likely) gay.

Offline Eiki-mun

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Re: What's the deal with this whole KJV-Only silliness?
« Reply #6 on: April 13, 2015, 02:45:02 pm »
The fancy language makes it feel like more of a holy document. Most of these people are more likely to listen to a god if he speaks with thees and thous. (God never uses Ye.)
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Offline Askold

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Re: What's the deal with this whole KJV-Only silliness?
« Reply #7 on: April 13, 2015, 02:48:40 pm »
But even that "keeping the divide alive" thing isn't that good an answer because plenty of frums use other translations as well.

And yes, I did say King James was (likely) gay.
But those other "Frums" are not from that particular branch of Christianity.

The other branches usually have newer translations of the bible anyway and it is just that this one particular branch of christianity (I'm not sure which one it is in USA since it probably ain't called the church of England there and I am too lazy to check.) that got caught up with the KJV and they just use it as a sign of being the TRUE Christians. They can't switch to another translation because that would be admitting that the KJV isn't SPESHUL.

It is just a tradition. They probably had an argument with other Christians 100 years ago and someone said "OH YEAH! Well you are wrong because MY bible says differently than yours" and now they are stuck with it. This is how traditions are born. Someone at some time did a thing, it might have made sense (or not) but after a century or two most of the details have been forgotten and people just do it because it is a tradition.
No matter what happens, no matter what my last words may end up being, I want everyone to claim that they were:
"If you strike me down, I shall become more powerful than you could possibly imagine."
Aww, you guys rock. :)  I feel the love... and the pitchforks and torches.  Tingly!

Offline Random Gal

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Re: What's the deal with this whole KJV-Only silliness?
« Reply #8 on: April 13, 2015, 03:29:27 pm »
It comes from Protestants wanting to discard tradition and councils and claim the Bible is the one source of doctrinal truth. As most "Bible Christians" in the US started with the King James Version, that has been the ultimate source of truth for them and most of their theology is based on it. New versions of the Bible that don't line up with their arbitrary "gold standard" are a threat to the foundations of their faith as a result, and have to be regarded as wrong.

Note that in most King James Only articles and websites, the reasons listed for why the other translations are wrong have nothing to do with textual or historical accuracy. They're entirely based on how the other translations do not support their belief system.

Example: One word used in the Old Testament is translated "sodomites" in the KJV, and as such there are verses like "He drove the sodomites out of the land." It is now recognized that the word actually meant "shrine prostitutes." However, when KJV purists see the new reading of "He drove the shrine prostitutes out of the land," their reaction is to declare the newer version wrong and blame the Homosexual Agenda because the Bible isn't supporting their bigotry as much anymore.

Offline ironbite

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Re: What's the deal with this whole KJV-Only silliness?
« Reply #9 on: April 13, 2015, 05:02:08 pm »
The reason why the KJV is so popular is because that's the Bible the Puritans brought with them.  So of course Fundies are gonna be quoting it left and right.  It's what supports their views after all.

Ironbite-at least that's what makes sense to me.

Offline Ironchew

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Re: What's the deal with this whole KJV-Only silliness?
« Reply #10 on: April 13, 2015, 06:48:41 pm »
I tried looking for websites that explain, from an anti-frummie point of view, why a number of frums have a hard-on for the KJV Bible...but no dice. There's plenty of sites talking about this phenomenon but I never could get a good answer.

It was one of the earliest widespread English translations of the Bible, so naturally it became popular in the English-speaking world. Christians, like other adherents to world religions, have a lot of psychological armor against adopting new teachings that contradict teachings they believe were dictated by God.

The only answer I could come up with is that some translations are better translated and the real text was more ambiguous about stuff like being Gay or whatever.

One big problem is that we don't have an original Bible. The earliest examples we can find were apparently assembled by committee and include contradictory accounts passed down through oral history, contradictory accounts written long after the events supposedly took place, and contemporary political sniping. The apocryphal gospels were among the works popular among early Christians that didn't make the cut in this arbitrary process.

But even then, the differences are minute and the virulent hatred of Bible translations before & after KJV is ridiculous.

Interdenominational conflict is serious business. We're talking about the fate of your eternal soul, so to speak, so why side with the unpopular team? When everyone else says the KJV is the True Word™, how could they all be wrong? Maybe it's something wrong with you? The human brain is not good at contradicting popular consensus even if that popular consensus would otherwise obviously be wrong.

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Offline Barbarella

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Re: What's the deal with this whole KJV-Only silliness?
« Reply #11 on: April 14, 2015, 12:25:26 am »
It comes from Protestants wanting to discard tradition and councils and claim the Bible is the one source of doctrinal truth. As most "Bible Christians" in the US started with the King James Version, that has been the ultimate source of truth for them and most of their theology is based on it. New versions of the Bible that don't line up with their arbitrary "gold standard" are a threat to the foundations of their faith as a result, and have to be regarded as wrong.

Note that in most King James Only articles and websites, the reasons listed for why the other translations are wrong have nothing to do with textual or historical accuracy. They're entirely based on how the other translations do not support their belief system.

Example: One word used in the Old Testament is translated "sodomites" in the KJV, and as such there are verses like "He drove the sodomites out of the land." It is now recognized that the word actually meant "shrine prostitutes." However, when KJV purists see the new reading of "He drove the shrine prostitutes out of the land," their reaction is to declare the newer version wrong and blame the Homosexual Agenda because the Bible isn't supporting their bigotry as much anymore.


Makes sense, plus the more "fire-and-brimstone" verses sound more hammy & "fire-and-brimstoney" in Jacobean English.....great for "puttin' the fear of Gawd" in the flock.