I was disappointed that an important gift to Fiji Schools missed the opportunity to provide readable modern translations of the Bible, even the very interesting paraphrase called 'The Message' would make a lovely gift. Instead the Baptist International Missions gave copies the very difficult King James version which even English speaking people do not usually read today. It is how many years old - four hundred years - the kind Shakespeare wrote in perhaps. A missed opportunity. Also, why not a good Fijian or Hindi translation?
from today's Fiji Times:
Bibles for schools
Ana Madigibuli
Tuesday, June 04, 2013
Tuesday, June 04, 2013
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Education Minister Filipe Bole, left, receives the first copy of the Holy Bible from the director of Baptist International Missions, Alan Brooks, and the director South East Asia, Robert Meyer. Picture: SUPPLIED
STUDENTS and teachers will soon have access to the King James version Bible in their schools next month.
This follows a handover of 221,000 Bibles by Alan Brooks, the director of the Baptist International Missions from Chattanooga in Tennessee, to the Education Ministry.
Education Minister Filipe Bole said he was delighted to receive a copy of the Bible.
"The teachings from this Bible should encourage students and teachers to be law-abiding citizens, be respectful in their attitude and show tolerance and humility in their everyday living," said Mr Bole.
Mr Brooks said there were 118,000 New Testament Bibles for primary school students and 103,000 full — inclusion of the Old Testament — Bibles for high school students and teachers. etc.
I find this to be yet another very poor example of western paternalistic conduct. Were these Bibles simply lying around in a Baptist warehouse somewhere so they decided to "dump" them on Fiji? A more genuine gesture by the Baptists would have been to support the current Bible Society Fijian translation, which is grounded in the work of Fijian talatalas over the last forty years.
ReplyDeleteHello Andrew, Yes, that was my point. Generosity is fine, but it was a poor choice. Buying Fijian Bibles would have cost them money. Giving out the King James version Bibles might just be, as you say, 'dumping' them. I really am put off when a lady in our Bible Study/Prayer group always wants to read from her King James Bible as I find it difficult and I'm fairly well-read! Some of the para-churches still use this version. Okay it's lovely for some of the psalms but it's important these days to facilitate an ease in reading English or a local language.
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