International Outrage Over Denmark's Fake Bible: Time to Discard It

Many religious Muslims can read the Koran in the original. Religious Jews read the Bible in Hebrew. As for Christians, it seems that even most pastors and priests can't handle the original text.

I am afraid that far too many Christian organisations in Europe are today motivated more by political correctness than their faith. Is it any wonder that church attendance is falling everywhere in Europe?

Attempts to 'de-Judify' the Bible is not new. History repeats itself, although the Danes met with success as their 'translation' is in print (for how long?).

As for history, in 1939, with the approval of 75% of the German Protestant churches, the Eisenacher "Institute for Research and the Elimination of Jewish influence on German Church Life" was founded, led by Walter Grundmann. One of its main tasks was to compile a "People's Testament" (German: Volkstestaments) in the sense of what Alfred Rosenberg called a "Fifth Gospel", to announce the myth of the "Aryan Jesus" (a New New Testament thus).

What the Danes did is to look over the national boundary for an example from the past, ... and found it. The Danes produced the greatest setback since WWII of relations between Jews and Christians. SHAME!

No harm in rewriting some of the Koran either, especially the area which encourages following Sharia, which is quite racist, as many now realise.

Where are the Jewish organizations with European presence on the Danish fake bible? Where are ADL, AJC, World Jewish Congress, and Simon Wiesenthal Center as a united front to win on this issue? A lone activist, Pablo Nankin, will not resolve this issue, which requires institutional support.

Dear Rev. Dr. Heldt,
You are entirely correct...this piece of fakery masquerading as an authentic translation of The Holy Bible (because that is exactly how some of the misguided will use it) should be junked! I am appalled that ANYONE thought this was a good idea. Thank you for your lucid, well-written articles on this situation. That this book might not be removed (immediately) from publication, is/should be a horrifying prospect for Jews and Christians worldwide. The Danish Bible Society should be ashamed of themselves... and removed from office!

Among other Scripture passages, Revelation 22:18-19 is very clear in saying,
"I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy of this book: if anyone adds to them, God shall add to him the plagues which are written in this book; and if anyone takes away from this book of prophecy, God shall take away his part from the tree of life and from the Holy City, which are written in this book." (NASB)

Not even God's Word is safe from attacks by this politically correct culture we find ourselves in. Those responsible for this abomination will reap the consequences unless they repent.

This is a result of today's political situation in which everything has become political propaganda. History is being rewritten with many omissions, distortions and falsehoods to paint a picture of what today's writers want the public to believe about the past. Why would they not do the same with the Bible?

The people doing this are not going to admit to doing it, or retract any of it (except, maybe, to re-present it in a form that accomplishes the same end by slightly different means). There is no recourse other than to denounce it, and try to convince others to reject it.

"For Christians and Jews, the Bible is serious. Any tampering with its words, above all with the word Israel, is unacceptable and rejected unequivocally. The attempted murder of Israel" is ongoing and separating her from the land is not even a subtle way to obscure the prophetic path that has been provided through Israel -- Israel is the fertile soil that produced Christianity, without which Christianity would not have arrived. The miracle of Israel's return to the land in 1948 is a mind-boggling miracle that could not have been prevented even if the not so subtle Replacement Theology is thaught in western seminaries -- prophetically, no one can prevent her ultimate fulfillment. A man can receive nothing unless it been given from heaven...John 3:27 -- so all things in due time.

If this version was for those who do not attend church, surely it's even more important to be accurate and refer to the name of the land of Israel? Those with scant knowledge of the bible should be made aware of the struggle God had with his people. He told them of the curses that would befall them (being exiled from the land of Israel) if they worshipped other gods, and being blessed within their own land, which He gave them, if they were faithful to Him. Even promising them (over and over again in black and white in the bible) that even though they may be exiled (for two thousand years) He would bring them back into their land, never to be exiled again, so they will be there, ready, for when the Messiah returns. We've seen this happen with our own eyes in our generation. Surely the link between Jewish people and Israel is the whole point of this wonderful story.

I wonder what would've happened to Denmark if the same approach would've been taken with respect to Koran. The antisemitism is taking the state level, enters the politics again but now employing the strong alliance with Islam. This politicized bible has been created to please Islam, no doubt. The world becomes really disgusting place, especially the Western world.

In sum, the DBS translation project is a heterodox enterprise. Let the faithful beware and treat it accordingly.

Since translating the Holy Bible into the vernacular has always intinsically been an heretical act, from the viewpoint of any authorities, it is now long past the time when the democratic right that opened the Pandora's Box to the subsequently bewilderingly differing versions of the foundational Christian text can be withdrawn; historically, most Bible recensions and translations were not the more established ones we have come to respect. Indeed both linguistic and doctrinal scholarship has proceeded unchecked across the long-divided Christian world to the extent that modern Churches in the West have become more-or-less humanistic and atheistical.

Unfortunately, also, the greatest progenitor of Protestantism retained a typically Mediaeval mindset regarding the Jews, whom he of course from that perspective saw as guilty of the Blood of Christ. In his 'On the Jews and Their Lies' he clearly recommends pogroms against the Jews. The translators of the new Danish Bible are also, it seems to me, people of their time: an edition of the Bible for our highly politicised and partisan times that seeks to deny that modern Israel has an inheritance of any land-rights conferred upon it by Biblical authority, was always an inevitable outcome of laissez-faire faith.

The widespread so-called 'anti-Zionist' stance of the committed, partisan and pro-Palestinian kind of modern Christian who follows what has wittily been called 'the Gospel according to Marx' has produced a Bible that accords with their own world view. Christianity is no longer a stable rock of timeless Faith, except for those of an evangelical persuasion. It seems particularly impossible, in the midst of such an anarchy, to expect any particular vision of Christianity to accord with the Jews' own view of their religious importance, or with their sense of 'manifest destiny' in their re-occupation of the very widely contested Holy Land.

The matter of correct scholarship naturally remains of overarching importance to serious research and independent study, but of course this will never decide anything theological or historical to everyone's satisfaction. Everyone is free to have their own version of the Bible. Being regarded as 'sacred' to so many who differ so much, and often so violently, between their own and rival special interpretations, the Bible has really ceased to be universally Sacred in the same way as it was in the days of Revelation, when the blinding Truth of simple Faith was the direct living experience of the primitive Church. So unless and until God once again makes an intervention in our lives, no doubt error will remain merely a matter of opinion?

These people are similar to the current Pope.... more lefty activists than they are Christians!

What we read from this is - the new translation is not for use in the Church, as it has not been authorized for that - and - the outcry is maybe indicative of why - it cannot be authorized by those who know the Bible - yet? - because those who know and use the Bible will notice the faults too easily and understand the errors made.
Rather - this new bible version is for those who are NOT used to going to church or much into the Christian faith. This way - the ones who is targeted is the ones who would otherwise contribute to the growth of the church.
Maybe this also was the purpose of the darker force behind this new edition from the Danish Bible Society - the strangling of the Church - with a new revelation that won't let the reader realize that the Deity entity described in this book called "Bible" is consistent and reliable with a continued and integrated story. This might be the case even if the Danish Bible Society might not be aware of it themselves.

I am surprised that the Danish Bible Society, still perhaps influenced by Luther, would want to omit or replace Israel and downplay Judaism in its teachings. I remember how in the 2nd WW, the Danish people helped Jewish people get out of Denmark to safety in Sweden. They were the country known for doing a large part for this cause. A fake Bible doesn't sound like the Danish people I met and remember. I hope it will be revoked.

Tampering with the Bible and its effects and sometimes its cause is a matter of motive, why are they intentionally misleading us? Why is it so important to remove the word Israel from the New Testament. Germany with its long history of liberal theology should point to the issue immediately. The German Positive Church began removing any evidence that Judaism payed any role in the New Testament. This was made possible by promoting new interpretations of the Bible conforming with "science" and theology itself challenging the notion of inerrancy due to errors or inexar meanings in translations. Hence cults like Christian Science, Mormonism, and Jehovah Witnesses all claim to some extent their "new" interpretations are based on errors of translation challenging the notion the Bible is the Word of God.

Modern Islam also takes liberties in defining what is Biblical inerrancy, its the parts that are included in the Koran. I have spoken to more than a few Muslims who proselytize that the Jesus of Judaism and Christianity is the same as the Jesus of the Koran who ascended from the cross and never died. Extremists believe Jesus will one day lead the Armies of Allah in the final conquest of the non-Muslim world killing or enslaving all infidels. Jews believe Jesus died, period, end of story. Christians believe Jesus died was entombed and rose from the grave and eventually ascended. We also believe like Muslims that Jesus will lead the Armies of God to establish his kingdom on earth. The critical difference being Christians are not encouraged to take violent action to initiate the circumstances prescribed that final events that are indicators of the "end time". Al-Qaeda, ISIS, and other extremist groups believe violent acts in themselves attacks on non and tepid believers in themselves are part of the equation to invoke the end time and ultimate triumph of Islam.

Obviously tinkering around with the Israel in the New Testament has much more import than only the malicious aspects of anti-Semitism. Like the German Positive church, it indicates an intent to deconstruct the Judaistic aspects of Christianity. In fact, Judaism exists without the inclusion of the New Testament but Christianity is directly born from Judaism. Islam claims it is the perfect expression of Judaism and Christianity, the only way that statement makes any sense at all is if you are first willing to discard any part of the faiths of others necessary to. Unfortunately liberals are often in agreement with the principles allowing contemporary theologians to reinvent the Bible.

Freedom of speech, freedom of religion tolerance of criticism and ridicule of ones belief systems by those advancing their own have been the hall mark of Judaism and Christianity perhaps one of the better effects of liberal and marginal Christian beliefs when not carried to a fault even if heretical. Although heresy as a word in the contemporary theological context has more or less lost its sting and is likely to cal up images of the Inquisitions burning stakes and torture cells, as believers we maintain the right to defend our faith in accord with the laws of our nations, and in this instance the Danes have meddled with the New Testament in a manner that is mindful of the German Positive Church that sought to incrementally remove Judaism from Christian beliefs, making Jesus an Aryan and Hitler a deity. To what end? To advance anti-Semitism and further advance liberal, secular Marxist and Islamist themes that Israel is not Jewish, its Zionist. Socialists and Islamists in the USA have been preaching the Gospel like Bernie Sanders himself many of them are "Jewish", and "Christians" when its convenient and fits their ideological faith one that is decidedly anti Zionist to such a degree it too often strays over the line and becomes anti-Jewish.

This beggars belief. That any society that is based on religion could carry out such a despicable and irreligious act is truly incredible and worthy of immense criticism, and strips them of any incredibility That anyone coud even think of such an action let alone carry it out puts them beyond the pale. Every copy should be buried and shamed

The fake Danish Bible without Israel is like a pub in Australia without beer. It is a disgrace!

We have to ask ourselves why did this happen in the year 2020? This is not a random event.

After centuries of murderous antisemitism we are now in the age of anti-Zionism, the denial of the Jews' claim to their homeland. Do these Danish bible scholars want to see the Jews wander the Earth branded with the Mark of Cain, never to regain God's promise of return as free people to their homeland?

There are at least two competing theological threads running through the history of Christianity. There is the religion of love, thank God. But there is also the religion of murderous intolerance. These Danish bible scholars seemed to have learned the wrong lessons from their study of Christianity.

Danish Bible 2020 translation purposefully omitting the word Israel is not surprising. Especially after the influx of migrants the Evangelical Lutheran church of Denmark wants to be more politically correct to please the terrorists residing among them. Unfortunately they fear humans more than God who can not only kill the body but throw their soul in Hell fire. Israel is Israel; no alternate word and no replacement as person or people group. High time some body starts a signature campaign to withdraw the translation and stick to the original.

It demonstrates their enormous anti-Israel bias.