Poet, Activist, Friend of Sheehan, Mangler of the Bible
I wish liberals would not quote from the Bible.
Not because I don't think the Word of God is for them. Of course it is. But because they can't resist misquoting the Bible in order to make a political point.
From the gothamist, an interview with poet/activist Rick Burnley:
Age, occupation, where are you from, where are you now?I’m 66. I was a graphic designer in New Mexico, but I haven’t been back there in quite a while, and I’m not planning to go back, because I’m on the road, doing what I’m doing. About two months ago I headed to Crawford, Texas, to support Cindy Sheehan and the people who are trying to stop this insanity. By the time I left 12,000 people had gone through. I came to New York, up from the Washington movement on the 24th and I’ve been here since, right here in Union Square.
He explains how he strikes fear into the forces of evil:
And what’s the point of poetry? What is that accomplishing?What was the point of Bob Dylan’s songs? Of the people in the streets? It’s inspirational. It’s something they fear more than anything else. They always try to decapitate someone who voices a message, whether it’s Malcolm X or anyone who has something to say.
Let me see -- is this guy on my "decapitation" list? Nope. Darn.
Funny how these people always think that they are the subject to elaborate assasination plots, literal or metaphorical, and yet manage to give interviews and walk to the corner store for smokes without being snatched and loaded into a windowless van, never to be seen again.
This New York magazine has a final question:
Any advice for mayor Bloomberg?Go spend some time with the Dalai Lama, and open up your heart as much as you can, and realize that we’re all one. It’s what Jesus said in the Bible: “Whatsoever you do to the least of my creatures, you do unto me.”
Do you see where my problem is?
It's not "creatures", it's "brothers".
The entire passage from Matthew 25 reads like this:
When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'
Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'
The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.'
Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.'
People will be judge on how they treated their human brothers and sisters, alleviating their suffering.
Not creatures. This is not about PETA and lost doggies. This is about doing what you have in your power to helps those who are in pain or in danger.
Like those who suffer under the yoke of a vicious dictator.
Can't even read the Bible right. Idiot.
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Comments
Of course, as you well know, it is neither "creatures" nor "brothers" what with the Bible not having been written in English and all.
Most translations have it as either "brothers" or "brethren", although some have it as "people". "Brother" is more correct than "creatures", of course, but there's more to interpretation than choosing the right word, isn't there? After all, you've chosen to interpret the meaning as "brothers and sisters" which is a fairly radical interpretation in itself. But then you conservatives can't resist "misquoting" the Bible in order to make a political point can you?
Posted by: PeterP at October 14, 2005 10:32 PM
Careful quoting that Bible passage too many times, Angry. You may get mistaken for a liberal.
TB
Cerberus
Posted by: TB at October 14, 2005 11:10 PM
"After all, you've chosen to interpret the meaning as "brothers and sisters" which is a fairly radical interpretation in itself."
Actually, the notion that 'brothers' or any other masculine pronoun is exclusive rather than inclusive is what is novel. Traditionally it is the feminine pronoun which is exclusive, i.e., Woman does not refer to all people Man does.
Posted by: at October 14, 2005 11:37 PM
Sorry Angry,
When I hear anyone quoting a book of religion, I get nervous. I am tired of hearing people using religion as an excuse for their excesses. Please don't forget that the Bible, Koran and Torah were all written by man and are continually being interprated by man (generally to suit their own needs).
Don't forget that Pat Robertson (a man of God) has called for the assassination (that means illegal killing) of Hugo Chevas in Venazuala, simply because the man doesn't like GWB. Let's also not forget that GWB was quoted to say that his war in Iraq is "A MISSION FROM GOD". Please check your sources and backtracks, this IS a quote.
Cheers
Gerry
Posted by: Gerry in Montreal at October 15, 2005 12:57 AM
Actually, both 'brothers' or 'brothers and sisters' are good translations from the original greek.
The word is adelphos, which in greek usually is used to connote some blood relation (typically brothers). That said, there are numerous NT passages where the author (Paul in this case), uses the term adelphos to refer to groups which include men and women. There are specific references to 'brothers' who are wives, older and younger women, indicating that it doesn't just refer to men, so clearly either of those two are permissible. It certainly doesn't refer to 'creatures'.
Posted by: paulm at October 15, 2005 01:37 AM
I thought that it was Jake and Elwood on a mission from God.
Actually Gerry, what the story about the "Mission from God" actually came from the recollections of Abu Mazen, who related this story to the press through an interpreter. Recalling that what was intially said to our PLO friend through an interpreter, I would not count on the quote being quite verbatim.
I have seen translations of documents from English to French and back be terribly butchered, so a contemporaneous translation of a convseration recall a couple months ago that itself was a contemporaneous translation of Bush is not something upon which I would base any intelligent arguement.
But that me an dobviously not Gerry.
Posted by: Cranky or Just a Crank at October 15, 2005 08:42 AM
paulm,
No, it certainly doesn't refer to creatures. But neither does it necessarily refer to brothers and sisters. Look at the controversy around the TNIV earlier this year and the contention by many evangelicals that the translators had an agenda which, in the words of Paige Patterson, president of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary was "to attempt to force egalitarian and even feminist perspectives on readers in the name of translation".
So, some people would argue that Angry is mis-interpreting the Bible "in order to make a political point". My point, my only point really, was to call him out on the stupidity of trying to make a general statement about "liberals" based on one word used by one man...er person...I mean creature.
Posted by: PeterP at October 15, 2005 10:09 AM
Let me state this plainly, the TNIV 'controversy' involves a very small subset of the evangelical world (in which I am a minister). There are a few hardcore, anti-egalitarians who refuse to accept that they are wrong. They are completely inconsistent, throughout the Acts and the epistles, hearers of sermons and readers of letters are addressed as "brothers." Yet there are specific references to some of these "brothers" who are wives, younger women, and older women. It makes no SENSE to translate adelphos in reference to a mixed group as 'brothers', because that's not what it means. It means a 'blood relative' or akin to one. As such, the BEST possible translation would be something like 'my kin', because he's stressing our inter-relatedness in the kingdom of God.
Second, related to your second point about accusing Angry of hypocrisy for calling out someone for a mis-interpretation, and then saying some would say he's mis-interpreting, I think you are way off the mark there too. Even the most arch conservative anti-egalitarian biblical scholar would agree that 'brothers and sisters' is more accurate than 'creatures', and they'd have far less problem accepting the former in this case than the latter. Its a straw man.
Posted by: paulm at October 15, 2005 11:14 AM
Burnley is mistranslating the Bible to interpret Christianity as monism, believing that all things are one. I will not go into details (it is an interesting but involved discussion), but I can safely say that such a view is contrary to the Bible's teachings. By doing so, he is committing the classic error of "proof texting," which is the act of supporting a view contradictory to the author's, based on a single passage taken out of context.
Posted by: J-P at October 15, 2005 02:24 PM
paulm,
I said stupidity, not hypocrisy. Again, my point is that to take one word used by one person and turn that into a statement about all liberals is just stupid.
Posted by: paulm, at October 16, 2005 07:13 PM
 
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