"Intimacy kits" are in and Bibles are out -- "less values-oriented" hotels. (Obviously, it's not "less-values" -- just different values.)Interestingly, when Newsweek posted a photo to illustrate their story of how the Gideons are being nudged out of US hotels they pictured a non-Gideon style NIV Bible. Maybe they couldn't find a Gideon Bible for the photo-shoot -- or couldn't tell the difference.
This is what a Gideons Bible looks like. In hotels they all seem to be King James Version Bibles. The NIV is too progressive. I wonder if the distribution of archaic language Bibles may be contributing to the perception that the Bible is irrelevant to contemporary life.
4 comments:
That's a trip, Brad. Maybe Newsweek will updated their framed shot with a real picture! :)
You're right...I can only imagine what prebelievers might think, finding one of these KJV Gideon Bibles and reading it and thinking, "what are these words?" God is able to use it I know, but I think even a Message paraphrase would be more impacting. Those are my two cents, anyway...
Blessings from sunny AZ...God bless you and the Mrs...
David Hillis
Brad, I used to be in the Gideons. I believe there are two main reasons they mostly distribute the KJV. First, it is seen as a conservative choice, not likely to alienate anyone. (I think it's wrong-headed, but I made no progress in changing things in my time with the organization.) And second, there are no royalties involved. More bang for the buck on printing Bibles.
I think Randy is right...it is about the cost involved.
There wouldn't be any royalty cost involved in printing a koine Greek edition either. :-)
I think that there are other translations with low or now royalty fees. If they want to maintain a "classical" sense to the text the ESV would be available. The ABS has the Good News Bible and the CEV. The NET Bible people have already given the Gideons permission to use their translation for free -- without royalty.
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