European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - September 09, 1995, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 10 the stars and stripes religion saturday september 9, 1995 in search Public publishers Are simplified translations by Peter Steinfels Nev York times the Bible is the word of god to christians but those  Are having trouble understanding that word. More than 90 percent of american Homes have at least one Bible and Man Homes have four or More. That ratio compares Well with television sets Vars microwaves and computers. But judging from widespread ignorance of the Bible it seems that the wired gels More regularise than the word. Preachers once ascribed this neglect of the Bible to sin. Today they Are As Likely to blame syntax that is the simple fact that Many people find the Bible hard to read. Here is an example consider thet lies How they grow the neither toil Noj spin yet i Tell you even Solomon in ail his glory was not  one of these. \ Luke 12 27. New revised Standar translation i1989. In a poll conducted for the american Bible society More than two thirds of those owning a Bible said they wished its language were easier to understand. Bible publishers cite findings that nearly half the Public cannot read at an eighth Grade level. Questionnaires distributed in adult Bible classes show that Many Church goers cannot give the scriptural meaning of biblical terms such As covenant redemption justify or even Grace. And Here s How the publishers Are trying to help readers understand what they read look How the wild Flowers grow they Don t work hard to make their clothes but i Tell you that Solomon with All his wealth was t As Well clothed As one of these towers. Luke 12 27. Contemporary English version 1995 Many potential readers Are also put of by the sheer Church iness of terms such As Sanctification oblation or righteous Ness let alone by the thee Anc thou and unto and old verb endings Hast and Saith and the inverted word order of the King James version. Modern translations live removed the most obvious of these obstacles. But the ultimate solution has been what Are called simplified translations. The grandparents of this Breed appeared inthe 1970s the living Bible tyndale House which was considered a Para phrase and the american Bible society s today s English version. ? simplified translations Are multiplying. The new Century version word bibles appeared in 1991. Last March saw the appearance of god s word world pub Lishing. In Juno the american Bible society released the contemporary English version distributed commercially by Thomas Nelson. In july the new testament appeared in a new International Reader s version Zondervan simplification of the Best Selling new International version. The publishers of the living Bible plan to re lease a Complete new living translation next summer v in every Case the strategy is similar use simple vocabulary keep sentences Short eliminate subordinate clauses substitute Concrete explanatory phrases for abstract nouns or theological terms and avoid too Many ideas in a sentence. So in Matthew 5 17, Jesus declares that he will not do away with or get rid of the Law and the prophets whereas most modern translations use  in the god s word translation the Law is spelled out As   the "verily1 in the King James version is gone from this passage As Are the Jot and the Tittle of the Law now rendered As the smallest let Ter and the smallest  a pen As a period or comma in psalm 8, the psalmist no longer asks what is. Man that thou Art. Mindful of him King James version or even what Are human beings or Mere mortals in various modern translations. Instead the query becomes but Why arc people important to you new Century version or Why do you care about us humans contemporary English version. The Rev. Thomas Thompson of the University of Dayton thinks the Mary Page on the internet will be used mostly by Young people. Planning to go on the web  i by Gillian Gaynair Cox news service Dayton Ohio a sacred presence planned to take up residence in cyberspace Friday the blessed Virgin Mary was to have a Home Page on the world wide web. Why does Mary always Wear Light Blue when was the first Mary sight ing what s the most popular prayer to Mary. If things go according to plan you should Check out the Mary Page.  will find answers to the 10 most asked questions about the Mother of Christ As Well As. Illustrations of her. The Page was to be launched Friday to coincide with the feast Day that honors her birth. The web site is sponsored by the Mari an Library International research Institute at the University of Dayton and was developed by several priests at the school. The University s tie to Mary is Strong. It was founded by the society of Mary a Catholic teaching order of priests and Brothers and the school maintains the world s largest collection of information about mar. The Rev. Thomas Thompson director of the University s Marian Library said he thinks the Page will be used mostly by Young people rather than by religious types such As himself. We prefer the More traditional you know leafing through books he said. University officials said the Page will evolve to include such offerings As differ ent i Lurges about Mary. If anything the web site will serve As a modern method to share a Christian message Thompso said but what would the holy Mother think of All this if this is a medium that la help people become More interested in the lord then i think Mary would be very Happy Thompson said. The Mary Page is scheduled to be found at  Mary or by following the teaching re search and support areas link from the University s Home Page found at . Religion in the news the first female pastor of a Southern Baptist Church in Tennessee is giving up the pulpit to write about her experiences. Nancy Hastings sehested was selected by Prescott memorial Baptist Church in Memphis to become its preacher eight years ago drawing a cold shoulder from the Shelby county Baptist association and baptists who believe the Bibl favors men As pastors. Prescott memorial withdrew from the local Baptist association and stuck to its decision. Only a handful of Southern Baptist churches has female pastors. Who would have thought thai Sucha Short person like me and such a Small congregation like Prescott could cause such a huge stir said sehested who is 5 feet 2 inches tall. She is moving to Sunset ministries at Lake Junaluska n.c., where she will be a writer in residence. Mormon Church Leader Boyd Packer said the Church of Jesus Christof latter Day saints is seeking to Widen jts reach to students at other colleges and  shy in prov \ Utah.   v Packer president of the Council of the twelve apostles spoke before some 2,000 faculty staff members an administrators at Brigham Young recently  school s annual University conference. At present the Church spends $300 a year for each of the 198,000 student enrolled at its institutes of religion he said. By comparison More than $7,500 a year is spent on each student at by and More than $12,000 per student goes to the by Hawaii Campus. All of the Money comes from Church tithing funds. That inequity worries the Brethren Packer said. We Are trying to reach out to those in Public colleges As Well to the College age members who arc not for various reasons in  As a result Institute classes offer religious instruction to those not attending Church owned  Ano More addresses by Church general authorities speaking Onkyu s Campus also Are broadcast to Institute students by satellite Packer said. The holy shroud the Linen believers say was used to wrap Jesus Christ after his crucifixion a will be _ exhibited in the Cathedral in Turin Italy in 1998 for the first time in 20 years. The event is expected to draw tens of thousands of visitors to this Northern City Italy s Auto capital Cardina Giovanni Saldarini said tuesday that the rare exhibition will. Be held in april during the easter period to celebrate the Centenary of the first showing of the shroud to the  said the cloth will be. Exhibited again at easter time in 2000, in commemoration of the Jubilee year. The shroud traced to France in 1354 and property of the Royal family of Savoy has Beun kept in the Turin Cathedral since 1578. Radiocarbon tests authorized by the Pope and performed in 1986,touched off a controversy about the dating of the artefact and it authenticity. The tests indicated the shroud Wasno More than 728 years old but other scientists later claimed the results were flawed. From theas Socia Ted press