Wednesday, December 7, 2022
Stoning 2022 : Nigerian Failure to justice
Friday, March 4, 2022
Chinese Communists rewrite the Gospel: Jesus actually ‘killed’ the woman taken in adultery
The story in John 8 is presented to Chinese students as one where the Saviour waits for the Pharisees to leave, then stones the adulterer himself.
Sep 28, 2020
https://mercatornet.com/chinese-communists-rewrite-the-gospel-jesus-actually-killed-the-woman-taken-in-adultery/66854/
Every Christian knows the story. It is told in the Gospel of John, 8:3–11.
The scribes and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery; and making her stand before all of them, they said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the very act of committing adultery. Now in the law Moses commanded us to stone such women. Now what do you say?”
Jesus at first ignored them, but then told the Pharisees, “Let anyone among you who is without sin be the first to throw a stone at her.” Since they knew they were not without sin, they went away, one by one, beginning with the elders; and Jesus was left alone with the woman standing before him.
Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” She said, “No one, sir.” And Jesus said, “Neither do I condemn you. Go your way, and from now on do not sin again.”
It is a powerful story about mercy and forgiveness. Jesus does not condone the sin, but forgives the sinner with his divine authority. Mercy and forgiveness, however, are unknown to the Chinese Communist Party. Perhaps in anticipation of the future promised “sinicisation” of the sacred scriptures of all religions, a textbook published by published by the University of Electronic Science and Technology Press for teaching “professional ethics and law” in secondary vocational schools tells a different version of the story, as revealed by UCA News.
Here is how the textbook presents the story of the woman taken in adultery:
“The crowd wanted to stone the woman to death as per their law. But Jesus said, ‘Let the one who has never sinned throw the first stone.’ Hearing this, they slipped away one by one. When the crowd disappeared, Jesus stoned the sinner to death saying, ‘I too am a sinner. But if the law could only be executed by men without blemish, the law would be dead.’”
Christians in China are protesting against a textbook making Jesus a sinner and a killer. Actually, however, the incident is subtler than that. It is not, or not mostly, about painting a negative image of Jesus. It is about the CCP itself. Many CCP bureaucrats, judges, and police officers are notoriously corrupted. Yet, the story teaches that they should be obeyed. If “sinners” would be prevented from “executing the law,” including administering the capital punishment with or without due process, “the law would be dead.”
As told to Chinese students, the story teaches that the law and the Party are good and pure, and transcend the impure human beings who happen to represent them.
Even if the officers are corrupted, their decision should be accepted — because, honest or corrupted, they represent the Party, and the Party’s law should never be questioned.
This is standard CCP theory, but totally distorts the meaning of Jesus’ teaching in John 8. Mobilising Jesus for the CCP propaganda is blasphemous and offensive to Christians. Yet, we can expect more such distortions as religious scriptures are gradually “sinicised.”
This article has been republished, with permission, from Bitter Winter.
Friday, February 4, 2022
John 8:1-11 in First Nations Version
An Indigenous translation of John 8:1-11 by Native North Americans for Native North Americans and all English speaking people.
CONFLICT BETWEEN LAW AND KINDNESS
1 But Creator Sets Free (Jesus) went to Olive mountain to find lodging there.
2. Early in the morning at sunrise, he returned again to the sacred lodge. All the people began to gather around him so he sat down and once again,began to teach and tell his stories.
Across the plaza a cloud of dust was rising from a group of people who were walking toward Creator Sets Free(Jesus) as he was teaching. They were forcefully dragging a woman along with them. He could see her tears and look of terror on her face.
3. It was the scroll keepers and the Separated ones (Pharisees) They brought the woman to the Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and forced her down on the ground in front of him and all the people.
4. "Wisdom Keeper" they said, "we found this woman in the very act of being unfaithful to her husband.
5. Drawn for the water (Moses) instructed us in the Law to throw stones at her until she dies. What do you have to say about this?
6. They were putting him to test so they would have a way to accuse him.
The crowd was silent and waited to see what he would say, but he said nothing.
He bent over and with his finger wrote something in the dirt. When he did not answer right away, the Separated Ones (Pharisees) became angry and kept questioning him.
7. Creator Sets Free (Jesus) looked up at them and said, "The one who has done no wrong should be the first to throw a stone at her."
8. He then bent over and again began to write in the dirt with his finger.
9. When they heard his words, they all stood there silently. Then, beginning with the elders, one at a time, they dropped their stones and walked away. Soon, all were gone except for Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and the woman.
10. He stood up and looked at her. "Honoured woman" he said, "Where are the ones who were accusing you?" Is there no one who finds fault with you?
11. The woman looked timidly into his eyes and said, "No one, Wisdom-keeper"
"Then I also find no fault in you" he said to her. "You may go your way, but take care not to return to this broken path you have been walking"
BETWEEN LIGHT AND DARKNESS
After the woman left, the people began to gather around him again, waiting to hear what he would say.