Gay Man Sues Bible Publishers for $60 Million for Calling Homosexuality a Sin
Friday 11th July 2008
A gay man has filed a $60 million lawsuit against two publishers of Christian literature after claims they altered Bible passages to depict homosexuality as a sin.
Image by Dave Bullock.
Bradley Fowler, a homosexual author from Michigan, has sued Zondervan publishing for $50 million and Thomas Nelson Publishing for $10 million. He argues that versions of their Bibles that call homosexuality a sin violate his constitutional rights and caused him emotional pain and instability.
Fowler is representing himself in the suit after U.S. District Judge Julian Abele Cook Jr refused to appoint him an attorney. Cook said: "The Court has some very genuine concerns about the nature and efficacy of these claims."
Fowler insists his suit is genuine, arguing that the versions of the Bible published by Zondervan and Thomas Nelson have made him an outcast in his family and caused periods of "demoralization, chaos and bewilderment”, as well as actual physical discomfort.
Fowler claims that the publishers edited the sacred text to cause "me or anyone who is a homosexual to endure verbal abuse, discrimination, episodes of hate, and physical violence ... including murder." He claims that the publishers’ older versions of the Bible included a 1 Corinthians reference to homosexuality that was deleted in later versions. He argues that by not informing the public of these changes the publishers were promoting the belief that "homosexuals would not inherit the kingdom of God."
The passage in question, Corinthians 6:9, reads as "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind" in a 1976 Thomas Nelson Bible.
A 1982 version allegedly reads: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodimites."
Fowler released a press statement recently in which he said he was "flabbergasted to find out this Christian publisher [Thomas Nelson] had imposed its own opinions upon religious sectors, by fraudulently implementing the terminology -homosexual- to its Bible; then removed the term from its 1994 Holy Bible—without informing the general public."
He made similar allegations against Zondervan. For their part, the publishers are dismissive of the suit as frivolous. Zondervan stood firmly behind its product, saying that its translations were the work of well respected scholars and translators. Company spokesperson Tara Powers said: "Since Zondervan does not translate the Bible or own the copyright for any of the translations we publish, we are not in a position to comment on the merits of how a word should or should not be translated."
I, for one, have a sneaking suspicion this may be a publicity stunt for Fowler's books. He's certainly not going to win, nor did he ever really have a case to begin with. Homosexuality and religion have frequently had a troubled relationship, but lawsuits because you don't like what a religious text says are no way to deal with it. It's hard to decide whether this lawsuit is silly or just sad.
Related Stories:
Christians: Help! The Gays are Persecuting Us!
Are Catholic and Anglican Bishops Holding Secret Meetings to Overthrow Liberal Churches?
German Lutherans May Elect Gay Bishop
Do you want to write for Pinke? We're looking for writers all over the world to write about the gay issues that matter all over the globe. We're particularly looking for travel writers and writers in Asia/Africa/the Middle East, but we'll consider anyone with great writing skills and an interest in the subject. Email Pinke editor Robert Knox for more information.
Image by Dave Bullock.
Bradley Fowler, a homosexual author from Michigan, has sued Zondervan publishing for $50 million and Thomas Nelson Publishing for $10 million. He argues that versions of their Bibles that call homosexuality a sin violate his constitutional rights and caused him emotional pain and instability.
Fowler is representing himself in the suit after U.S. District Judge Julian Abele Cook Jr refused to appoint him an attorney. Cook said: "The Court has some very genuine concerns about the nature and efficacy of these claims."
Fowler insists his suit is genuine, arguing that the versions of the Bible published by Zondervan and Thomas Nelson have made him an outcast in his family and caused periods of "demoralization, chaos and bewilderment”, as well as actual physical discomfort.
Fowler claims that the publishers edited the sacred text to cause "me or anyone who is a homosexual to endure verbal abuse, discrimination, episodes of hate, and physical violence ... including murder." He claims that the publishers’ older versions of the Bible included a 1 Corinthians reference to homosexuality that was deleted in later versions. He argues that by not informing the public of these changes the publishers were promoting the belief that "homosexuals would not inherit the kingdom of God."
The passage in question, Corinthians 6:9, reads as "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind" in a 1976 Thomas Nelson Bible.
A 1982 version allegedly reads: "Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived, neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodimites."
Fowler released a press statement recently in which he said he was "flabbergasted to find out this Christian publisher [Thomas Nelson] had imposed its own opinions upon religious sectors, by fraudulently implementing the terminology -homosexual- to its Bible; then removed the term from its 1994 Holy Bible—without informing the general public."
He made similar allegations against Zondervan. For their part, the publishers are dismissive of the suit as frivolous. Zondervan stood firmly behind its product, saying that its translations were the work of well respected scholars and translators. Company spokesperson Tara Powers said: "Since Zondervan does not translate the Bible or own the copyright for any of the translations we publish, we are not in a position to comment on the merits of how a word should or should not be translated."
I, for one, have a sneaking suspicion this may be a publicity stunt for Fowler's books. He's certainly not going to win, nor did he ever really have a case to begin with. Homosexuality and religion have frequently had a troubled relationship, but lawsuits because you don't like what a religious text says are no way to deal with it. It's hard to decide whether this lawsuit is silly or just sad.
Related Stories:
Christians: Help! The Gays are Persecuting Us!
Are Catholic and Anglican Bishops Holding Secret Meetings to Overthrow Liberal Churches?
German Lutherans May Elect Gay Bishop
Do you want to write for Pinke? We're looking for writers all over the world to write about the gay issues that matter all over the globe. We're particularly looking for travel writers and writers in Asia/Africa/the Middle East, but we'll consider anyone with great writing skills and an interest in the subject. Email Pinke editor Robert Knox for more information.
