“In the beginning was the word. And then came 140 words. And at the rate that Twitter versions of the Bible are developing, there could be more than 140,000 words in the next few months.
Rivalling the speed of Creation, as described in the first two chapters of the book of Genesis, tweeting the holy book has spread rapidly across the internet since the Guardian highlighted a Durham evangelist’s daily version last week.
News of Chris Juby’s almighty precis of scripture’s 800,000-odd words to 1,190 daily tweets (@biblesummary) has prompted other versions from eastern Europe to the US, as well as a wider airing for similar projects already under way.
Among these is the “Twible”, tweeted daily by American author and academic Jana Riess, who shared Juby’s feeling that the good book needed better reading, but with added jokes.
While Juby’s Twitter Bible plays things straight, the Twible adapts the Old Testament to the light-hearted quipping familiar in everyday Tweets. The story of Moses in Exodus, chapter two, for instance, is reduced to: “Baby Moses: I’m cool with floating down the Nile in a basket, but who is this Egyptian chick I’m supposed to call Mom?”
Riess, who converted to Mormonism as an adult, started condensing after hearing an Easter Sunday sermon that included a tweet of the Bible’s opening words in Genesis, chapter one. Unlike 32-year-old Juby’s staid version, which tops off the actual text’s “In the beginning, God created the heaven and the Earth” with 17 equally straightforward words, Riess’s effort is played for laughs.
Using the online abbreviations BRB (be right back) and LOL (laugh out loud), it read: “Day 1: Lighting system installed. BRB. Days 2-6: Some assembly required: sky, plants, cows, people. Left humans in charge, LOL. Day 7: Siesta.”
Riess tracked it to another Twitter Bible project called What Would God Tweet (@WWGT), by an anonymous prophet called The Holy Ghostwriter.
“I wanted to find humour in the good book too,” says Riess. “The project started with the one key hermeneutical (interpretative) question I felt no one was asking about the Bible: what would the Onion say?”"
Read more at The Guardian (Thanks @XxLadyClaireXx)
What next? The bible in text speak. Actually, that would be good.
Yup, there’s plenty of humour in the ‘good’ book:
Psalms 137:9
“How blessed will be the one who seizes and dashes your little ones against the rock,”
or, “The man who brutally murders the babies is the dude! ROFL!”
Genesis 19:8
Behold now, I have two daughters which have not known man; let me, I pray you, bring them out unto you, and do ye to them as is good in your eyes: only unto these men do nothing; for therefore came they under the shadow of my roof.
or “WTF? Leave these dudes alone, they are my guests, but hey, you can rape my virgin daughters if you like. KTHXBYE!”
“raided a bunch of amalakites today, raped all their women, LOL”
For a minute I thought part of the article read, ‘Riess, who converted to Moronism as an adult…’
This is pretty funny and kind of clever, but to me it just looks like another annoying attempt from Christianity to ‘get down wiv de kids’. Like rap music about Jesus, or a puppet show about the story of the Good Samaritan (Heck, that was awful!)
Can I keep the parts of the Bible about Jesus and burn the rest?
kinda desperate, like xtian rock & roll. how can there be such a thing–we all know it’s the devil’s music! and we like it that way!
watsonneil – you need the LolCat Bible: http://www.lolcatbible.com. Check out Genesis 19: Sodom n Gomorrah PWNED.
Genius.
Quacktation from the church of the feathered few! * Duckism verse 1.0- the apparantly early scriptures….ahem
In the beginning twas there a giant Duck, and all bowed down to the mighty fowl for the duckist of the land dared not the giant Duck cross for fear of punishment in the worst form…..Genital warts.
Hence forth being cast upon them with great vengence and fury should they ever go against the Great Ducks commands.
the great Duck hath spoken
St. Trix
thats my birthday