frustration from lack of sex

so did that headline get you? thought it might. it's not a commentary on my life outside the blogosphere (as far as you know); it's from a post on titusonenine announcing archbishop rowan williams' support for a new translation of the bible. the article appears in the london times, but i can't seem to link to it w/o having to pay some marks or pence or whatever negotiable instruments they traffic in over there. titus purports to quote from the article:

“the archbishop of canterbury, dr rowan williams, has given his personal backing to a new translation of the new testament in which st paul’s notorious condemnations of gay sex are deleted and christians are told to go out and have more sex. instead of condemning fornicators, adulterers and “abusers of themselves with mankind,” the new version of his first letter to corinth has st paul advising christians not to go without sex for too long in case they get “frustrated.” the translation appears to contradict the authorised king james version which, in a passage in i corinthians vii, often used to back the celibacy requirement in the roman catholic priesthood, quotes st paul saying: “it is good for a man not to touch a woman.” the new version, which dr williams says he hopes will spread “in epidemic profusion through religious and irreligious alike”, turns st paul’s strictures against fornication on their head. st paul’s words now are: “some of you think the best way to cope with sex is for men and women to keep right away from one another. i think that is more likely to lead to sexual offences. my advice is for everyone to have a regular partner. husbands and wives should strive to meet each other’s sexual needs. they should submit to one another for that purpose. it’s not good to refuse a partner . . . .”

i'm surprised by the tone of the piece, although because i haven't read the actual article in its entirety, i can't really put it in context. suffice it to say, dr. williams may create a bit of a stir if the translators play too fast and loose w/ holy writ (but, lord love a duck, don't let's start shooting back and forth @ each other about literary criticism again -- i finally got some of my limited readership back after the last skirmish, so i don't want to go back there again!). for now, perhaps we should just wait and see exactly what's going on across the pond.

update: standfirm is reporting the same in "the archbishop of the church of what's happening now," w/ a link to another article @ worldnetdaily: "new bible translation promotes fornication" (where we learn that st peter is now "rocky," and jesus' self-designation as "son of man" has morphed into "the complete person"). {nota bene: i can't vouch for worldnetdaily, btw. the first things that pop up @ the top are banners for dr. laura and something about "the role of iraq, israel, usa in bible prophecy," which usually sends me hurtling for my browser's "back" button. in fact, after perusing the headlines on wnd, i seem to be put off by about all of them. just so you know.} the bbc has the story, too; and you can order good as new: a radical retelling of the scriptures @ chb. seems, however, that the archbishop is backing off a little from his support of the theology in the new xlation (from titusonenine again). probably a good idea if the rest of the project is as goofy as this sampling from mark 1.10-11:

authorized version: “and straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the spirit like a dove descending upon him. and there came a voice from the heaven saying, thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

new: “as he was climbing up the bank again, the sun shone through a gap in the clouds. at the same time a pigeon flew down and perched on him. jesus took this as a sign that god’s spirit was with him. a voice from overhead was heard saying, ‘that’s my boy! you’re doing fine!’”

update to the update: a "new testament scholar" fires back @ the times article's author (thanks to getreligion's doublas leblanc for the link). and, in an interview w/ standfirm, mark galli (xtianity today managing ed. and [wooohoooo!] converted episcopalian) prays it's all just "a horrible dream."