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The Word of God, Now Available in Emoji Emoji Bible Translates Scriptures Into Smileys
(about 5 hours later)
And God said, “Let there be emojis.”And God said, “Let there be emojis.”
Well, not really. But the less-internet savvy among us may be forgiven for that interpretation thanks to a new translation of the Bible that has rendered the Christian scriptures in emojis and other forms of online slang.Well, not really. But the less-internet savvy among us may be forgiven for that interpretation thanks to a new translation of the Bible that has rendered the Christian scriptures in emojis and other forms of online slang.
The book, Bible Emoji: Scripture 4 Millenials, is based on a Twitter feed that has been posting emojified Bible verses for almost a year. (The author intentionally misspelled “millennial,” he said, to thumb his nose at critics who might dismiss the project as the work of the young and foolish.)The book, Bible Emoji: Scripture 4 Millenials, is based on a Twitter feed that has been posting emojified Bible verses for almost a year. (The author intentionally misspelled “millennial,” he said, to thumb his nose at critics who might dismiss the project as the work of the young and foolish.)
In its internet-friendly form, this is how the Bible (and the universe) begins.In its internet-friendly form, this is how the Bible (and the universe) begins.
The book was released Sunday on iBooks, the online Apple bookstore. It contains more than 3,000 pages of smiling yellow faces, twinkling stars and cartoon serpents. Angel emojis descend from the heavens, bush emojis burn and ocean emojis are parted.The book was released Sunday on iBooks, the online Apple bookstore. It contains more than 3,000 pages of smiling yellow faces, twinkling stars and cartoon serpents. Angel emojis descend from the heavens, bush emojis burn and ocean emojis are parted.
“All 66 glorious books,” said the author, a self-described “techie” who requested anonymity because some critics have accused the project of being part of “the satanic illuminati agenda and the ushering in of the Antichrist.”“All 66 glorious books,” said the author, a self-described “techie” who requested anonymity because some critics have accused the project of being part of “the satanic illuminati agenda and the ushering in of the Antichrist.”
The Bible is the most translated book in the world, so it was probably only a matter of time before the new online vernacular got its turn. But, some may ask, why take the time to translate the New and Old Testaments into emoji form?The Bible is the most translated book in the world, so it was probably only a matter of time before the new online vernacular got its turn. But, some may ask, why take the time to translate the New and Old Testaments into emoji form?
The author said the project began as a fun experiment with an online text translator and the King James version.The author said the project began as a fun experiment with an online text translator and the King James version.
“You know one of those things where you can create Yoda-speak?” he said in a telephone interview. “I just started playing around with the translator, and I thought it might be kind of fun to use emojis, then I thought it would be fun to do the Bible and see how it would come out.”“You know one of those things where you can create Yoda-speak?” he said in a telephone interview. “I just started playing around with the translator, and I thought it might be kind of fun to use emojis, then I thought it would be fun to do the Bible and see how it would come out.”
The decision to start tweeting out the results, beginning with the book of Genesis, came naturally. He also started a website where users can generate emoji translations of their own.The decision to start tweeting out the results, beginning with the book of Genesis, came naturally. He also started a website where users can generate emoji translations of their own.
“It was like a public proofread,” he said. And the internet has responded well to the tweets, which have avoided the “the more violent and negative things in the Bible,” he said.“It was like a public proofread,” he said. And the internet has responded well to the tweets, which have avoided the “the more violent and negative things in the Bible,” he said.
The Twitter feed contains few smitings or stonings and no mention of the book of Leviticus, which many interpret as condemning homosexuality. (Those passages do appear in the complete book, however.)The Twitter feed contains few smitings or stonings and no mention of the book of Leviticus, which many interpret as condemning homosexuality. (Those passages do appear in the complete book, however.)
“I try to tweet out some of the more fun ones,” he said.“I try to tweet out some of the more fun ones,” he said.
Some parents have even written in to say the more slang-filled, visual version of the Good Book has helped their children read it, especially those with learning disabilities, the author said.Some parents have even written in to say the more slang-filled, visual version of the Good Book has helped their children read it, especially those with learning disabilities, the author said.
But not everyone has been pleased. Besides the illuminati conspiracy theorists and the snarky swamp-dwellers of internet comment sections (“some people are really crazy,” the author said), some online commenters have criticized the project for either mocking religion or manipulating it in a cynical attempt to convert the young.But not everyone has been pleased. Besides the illuminati conspiracy theorists and the snarky swamp-dwellers of internet comment sections (“some people are really crazy,” the author said), some online commenters have criticized the project for either mocking religion or manipulating it in a cynical attempt to convert the young.
Part of the author’s desire for anonymity, he said, is to make it harder for people to project an agenda onto it.Part of the author’s desire for anonymity, he said, is to make it harder for people to project an agenda onto it.
“People who want me to be a Christian zealot say, ‘It’s crazy right-wing Christians desperate to reach millennials,’ and people who hate it think I am part of a leftist agenda to dumb down society and turn religion into a joke,” the author said.“People who want me to be a Christian zealot say, ‘It’s crazy right-wing Christians desperate to reach millennials,’ and people who hate it think I am part of a leftist agenda to dumb down society and turn religion into a joke,” the author said.
Neither is true, he said. You don’t translate thousands of pages of Scripture into smiley faces and slang if you think religion is a joke, he added.Neither is true, he said. You don’t translate thousands of pages of Scripture into smiley faces and slang if you think religion is a joke, he added.
“I grew up very religious, and as a child I actually read the entire Bible, which I don’t think many people can say they have done,” the author said.“I grew up very religious, and as a child I actually read the entire Bible, which I don’t think many people can say they have done,” the author said.
And no part of the Bible has been rewritten, only condensed and emojified, he said, so the word “and” becomes “&” and the word “light” becomes a light bulb.And no part of the Bible has been rewritten, only condensed and emojified, he said, so the word “and” becomes “&” and the word “light” becomes a light bulb.
If anything, the author said he wants people to read the Bible for themselves — whether in emoji or not — and draw their own conclusions.If anything, the author said he wants people to read the Bible for themselves — whether in emoji or not — and draw their own conclusions.
“I don’t think many people do a good job of understanding the Bible in context,” he said.“I don’t think many people do a good job of understanding the Bible in context,” he said.
And he thinks emojis can help with that.And he thinks emojis can help with that.
“What makes emojis so great and part of the symbolism I wanted with this project is that emojis are universal in the strictest sense,” the author said. “Emojis have no gender, no race and no agenda.”“What makes emojis so great and part of the symbolism I wanted with this project is that emojis are universal in the strictest sense,” the author said. “Emojis have no gender, no race and no agenda.”