Why-eth King-eth James?

I generally quote from the KJV for 2 reasons. First, the flow and wording is familiar to people:
"Go, ye, therefore, into all the world and make disciples" [KJV]

"Update your MySpace page so that it 'wins souls for Christ'" [some more modern version]

But also, let me say this. I really like the NIV. I actually know a couple of the guys who worked on it (namedrop avoided). I think it is probably the best translation on the market -- save, maybe "Today's NIV" (how can you have a New New version?).

But it's owned. It's copy-protected. And the copyright owners are very serious about that. (I won't name any names, let's just call them... oh, i dunno... "Z"). Try this. Go out to the web and do a Goodsearch (like google but gives profits to charity) for something like "online Bible" or "Bible on the web". You'll get a ton of hits. But notoriously absent is the NIV. It's because "Z" will sue the living breath out of anyone who does that.
So I use eSword . It is a free Bible software. You can freely download it, install it, add Bibles to it, pull down reference books into it and generally add on as much or little as you like. It gives you the ability to search, make margin notes, look up word origins and all the "good stuff" that "Z"'s software does, but (did I mention?) it's free. If you want to donate to them, they'll send you a nice CD with a ton of content and no lawyers making sure you don't actually *use* it.

I'm not really angry with the publishers of the NIV. I understand the need for capital. I'm just disappointed. Not everyone who has a computer has the $80 needed to get "Z"'s version of this type of software. Hey, look, if you want to sell a nice leather-bound Bible, with some parchment pages for family trees and charge $60, right on. But if we believe that the Bible is given of God, then we shouldn't sell the basic translation, right? Isn't that like the false prophets who sold their words for money? Oh, but this is worse. We're selling God's words, right?

There's a big market in the U.S. for this kind of thing. If you want to sell little plastic communion cups to churches or the latest Veggie Tales videos -- rock on. But if you have something that can really change the world, if you believe that what you have is the cure for the cancers of the world, if you believe it can save souls and pull people out of despair -- if you really believe it -- how can you go so far to keep people who are less affluent from seeing it?
I think that's true with a lot of Christian books and music -- we will "minister" to you and provide you something that can change your life.... oh, but only if you have enough money. It most bothers me with these worship concerts some large bands have been giving. Hey, how can you charge people to come and worship God? And more, how can you lock the doors to people who can't pay?

It bugs me. People don't realize it, but a lot of folks are getting quite rich off this. What's more is that 1000 years ago, the Pope dictated doctrine by what he said. Now, in the U.S. it seems like the Christian bookstore industry dictates it by what sells. I've got some stories about this, but that's too much typing for now. But I will tell you that I've walked into Christian bookstores looking for the writings of Martin Luther King, Jr. and walked out disappointed (should I say Rev King? -- ahem, he was a Christian, you know). But along the way, I ran into whole shelves of Ronald Regan and G.W. Bush books and even some on (*gulp*) Dan Quayle. Nothing against any of those fellows, but I wonder how our churches would be different if the bookstore industry didn't have quite so much influence.

so.... long live the King....