Stay in that rut!

Yesterday I received an advert for a certain Bible which, quite regretably, came from Catholic publisher.

This particular advert reads:

Grandma's couch - not Grandma's Bible!

and, even more striking - and worse -

The Gift they'll take with them through life!

Now, first of all, just what is wrong with Grandma's Bible? Nothing at all, I suspect. Language that is outdated? Maybe. Difficult to understand? No, that is, not if effort and genuine thought is put into the reading. (If you're curious, the couch on which the young man reclines is hardly Grandma's couch. It's one of those new "modern" styled - and colored - couches. It's ugly, if you ask me.)

Secondly, do we really want someone reading the same thing at age forty-five as at age fifteen? Hardly! Where is the encouragment for spiritual growth? For maturity? For deeper understanding and knowledge?

Why bother to learn more? Everything we need to know must be in this particular publication. Let's just stay in our rut!

This particular publishing house has received a previous letter from me - about their slogan "Make religion relevant" (it already is, I'm afraid; the trick is getting people to set it's relevancy) - and I expect they'll be receiving another letter from me.

For those of you remember the cartoon, Animaniacs, it's time for "Good Idea / Bad Idea".

Good idea: giving a Bible as a gift. Bad idea: giving a Bible for youth and expecting them to use it for the rest of their lives.