Welcome to Breakpoint, a daily look, and an ever-changing culture through the lens of unchanging truth.

For the Colson Center, I'm John Stone Street.

Two recent news stories point to the crisis of biblical literacy, not only of knowing the biblical text, but also in properly understanding it.

An editorial published at the Washington Post by Princeton professor Gregory Conti, a self-professed

non-believer, explained just how common it is for college students to not know any of the basics

about Christianity. Quote, they seldom recognize the allusions to the Bible that appear in

Shakespeare's work or in Lincoln's second inaugural dress or in Obama's first for that matter,

and their ignorance of religious ideas means they struggle to understand a wide array of Western

art, literature, and philosophy, end quote. In short, what he means is the lack of biblical knowledge

makes them unable to understand American history or culture. Another New York Times story profiled the pastor in the church of Texas Democratic Senate

candidate James Tolarico.

According to the article, Pastor Jim Rigby of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church in Austin, Texas,

will welcome new members by, and I quote again, handing them a new copy of the Inclusive Bible,

an unusual feminist translation that St. Andrews has used since the 1990s. In Genesis,

instead of saying that God created a man, Adam, the translation first refers to an earth creature.

It often uses the term kingdom of God in place of kingdom, which it deems to be classist,

end quote.

Now, the inclusive Bibles promoted as the first egalitarian translation.

In addition to replacing the male pronouns for God and for humankind, it purports to

reimagine the scriptures and our relationship to them.

The innovative version promotes progressive Christianity and includes a strong postmodern

emphasis rejecting absolute truth and favor of a newly created narrative.

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