Translations of Scriptures cannot be trusted

As critical as I am of the Baha’i Faith, I am equally critical of orthodox Islam, which the Baha’i Faith evolved from. The reason is simple: If you truly believe in an all-powerful and sovereign God, then the very idea that anything, like the Quran, can be the final revelation of God for all time is blasphemy. It is man telling God to be silent forever. So why not become atheist, then? I addressed this before:

https://dalehusband.wordpress.com/2010/05/04/muslims-get-a-life/

It is said among Muslims, “There is no god but Allah, and Muhammad is his Prophet.” But an atheist would say, “There is no god and Muhmmad was no prophet.” If a Muslim denies Hinduism, the Baha’i Faith and atheism, why can’t the atheist and the Hindu deny Islam (the Baha’i would not; all Baha’is see Muhammad as a Prophet)?

How dare you claim Islam is Allah’s final religion! Why put any limits on the Word of Allah? Why tell him to be silent and speak no more? Isn’t that also blasphemy? I think so!

Meanwhile, I have also slammed Bible-based religions for their excessive dogmatism and blind assumptions about the Bible itself:

https://dalehusband.wordpress.com/2009/05/09/the-bible-cannot-be-the-word-of-god/

When you read the Bible, you are not reading the original Word of God at all, but something that was written by various authors (in many cases, unknown), copied many times, translated, printed and published in various languages and editions over thousands of years. After all this time, there is really no way we can tell what the real Word of God may be, and instead we are left with something that gives a dim view of God at best. It is like someone telling a long and complex story to a friend, who then repeats that story to another friend, and so on until eventually the story has been repeated about 30 or 40 times and finally the original storyteller hears the story again….and realizes how inaccurate his story has become, even with details added or omitted that he never intended, maybe even with different character names and a different outcome made by people who didn’t like the story as it had been told originally. Nowhere does this analogy become more apt than with the four Gospels in the New Testament, with their own contradictions and altered, added and omitted details. None of them were written by Jesus himself, and they were written decades after the events they describe, as even fundamentalists admit in their own propaganda.

Now I have found evidence to support my misgivings about the Bible, the Quran, and other “Holy Scriptures”. A couple of years ago, someone took my first blog entry attacking the Baha’i Faith and translated it into Persian or Farsi, the original language of Baha’u’llah and his early followers. I found it and used a special program by Google to translate the text back into English to check the accuracy of the translation. The results astonished me!

Here is what I originally wrote:

https://dalehusband.wordpress.com/2007/10/19/why-i-quit-the-baha%e2%80%99i-faith/

And here is the Persian “translation” of it:

http://anti-baha.blogfa.com/cat-14.aspx

And here is the English re-translation of the Persian text:

http://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=fa&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fanti-baha.blogfa.com%2Fcat-14.aspx

{{{Thursday XIV Persian date Aban 1388
بنام خدا فعلا تا این مقدار از نامه های متبریان قناعت میکنم God called to present the amount of letters I Mtbryan Contentment

بسم الله Bismillah

الحمدلله Alhmdllh

السلام علیک یا خلیفة الله Lyk of Allah be upon him or Khlyfh

2007 – October – 19 Dale – Husband 2007 October – 19 DaleHusband

دال هازبند نوزدهم اکتبر 2007 Dahl nineteenth Hazbnd October 2007

مشخصات : متأهل – 39 ساله – کشور آمریکا – ایالت تکزاس – شهر آرلینگتون – تحصیلات دانشکده ای Profile: Married – 39 years – the country of America – Texas – Arlington city – a college education

تقریبا ده سال پیش من عضو آئینی بودم که به نام بهائیت شناخته می شود . Almost ten years ago I was a member of the Ritual called Baha’i known. این آئین آموزش می دهد که خدا در سراسر دنیا یکی است اگرچه که در ملیت های گوناگون آن خدا نام های مختلفی داشته باشد و نیز همگی دین ها یک پیام و پیغام واحدی دارند . The faith teaches that God is all over the world, although one in which the different nationalities have different names of God and all religions have a message and single message. و نیز بهائیت آموزش می دهد که انسانیت و بشریت یک مجموعه یگانه و واحدی است که تقدیر شده است که این انسانیت در یک عصر جدیدی که پر از صلح واتحاد وآرامش است ، زیر پرچم و بیرق بهائیت متحد و مجتمع خواهد گردید. And Baha’i education that humanity and humanity is a complex one and the same is appreciated that the humanity in a new era that is full of peace, solidarity Varamsh, under the flag and the flag will be integrated Nations and Baha’i.

هرآدم مشتاق و علاقه مندی همانطور که من مشتاق بودم ، دوست دارد که در اطرافش لطف و مهربانی و مطالب خوب ببیند. Hradm enthusiastic and interested as I was enthusiastic, loves the grace and kindness around and see good content. من در سال 1995 میلادی بهائیت را پذیرفتم و قبول کردم و به مرور تبدیل به یکی از معلمان فعال آن شدم و تلاش داشتم که دیگران را نیز به بهائیت وارد کنم . In 1995 I accepted the Baha’i Faith, and I accept and gradually became one of the teachers became active, and that others had also tried to enter my Baha’i.

من تا سن 19 سالگی مسیحی بودم ولی به خاطر تناقضات و نقص ها و اشتباهات مسیحیت در 20 سالگی آن را رها کردم و از مسیحیت متنفر شدم . I was a Christian at age 19, but due to defects and errors and inconsistencies in Christianity at the age of 20 I abandoned it and I hate Christianity.

در نظر بهائیت ، مسیح از جانب خداوند است ولی بهائیت معتقد است که این دین در طول تاریخ دچار گمراهی و تحریف گشته است . Baha’i Faith in Jesus is from God, but believes that the Baha’i religion throughout history has been suffering from misguided and distorted. در ابتدای ورود به جامعه بهائیت من شباهت و همانندی زیادی بین بهائیان و جامعه بهائیت با افراد مسیحی موجود در زمان های بسیار قدیم در دوران امپراطوری روم قدیم مشاهده می کردم که تنها تفاوتی که بین این دو گروه ( بهائیت و مسیحیان زمان امپراطور روم ) می دیدم این بود که مسیحیان در امپراطوری دوم قدیم تبدیل به گروه ها و دسته های متعدد رقیب یکدیگر شدند و درگیر منازعات و جنگ های نظامی در مقابل یکدیگر شدند ولی بهائیان چنین نشدند . Log Baha’i community at the beginning and I like a lot of similarity between the Baha’is and the Baha’i community of Christian people in a very long time during the ancient Roman Empire that I see that the only difference between these two groups (Baha’i and Christian Roman Empire) are I saw was that the Christians in the old Second Empire into several groups and rival factions were involved in another military conflict and war against each other but were not such a Baha’i.

اگر آن زمانی که من بهائی بودم کسی می خواست بهائی شود و بهائی می شد من به خودم می گفتم ما با هم تا ابد و همیشه در صلح ، آرامش ، کامیابی و موفقیت خواهیم بود . If I had it when someone asked me Baha’i Baha’i and Baha’i were told myself I together forever and ever Peace, prosperity and success will be. چه دیدگاه شگفت آوری داشتم !! What I had amazing views!

ولی بعد متوجه شدم که طبیعت و سرشت نوع بشر و بشر بودن انسانها ، امکان وقوع این دیدگاه را به جامعه بهائیت نخواهد داد. But then I realized that nature and human nature being human, and humans, the possibility to view the Baha’i community will not. و دلیل و ریشه این مطلب این است که کلیه رهبران بهائیت اعم از بنیان گذار بهائیت یعنی بهاء الله تا بیت العدل ادعا می کنند که معصوم و لغزش ناپذیر هستند چون بهائیت از طرف خداوند هدایت و راهنمایی شده است . And the root reason for this is that all of Baha’i leaders including the founder of the Baha’i House of Justice to Bahá’u’lláh’s claim that the innocent are infallible because the Baha’i Faith is God’s guidance. در حالی که ما می دانیم بهاء الله و پسرش عبدالبهاء و نیز نوه عبدالبهاء یعنی شوقی افندی (یعنی ولی امربهائی ) و نیز اعضاء بیت العدل همگی بشر بودند و هستند . While we know his son `Abdu’l-Bahá and Bahá’u’lláh and` Abdu’l-Bahá’s grandson Shoghi Effendi means (ie, but Amrbhayy) and members of the House of Justice were all are human.

ما چه مدرک و سند و دلیلی داریم که اینها معصوم و مصون از گناه و خطا می باشند؟ What we have evidence and proof and reason that these are innocent and protected from sin and error are?

هیچ دلیل و مدرکی برای این ادعا نداریم ! Because no evidence for this claim and do not!

همچنین وقتی شما نمی توانید سوال و پرسشی را از یکی از رهبران بهائیت سوال کنید در این صورت حاصل این نوع رفتار و عملکرد ایشان چه خواهد بود؟ Also, when you can not ask the question, and one Bahá’í leaders ask if the result of this type of behavior and what will be his performance?

حاصل آن ظلم و ستم و استبداد خواهد شدو ظلم و ستم و استبداد در طول تاریخ چه حاصل و نتیجه ای داشته است ؟ The result would be tyranny and despotism and tyranny and oppression Shadow in the history of what has been achieved and the result?

نتیجه آن تحریف شدن و فساد و بی عدالتی و بی انصافی است ! The result being distorted and the corruption and injustice and inequity is

خود اینها به نوبه خودشان باعث می شوند که در طول زمان یک سیستم شکسته شود و نابود گردد. They turn their own cause over time the system will be broken and destroyed.

این مطالب بود که باعث شد من شروع به فکر کردن کنم و این تامل ها روی این مطالب بود که در نهایت باعث شد که من در سال 2004 بهائیت را ترک گویم و رها کنم . The subjects that led me to thinking and I started this reflection on the subjects that this eventually led me to leave in 2004, Baha’i, and I say I abandoned.

به راستی که این مطالب فوق ، خودش خطرناک ترین عقیده موجود در جهان می باشد . Indeed the above, its most dangerous idea in the world.

هرنوع دلیلی که هرکس از من بخواهد می توانم ارائه دهم برای اینکه باور کند که بهائیت در چند قرن آینده کاملا نابود و خاموش خواهد گشت . Everyone of any reason that he can give me to believe that the Baha’i in the next few centuries will come off completely destroyed.

و قبل از این نابودی ، قطعا تبدیل به تحریف شده ترین و خطرناک ترین دین در میان ادیانی خواهد شد که تا به حال در دنیا موجود بوده اند . And before the destruction, most definitely become distorted and most dangerous religion among religions will ever have in the world.

اما در زمان کنونی و حال حاضر ، تنها به این دلیل بهائیت خطرناک نیست که تعداد آنها اندک است . But during the current and now, only because that Bahaism is a dangerous little number.

خطر آن هم ریشه در این دارد که مبنا و ریشه بهائیت از عقاید شدید اسلامی منشأ انحرافی یافته طبیعتا افراد بهائی تند و شدید ، مستبد ، زیربارنرو، و متعصب می باشند . The risk is rooted in the base and roots of the Baha’i faith originated deviant Islamic beliefs found strong Baha’i naturally impetuous, dictatorial, Zyrbarnrv, and fanatics are.

این در حالی است که بهائیتی که محصول قرن 19 میلادی است دقیقا ترکیبی است از مخلوط شدن تفکرات لیبرال سیاسی غربی و عقاید اجتماعی آن قرن ، به علاوه زیربناهای تفکرات شیعی . However, the Bahá’í 19th century AD, which is exactly the product is a combination of mixing Western political thought and liberal social beliefs century, plus infrastructure Shiite thought. یعنی ترکیب و ممزوج شدن این دوروش ، محصول آن دقیقا بهائیت است . The mix and mingle these two alternatives, the product is exactly Bahaism.

بهائیت آخرین شانس و فرصت من بود که به آن امیدوار بودم که به عنوان یک دینی که خدا محوریت آن می باشد بتواند زندگی من را تنظیم کند و زندگیم را قاعده مند اداره کند ولی اکنون اعتقاد دارم که هیچ چیزی نخواهد توانست نسبت به من چنین هدفی را ارضاء کند . Bahaism was my last chance and opportunity that it hoped that as a faith that God is the focus could adjust my life and my life will run regular but now I believe that nothing I will not be able to this goal to satisfy.

الحمدلله رب العالمین Lord of the worlds Alhmdllh

السلام علیک یا خلیفة الله Lyk of Allah be upon him or Khlyfh }}}

Excuse me, but does that look like what I originally wrote? The meaning of the words may seem right, but it still looks incompetent, not like me at all!

At least Muslims are right and reasonable to insist that any version of the Quran other than in the original Arabic is not the “real” Quran, but only the meaning of it.

The same principle may apply to the quotes from Jesus. He is thought to have spoken in Aramaic or Hebrew as his original language, but the New Testament was written entirely in Greek. Then from Greek those scriptures were translated into other languages, including English. So anyone who reads an English translation of the Bible would be reading a translation of a translation of Jesus’ words. If a simple translation of my own words into one language and back into English could be so messed up, the idea of putting my faith in scriptures translated twice over that I didn’t even write must be even more ridiculous!

2 thoughts on “Translations of Scriptures cannot be trusted

  1. Dale, if I may point out one basic flaw in your criticism:

    Google translate is a MACHINE, it cannot translate accurately, it can, at best, approximate according to basic preprogrammed rules. Only a human translator can ‘get it right’ and then even a human will at times make mistakes. At best Google translate can be used as an assistant, but in the end the human reading/editing the ‘translation’ will have to use their knowledge, language skills and intuition to produce a text that is true to the original. Google translate is marginally better than Babelfish – which means it will give you an idea of what a text says, but it will not translate such things as inflections, nuances, connotations and flavor. It cannot do that, in fact it was not built to do that.

    now, you claim (and I have no reason not to believe this) that your original text was first translated via Google translate from English to Farsi, and then back – do you see the huge problem here? Of course the text you end up with will look ‘nothing’ like what you originally wrote. Because first the machine goes one way, making the mistakes in translation that it will (according to how it is programmed), and then you input the translation and ask the machine to translate the ‘garbled’ Farsi text back to English, of course the result will be even more garbled.

  2. Pingback: Translating “The Fatal Flaw in Baha’i Authority” into Persian and Arabic | Dale Husband's Intellectual Rants

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