1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture

You'd have to have your head in the sand to not have seen, lately, that the church is in tumult. From the Catholic Church and their sex scandals, deep inside of Protestantism with The Methodist Church, and through Evangelical Circles, the upheaval is live, and the world is watching it on Prime-Time Television.

This is especially true for the Evangelical church(es) as, for the first time since their arrival into the realm of Christendom - especially in America 150 years ago or so, they find themselves on the receiving end of scrutiny and public opinion.

What's one of the issues causing tremors? Gay folk. Or rather, LGBTQIA folk.

Over the course of several years, other documentaries have come out speaking about the effects of homophobia in the church. While those have been great films, what sets 1946 apart is their approach. The set out to not just talk about cause and effect of homophobia on folks who grew up in religion but to tackle an issue that has far more reaching implications beyond human sexuality. The error of Biblical Literalism.

Through the use of theologians, scholars, historians, and linguists, the "clobber" passages are opened up and examined thoroughly, carefully, even lovingly, amidst the backdrop of personal stories of the researchers who came to do the work.

1946 is a powerful film that is healing to those who've been hurt by bad theology in regard to human sexuality, a beacon of hope to the next generation of children coming up and asking themselves about God and what it means to be a human being, and a warning - a clear sign of the times- that this thing we call the Bible doesn't belong to any specific group or hierarchy. And it certainly doesn't belong to the powers that be inside these organizations to be used as a bludgeon.

This is a message Luther tried to make clear 500 years ago that, for whatever reason, needs to be reexplained.

I think 1946 is simply the beginning.

I think this is one of the most important films I've ever seen. Spreading the knowledge of how these harmfully inadequate interpretations ended up in this ancient text I think is extremely important for the queer+ community. Growing up being told who I was is "wrong" or that an experience with the divine was impossible because of fundamental aspect of myself was very damaging to me and many others in my community. The lives lost or wasted as a result of this harmful theology can never fully be put right, but sharing this information with others is a huge first step in correcting these toxic ideas so they aren't perpetuated to future generations. Only by being made aware and learning from past mistakes can we work towards repairing some of the damage done and creating a better life for everyone. It starts with winsomely sharing this with people and lovingly challenging harmful ideas. I'm hoping for wide distribution to be available soon!

This documentary was so well made. It was very intentional to back up its claims with well founded research. I also really liked how they didn't hide the counter points and how a mother and father can still coexist even if they have completely different view points. It was amazing the people they were able to find and interview. As well as poke holes in what most Christian's would view as a "non-debatable" fact that the Bible denounces homosexuality. This documentary was so good and so helpful for someone like me, a gay Christian. It was great to buy extra tickets for my parents and family members who disagree with the idea of a gay Christian. Though I'm not sure they were fully convinced, the important thing was it got them truly thinking critically on the topic. Highly recommend!

My wife and I just had a chance to see the film last week after hearing many things about it. I have multiple theological degrees, teach at a theological seminary, and train religious leaders all around the country. I know for a fact that almost none of the hundreds of religious leaders I work with have any of the knowledge that's contained in this film. It has been well hidden from the public eye, creating an incredible amount of harm to the LGBTQ+ community. This film holds the power to influence many people toward a more loving stance toward this incredibly divisive issue. I truly hope this film makes it into broader circulation so that all can hear about a translation issue that has created deep harm to other humans.

This documentary thought provokingly challenges us to think critically and discover the history behind the mistranslated Bible passages. So much of my life I've felt ashamed of who God made me to be and who I love. While I've deconstructed my faith over the years in so many ways, I still love God, but conflicted. I've always been so hurt by those passages in the Bible. This documentary puts into light the human error in the contemporary translations that have shunned so many LGBTQIA+ people from the church. If anything, this documentary reaffirmed my relationship with God. Through watching this, I've started exploring different aspects of faith. I ask questions and think more critically.