Anti-Critical Theory (ACT)® Translation

The ACT Bible© is a new translation that seeks to demonstrate God’s desire that Christians be colorblind, class blind, and blind to many, many things.

The Problem

Critical Theory, especially Critical Race Theory®, is major threat to Christianity’s success. Critical Theories argue that oppression takes place not just between individuals, but through societal structures like law, education, and media, and that those systems reinforce hierarchies of race, ethnicity, and gender.

Some Christians claim that CT can help them see the kinds of injustices that God is working to overcome so that they can participate with God in human flourishing even if it means giving up some of their own status. But actually, any version of Critical Theory is incompatible the Christian faith.

The Solution

In order to avoid reading scripture with any hint of a critical lens, which might lead to the embrace of entire worldview, the ACT Bible gently alters all references to race and ethnicity, allowing a truly colorblind approach to the Bible.

This radical new translation allows readers to see people simply as people, devoid of characteristics that might lead one to have Marxist thoughts.

Sample Changes

Genesis 12

12The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2 “I will make you into a great nation,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and all peoples on earth
will be blessed through you.”

12The Lord had said to Abram, “Go from your country, your people and your father’s household to the land I will show you.

2 “I will make you into something,
and I will bless you;
I will make your name great,
and you will be a blessing.
3 I will bless those who bless you,
and whoever curses you I will curse;
and everyone on earth
will be blessed through you.”

The word “nation” here is the Hebrew word goy or the Greek ethnos (from which we get “ethnicity”). This has been edited, because the idea that the biblical story can be understood as God choosing to give one ethnic group power and blessing that will be distributed to other ethnicities sounds suspiciously Marxist.

Numbers 12

1 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married; for he had married a Cushite woman. 2 They said, “Has Yahweh indeed spoken only with Moses? Hasn’t he spoken also with us?” And Yahweh heard it.

10 The cloud departed from over the Tent; and behold, Miriam was leprous, as white as snow. Aaron looked at Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.

1 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because they didn’t get a good feeling about his wife. 2 They said, “Has Yahweh indeed spoken only with Moses? Hasn’t he spoken also with us?” And Yahweh heard it.

10 The cloud departed from over the Tent; and behold, Miriam was leprous, and it hurt greatly. Aaron looked at Miriam, and behold, she was leprous.

This passage seems to say that Miriam didn’t approve of Moses's wife because she was black (Cushite means Ethiopian), so God mocked her by making her very, very white. This sounds far too much like a critique of whiteness (heirarchy based on skin color), which is not in the Bible.

Deuteronomy 15

12 If any of your people—Hebrew men or women—sell themselves to you and serve you six years, in the seventh year you must let them go free. 13 And when you release them, do not send them away empty-handed. 14 Supply them liberally from your flock, your threshing floor and your winepress. Give to them as the Lord your God has blessed you.

2 If you buy a Hebrew servant, he is to serve you for six years. But in the seventh year, he shall go free, without paying anything. (Exodus 21:2)

Our editors decided that we prefer the Exodus version of this law better than the Deuteronomy. Both passages allow the slave to go free after seven years, but the Deuteronomy implies the need for blessing the person who was bought and even uses the word "liberally."

Judges 12

5 The Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. Whenever a fugitive of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No;” 6 then they said to him, “Now say ‘Shibboleth;’” and he said “Sibboleth”; for he couldn’t manage to pronounce it correctly, then they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time, forty-two thousand of Ephraim fell.

5 The Gileadites took the fords of the Jordan against the Ephraimites. Whenever a fugitive of Ephraim said, “Let me go over,” the men of Gilead said to him, “Are you an Ephraimite?” If he said, “No;” 6 then they said to him, “Now say ‘Shibboleth;’” and he said “Sibboleth”; for he couldn’t manage to pronounce it correctly, then they seized him and killed him at the fords of the Jordan. At that time, forty-two thousand of Ephraim fell.

Our editors have decided not to update this story because all the characters look the same, and they are only separated by accents ('S' vs 'Sh') which is an interesting (and entertaining) part of the story.

Proverbs

11:1 A false balance is an abomination to Yahweh,
but accurate weights are his delight.

16:11 Honest balances and scales are Yahweh’s;
all the weights in the bag are his work.

20:10 Differing weights and differing measures,
both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.

11:1 A false action is an abomination to Yahweh,
but morals are his delight.

16:11 Honest interactions are Yahweh’s;
all the weights in the bag are his work.

20:10 Differing treatment and inconsistent things,
both of them alike are an abomination to Yahweh.

The Law (Lev 19:26), the Prophets (Ezek 45:10; Hos 12:7; Mic 6:11; Amo 8:4-8), and the Writings (Prov 11:1; 16:11; 20:10; 20:23) repeatedly condemn creating tools that embed injustice and could be used to oppress whole groups of people in a “systematic” way. We have clarified these passages so they focus on the individual interactions and cannot be mistaken for a call to interrogate structural opression which is not biblical.

Matthew 8

5 When he came into Capernaum, a centurion came to him, asking him for help, 6 saying, “Lord, my servant lies in the house paralyzed, grievously tormented.”

7 Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

8 The centurion answered, “Lord, I’m not worthy for you to come under my roof. Just say the word, and my servant will be healed. 9 For I am also a man under authority, having under myself soldiers. I tell this one, ‘Go,’ and he goes;

10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled.

5 When he came into Capernaum, a person came to him, asking him for help, 6 saying, “Lord, another person lies in the house paralyzed, grievously tormented.”

7 Jesus said to him, “I will come and heal him.”

8 The first person, “Lord, I’m not worthy for you to come under my roof. Just say the word, and the other person will be healed. 9 For I am also a fellow person who knows some persons. We say things and do things, sometimes in a connected manner.

10 When Jesus heard this, he marveled.

Jesus’s life and minstry was focused on individual sins, not so-called “systems of power.” But once people learn about critical theories, they start seeing class and power everywhere. Can’t one guy just heal another?

Luke 10

30 Jesus answered, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

31 By chance a certain priest was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 In the same way a Levite also, when he came to the place, and saw him, passed by on the other side.

33 But a certain Samaritan, as he traveled, came where he was. When he saw him, he was moved with compassion, 34 came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

30 Jesus answered, “A certain man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who both stripped him and beat him, and departed, leaving him half dead.

31 By chance one person was going down that way. When he saw him, he passed by on the other side.

32 In the same way a second person, of no more or less stature than the first, came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.

33 But a third person, just as non-descript as the others, was moved with compassion, 34 came to him, and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. He set him on his own animal, brought him to an inn, and took care of him.

36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?”

37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.”

Because the first character was stripped naked and cannot speak, his ethnicity and class are unknown, and that’s really the way all stories should work. The expert in the Law avoided referring to the third man’s background, which clearly indicates it was unimportant component of the story.

John 4

6Jesus therefore, being tired from his journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 A woman of Samaria came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”

8 For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 The Samaritan woman therefore said to him, “How is it that you, being a Jew, ask for a drink from me, a Samaritan woman?” (For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans.)

10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

16Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”

17 The woman answered, “I have no husband.”

Jesus said to her, “You said well, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly.”

39 From that city many of the Samaritans believed in him because of the word of the woman, who testified, “He told me everything that I did.”

6Jesus therefore, being tired from his journey, sat down by the well. It was about the sixth hour. 7 A person came to draw water. Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.”

8 For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. 9 The person therefore said to him, “How is it that you, being a human, ask for a drink from me, another person?” (For some humans have no dealings with other people for reasons.)

10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give me a drink,’ you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.”

16Jesus said to her, “Go, call your husband, and come here.”

17 The woman answered, “I have no husband.”

Jesus said to her, “You said well, ‘I have no husband,’ 18 for you have had five husbands; and he whom you now have is not your husband. This you have said truly.”

39 From that city many of the people believed in him because of the word of the woman, who testified, “He really saw me and understood the traumatic events I faced in my life, but in a way unrelated to complex first century sociocultural dynamics.”

This story should be understood simply as Jesus confronting a person in their obvious sin. When interpretters start taking into account the character’s race, gender, and the trauma of having multiple husbands die or divorce her (e.g., women could not intiate divorce in the first century, Samaritans could not marry Roman citizens, etc.), it sounds like they are caving to unbiblical ideas like intersectionality.

Acts 13

1 Now in the church that was at Antioch there were some prophets and teachers: Barnabas, Simeon who was called Niger, Lucius of Cyrene, Manaen the foster brother of Herod the tetrarch, and Saul. 2 As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Saul for me, for the work to which I have called them.”

1 Now in a church there were some prophets and teachers: five people whose backgrounds are not relevant to the radical inbreaking of God's kingdom values. 2 As they served the Lord and fasted, the Holy Spirit said, “Separate Barnabas and Paul for me, for the work to which I have called them.”

The Bible demands that church leaders be chosen in a colorblind way, based solely on their merits. Focusing on the radical, intentional ethnic and economic diversity at a key city in the Roman empire is a slippery slope into worldly ideas. (note: in Acts, Paul's Greek name appears in Greek contexts and his Hebrew name, Saul, appears in scenes with Jews. We have simplified this to always use 'Paul' to avoid focusing on ethnic concerns.)

Galatians 3

27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring and heirs according to promise.

27For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. 28 The uniqueness God created is completely unimportant; for you are all one in Christ Jesus. 29 If you are Christ’s, then you are simply heirs according to promise.

Critical theories demand that we acknowledge the complex relationships between race, gender, and power which Christ transcends and unites. We find it much easier to simply focus on the oneness instead of the characteristics that make this oneness truly supernatural, or which might challenge us to think about how the false oneness we sometimes enforce.

James 2

2 For if a man with a gold ring, in fine clothing, comes into your synagogue, and a poor man in filthy clothing also comes in, 3 and you pay special attention to him who wears the fine clothing and say, “Sit here in a good place;” and you tell the poor man, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool” 4 haven’t you shown partiality among yourselves, and become judges with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved brothers. Didn’t God choose those who are poor in this world to be rich in faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the poor man. Don’t the rich oppress you, and personally drag you before the courts?

2 For if a one guy comes into your synagogue, and a another guy also comes in, 3 and you pay special attention to the first guy and say, “Sit here in a good place;” and you tell the second guy, “Stand there,” or “Sit by my footstool” 4 haven’t you made a random choice, and become bad choosers with evil thoughts?

5 Listen, my beloved siblings. Didn’t God choose one random group in this world to have faith, and heirs of the Kingdom which he promised to those who love him? 6 But you have dishonored the second guy. Aren't people like the first guy with no important characteristics mean to you sometimes?

It is wrong to understand human interactions in terms of oppressors and oppressed. The more biblical worldview is to just treat people as people, urge them to get over it, and get along. (note: our editors are currently debating whether the Greek word 'adelphoi' should be translated 'siblings' here, because a literal translation of 'brothers' could cast a negative light on males).

Revelation 5

8 Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 They sang a new song, saying,

“You are worthy to take the book
and to open its seals:
for you were killed,
and bought us for God with your blood
out of every tribe, language, people, and nation,
10 and made us kings and priests to our God,
and we will reign on the earth.”

11 I saw, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders. The number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands; 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the power, wealth, wisdom, strength, honor, glory, and blessing!”

8 Now when he had taken the book, the four living creatures and the twenty-four elders fell down before the Lamb, each one having a harp, and golden bowls full of incense, which are the prayers of the saints. 9 They sang a new song, saying,

“You are worthy to take the book
and to open its seals:
for you were killed,
and bought us for God with your blood
out of every the glob of all humanity,
10 and made us kings and priests to our God,
and we will reign on the earth.”

11 I saw, and I heard something like a voice of many angels around the throne, the living creatures, and the elders. The number of them was ten thousands of ten thousands, and thousands of thousands; 12 saying with a loud voice, “Worthy is the Lamb who has been killed to receive the the things we must not discuss!”

This is one of the final scenes in scripture, leading to the culmination of all God has done.
But some people want to make it all about race and marvel at the multidimensional beauty of God’s new creation. Sheesh.