Why do you say the New World Translation is not a reliable translation?
Question:
On your web site, it reads that The New World Translation (NWT) "...is not a reliable translation".
Prof. Jason BeDuhn in his book Truth in Translation Accuracy and Bias in English Translations of the New Testament (this is not the only book) would strongly disagree with your conclusion that the NWT "is not a reliable translation." After examining nine very popular English translations of the New Testament, he found the NWT (even though he had his criticisms -- no translation is perfect) to be superior to the other eight English New Testaments and overall the most accurate. Prof. BeDuhn shows how theology, personal bias and deliberate alteration to various texts within the English New Testament are adjusted to suit theology. Perhaps you could qualify your statement about the NWT (especially the New Testament) and show why and how you believe the NWT "is not reliable" comparing it with perhaps the English translations you yourself use and see if it matches the Hebrew and Koine Greek, such as Prof. BeDuhn (and others) have done. I look forward to your communication!
Answer:
Actually, you are citing what someone sent in as a question and not what I had written. But I decided to use your question as the basis for a sermon that I will be presenting. The outline can be found at: Is the New World Translation Accurate?
A brief summary is that Professor BeDuhn does not appear to be as unbiased he claims. He also derived his conclusion based on only eight verses which he considered key to detecting theological bias in a translation. He concluded that the New World Translation and the New American Bible (a Catholic translation) were the most accurate in the eight issues on which he critiqued the translations.
I listed a number of examples where New World Translation obviously alters the biblical text to match Jehovah's Witnesses doctrine. That is, the New World Translation does the opposite of what Professor BeDuhn claims makes a good translation.
I also cite evidence (some from a court case) that the translators of the New World Translation were not knowledgeable about the Hebrew and Greek languages. I also list several well-known Greek scholars and translators who did not have kind things to say about the New World Translation.
Oddly enough, the answer you cited discusses the same flaw in the New World Translation that Professor BeDuhn admits exists in his book.
