Man Sues Publishers For $70M Over Bibles
Gay Man Says Scripture Caused Him 'Emotional Duress'
POSTED: 5:47 pm CDT July 10,
2008
UPDATED: 7:22 pm CDT July 10,
2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- A Christian publisher in Nashville is in the middle of a multimillion dollar legal fight over its Bibles.
Video: Man Sues Publisher Over BiblesA Michigan man has filed a federal lawsuit claiming that certain Bibles from Thomas Nelson Publishing and another Bible publisher discriminate against gays.Bradley Fowler's lawsuit centers on one passage of scripture and how it reads in Bibles published by Nashville-based Thomas Nelson Publishing and Michigan-based Zondervan.First Corinthians, Chapter Six, Verse Nine states that: "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God."Fowler, who is gay, said his family pastor used that version of the verse in sermons and that because the pastor used it, his family considers him a sinner.He's suing Thomas Nelson for $10 million and Zondervan for $60 million.Fowler said he's suing "to compensate for the past 20 years of emotional duress and mental instability."Fowler said he believes the use of the word homosexual in the Bibles is a misinterpretation and that the verse isn't translated correctly."These are opinions based on the publishers, and they are being embedded in the religious structure as a way of life," he said.Fowler has taken his case to a federal court in Michigan, but it is not clear if the case will be heard. A judge said he has some genuine concerns about the nature of the claims.Thomas Nelson Publishing said they had not been served with the lawsuit, so they wouldn't comment.Zondervan officials released a statement saying they "do not translate the Bible or own the copyright for any of the translations they publish and should not comment on the merits of how a word should or should not be translated."
Video: Man Sues Publisher Over BiblesA Michigan man has filed a federal lawsuit claiming that certain Bibles from Thomas Nelson Publishing and another Bible publisher discriminate against gays.Bradley Fowler's lawsuit centers on one passage of scripture and how it reads in Bibles published by Nashville-based Thomas Nelson Publishing and Michigan-based Zondervan.First Corinthians, Chapter Six, Verse Nine states that: "Do you not know that the wicked will not inherit the Kingdom of God? Neither the sexually immoral nor idolaters nor adulterers nor male prostitutes nor homosexual offenders nor thieves nor the greedy nor drunkards nor slanderers nor swindlers will inherit the Kingdom of God."Fowler, who is gay, said his family pastor used that version of the verse in sermons and that because the pastor used it, his family considers him a sinner.He's suing Thomas Nelson for $10 million and Zondervan for $60 million.Fowler said he's suing "to compensate for the past 20 years of emotional duress and mental instability."Fowler said he believes the use of the word homosexual in the Bibles is a misinterpretation and that the verse isn't translated correctly."These are opinions based on the publishers, and they are being embedded in the religious structure as a way of life," he said.Fowler has taken his case to a federal court in Michigan, but it is not clear if the case will be heard. A judge said he has some genuine concerns about the nature of the claims.Thomas Nelson Publishing said they had not been served with the lawsuit, so they wouldn't comment.Zondervan officials released a statement saying they "do not translate the Bible or own the copyright for any of the translations they publish and should not comment on the merits of how a word should or should not be translated."- Popular WSMV Slideshows
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