1946: The Mistranslation That Shifted Culture; A Critical Find to Ending Homophobia in Religion

1946: The Mistranslation that Shifted Culture, directed by Sharon “Rocky” Reggio and written by Jena Serbu and Jill Woodward, is an eye-opening new documentary surrounding the, not so long, history of blatant homophobia in certain sects of Christianity.

Reggio directs and stars in this compelling, very persuasive and heart-breaking story, featuring her pastor father, Salvatore Reggio, who is a literalist of a bible that was never created to be a true translation.

Digging in

When Sharon Reggio heard that there was research being done about when and why certain bibles used the specific word “homosexual” in regards to behaviors demonized by some Christian religions, she jumped at the chance to create a documentary about it.

Identifying as queer herself, the documentary digs into the vast history on bible translation and she also tries to come to terms with her literalist father, who believes that the book he has is the literal word of God, and says there isn’t any way he will believe differently.

She teams up with Kathy Baldock, a straight Christian woman who became a fierce advocate for LGBTQ people after finding out all this information, and Ed Oxford, a gay Christian man who went to seminary when he was younger, but felt as a gay man he had no place in Christianity.

Together, with a collective of religious scholars, linguists, and opposing pastors, they try to figure out why the word “homosexual” was written in a translation of a bible starting in 1946 and beyond.

Who gets to change Words from an antiquated book?

Sweetbread Studios

This is who. A group of old, white, cis men.

These men agreed that the word homosexuality should be added to the Revised Standard Version of the Bible after a devastating mistranslation, sparking a cataclysmic “religious” war against the LGBTQ community.

The translation was challenged, but they couldn’t revise it again until 1971, due to a contract they signed. Subsequent translations chose to continue with the flawed translation, not knowing that the first group had already met to change it.

The biggest of the revised copies was The Living Bible, written by a man who was a salesman, not a scholar, who wanted a paraphrased version of the Revised Standard Version, so he could teach it to his children.

A copy of that version was later given to Billy Graham and he then started teaching it to his constituents in his revivals, which brought to life a slew of other conservative pastors, like Jerry Fallwell, who also put it into their “teachings”.

So a paraphrased book, not written by scholars, caught on like wildfire putting out a barrage of misinformation, bringing on more hatred and devastation to the LGBTQ community.

in all honesty…

Kathy Baldock and her friend Netto: Sweetbread Studios

This is truly a one of a kind film that stands to bring victory in the fight against homophobia and religious cruelty.

I sat in awe watching it, as an ex Catholic who’s bible never mentioned “homosexuality” in its translations, and had always wondered why other sects even mentioned it. I had seen the word “sodomy” written, but in the old translation of the time, sodomy meant rape.

Biblical literalism can’t be translated into words we use today, because no one actually knows what was really meant. If it’s been translated by countless, flawed humans throughout history, there’s no way that ANY translation could be the actual word of God.

These conservative religions are just another measure for white men to hold power over their masses and make tons of money from it. Reggio’s pastor father is a stern believer that this version is still the word of “God” and refused to listen to whatever she or the others had to say.

White power, conservatism, and politics have always scapegoated groups of people who are categorized as “different” from the white, straight, cis male norm (think WWII). If there was someone that they hated, they made sure to make it about the select groups and never about themselves.

We see it still with the queer community, the poor, people with disabilities, women, fat people, the BIPOC community and everyone else that bigoted capitalism wants to continue to put down or annihilate in it’s unrelenting scheme of greed and worldly domination.

Sweetbread Studios

The film industry is full of this discrimination as well, but independent films like these are crucial to shining a light on what is toxic in our society. Reggio was brave enough to bring her personal struggles into it, giving a living example of this particular bigotry.

I was astounded by her ability to still connect with her father, as I’m not sure I could reconcile with someone who outright denied the way I love and judged it a sin.

This is what a lot of LGBTQ people go through and much, much worse. The amount of murders, jail time, suicides, humiliation, psychological terrorism, broken families and bigotry that have been faced through the years caused by just being true to ourselves is horrifying.

Teachings like these by conservative “Christians”, whose title I use lightly because they are nothing like Christ, are devastating to everyone on Earth. Why should humanity identify with one, strict type rather than being part of the beauty and the “all” that humanity is and can be?

Hatred is learned and super toxic not only towards the people it is put upon, but also to the people who hold it. When power and big money is made to continue it, that is a mix for absolute disaster.

Watch this film and learn, then start doing a lot of research to educate yourself about the power of love to heal all that ails. We all have a choice to drink from the cup of poison that ignorant people have passed to us and question the lies we have believed and been party to.

Refuse to hate. Our very existence depends on it.