Story number 2 for 19 May 2000

Next, sources in India report an increase in violence against Christians in India. Recent incidents involve many believers who have been viciously attacked while involved in evangelistic activity. Despite the hostility, ministries like the International Bible Society continue to reach people with the Gospel. IBS’ PLN Murthy (MUR-tee) says they’ve just released the Kannada (keh-NAH-da) translation of the Bible. “The old translation, which was 150 years old, was a translation done by the European missionaries-but this translation was done completely by the natives; the editing was done by them, the theological checking and the field testing-so therefore, it became the translation of the native people.” Murthy says it’s geared for the 40-million people of South Central India who speak Kannada. He says the work is accepted because: “Our slogan has been: ‘This Bible is, as far as possible, theologically accurate, and linguistically accurate and worthy of interpretation from the pulpit and also the theological colleges.'”