- LONDON (AP) It's got illicit sex, violence, scandals, miracles and
martyrs all the ingredients that make for memorable Page One headlines
in the irreverent British tabloids.
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- It's the Holy Bible, coming to a newsstand
near you.
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- Actually, it's "The Scroll,'' a
new book that shows how today's tabloid press might have covered the events
of the Good Book minus, of course, the topless model on page 3.
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- "Thank God for Sunday, God invents
the weekend,'' blares a headline in Genesis. "Pharaoh issues tough
new population policy'' is the take on the Egyptian edict that Hebrew slave
boys be killed.
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- And this, when Moses came down from the
mountain: "Is that my donkey you're coveting?: Adultery out as Moses
gets Commandments.''
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- The resurrection of Christ is reported
thusly: "You can't keep a good man down More appearances of Jesus
reported.''
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- Perhaps surprisingly, the Church of England
said it doesn't have a problem with author Nick Page's tampering with the
sacred text.
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- "It's always good to have different
approaches to propagating the Bible because it gives people new opportunities
to study the message,'' church spokesman Steve Jenkins said.
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- Page described himself as a Christian
looking for a way to retell Bible stories "so people might actually
read them.''
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- His inspiration for the 155-page book,
published only in Britain by HarperCollins, was The Sun, a sensational
and fearless tabloid and the top-selling national newspaper.
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- Page, former communications director
of the Christian charity Oasis, said he knew some people would be offended
by the flippant accounts of sacred events, such as the crucifixion and
resurrection.
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- "Most people can see what I'm doing
and are pleased with any attempt to make the Bible more accessible,'' he
said.
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