Ben Dry has created a visual representation of the evolution of the changes in Darwin’s On the Origin of Species (you know, our Most Sacred Holy Bible!) throughout the six editions.
This is what Ben says about it:
We often think of scientific ideas, such as Darwin’s theory of evolution, as fixed notions that are accepted as finished. In fact, Darwin’s On the Origin of Species evolved over the course of several editions he wrote, edited, and updated during his lifetime. The first English edition was approximately 150,000 words and the sixth is a much larger 190,000 words. In the changes are refinements and shifts in ideas — whether increasing the weight of a statement, adding details, or even a change in the idea itself.
The second edition, for instance, adds a notable “by the Creator” to the closing paragraph, giving greater attribution to a higher power. In another example, the phrase “survival of the fittest” — usually considered central to the theory and often attributed to Darwin — instead came from British philosopher Herbert Spencer, and didn’t appear until the fifth edition of the text. Using the six editions as a guide, we can see the unfolding and clarification of Darwin’s ideas as he sought to further develop his theory during his lifetime.
But the Bible is an evolving document as well. There is clear evidence that the Let he who is without sin cast the first stone was not present in the Oldest manuscripts of the Gospel according to John. More recently there’s been the practice of replacing the word ‘slave’ with the word ‘servant’, as its no longer fashionable to admit that the bible fails to condemn slavery.
And then there is the whole Conservapedia project to rid the bible of all the evil liberal bias that has crept in over the centuries.
In theory it is the inerrant word of god, in practice it is just as subject to new interpretation as any other human idea.
The Bible is even evolving in different directions (speciation?). The Orthodox Bible lacks the Book of Revelation.
My fiance has a 2nd edition of Origins :-)