NASHVILLE, Tenn. — There's a new translation of the world's most popular Bible: the New International Version, or NIV.
It has been criticized by some conservatives who don't like its use of gender-neutral language, such as "whoever" where translations traditionally have used "he."
The translation comes from an independent group of biblical scholars that has been meeting yearly since 1965 to discuss advances in biblical scholarship and changes in English usage.
The new version does not change the pronouns referring to God, who remains "He" and "the Father." But it does aim to avoid using "he" or "him" as the default reference to an unspecified person.
Some conservatives, such as the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, say some of the new wording changes the theological message.
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