Brother Tim,
Your response was excellent and very well thought-out. It gives me food for thought.
ASL is a rich and full language with the capability of providing subtle nuances, just as the English language does. Like any language, it is also dynamic and changes with time.
I don't want people looking down at Deaf people as if they're not capable of understanding complex ideas. To the contrary, at times, the richness of ASL far surpasses the limitations and capabilities of the English language.
I really don't know what the answer to this is. I haven't been involved in interpreting myself, since I am Deaf. Nor have I been involved in preaching or teaching the Bible. So, I can't pretend that I'm qualified to know the answer. I would say that this would require a pastor with a very in-depth knowledge of the KJV and the capability to bring that forth in ASL.
Why not ask your daughters for their opinions?
One thing I have noticed, when a church tries to establish a "Deaf Program" they bring the level down to something so simplistic that it doesn't create any growth in grace and knowledge of the Word. It's something that definitely needs to be changed somehow. Many Deaf people are using a very simplistic Bible translation and they're relying on their minister to teach them from the Bible. That minister is either Deaf and signing directly to them in ASL, or hearing and utilizing a sign language interpreter. In the first case, it requires a minister who has an in-depth knowledge of the KJV, to be capable of both understanding and expressing the true meaning of it in ASL. We certainly don't want to see a perverted Bible being used. Nor do we want to see an unknowledgeable interpreter who may translate a Scripture according to a more simplistic Bible version that she is familiar with. Either way, the Deaf churchgoer is often lacking in Bible knowledge.
I've wanted to work on having the KJV translated accurately into ASL. That would be quite a project undertaking! I don't feel qualified to do that myself.
Jassy
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