Bible in Australian lingo lends appeal to masses Down Under
God to Eve: Eat that apple and you're dead meat
By Nick Squires
Christian Science Monitor
Tucson, Arizona
Published: 07.30.2006

SYDNEY, Australia — "Out of the blue God knocked up the whole bang lot. … God said, 'Let's have some light' and bingo — light appeared."

So opens the new second volume in the popular "Aussie Bible" series. The initial installment of the Good News told in Australian slang has sold more than 100,000 copies since 2003 — this in a country where sales of 18,000 or more qualify a book as a bestseller.

The 90-page phenomenon was promoted as a "ripping yarn about Jesus of Nazareth" in which Mary was "a pretty special sheila," Jesus was "God's toddler," and the Three Wise Men were "eggheads from out east." The rest