When Christians should be reflecting on the sacrifice and hope of Holy Week, another savior and his disciple attempted to enter the narrative this week. Former President Donald J. Trump teamed up with singer-songwriter Lee Greenwood to announce the launch of their new venture, the “God Bless the USA Bible.”
Patriotic citizens can purchase a copy for $59.99, but they must wait 4-6 weeks for delivery. Customers should note that all sales are final.
However, they can rest assured that the “God Bless the USA Bible” is the only Bible endorsed by the former president. Apparently, he reads no translations besides the good ol’ King James.
While the sale of this product is outlandish and laughable, a more concerning element must be brought to light. The “Bible” includes copies of Greenwood’s “God Bless the U.S.A.” chorus, the U.S. Constitution, Bill of Rights, Declaration of Independence and Pledge of Allegiance.
More and more Americans and Christians–encouraged by right-wing preachers and politicians–believe the founding documents of the United States to be sacred. A 2021 Pew Research report revealed that 18% of Americans believe the Constitution to be divinely inspired.
Last year, Deseret News and Marist Poll’s “Faith in America” survey suggested the number was even higher, reporting that 55% of Americans believe God inspired the Constitution.
The problem with both surveys is that we are unsure how they define “inspired.” Even within Christianity, the idea of inspiration is debated.
There are numerous ways to define “inspiration” within faith traditions. For example, there is the “plenary” theory, in which God uses humans to reveal the words God wanted written down.
There is also the “dynamic” theory, where writers can use their own words, but the ideas come from God. The “partial” inspiration theory suggests the Bible is infallible yet could contain errors related to science and history.
In addition, the “intuition” theory holds that the authors of scripture were merely wise individuals; therefore, the scripture is inspired by human insight.
Then, there is the “dictation” theory. This belief contends that God dictated, word for word, what was to be written, and the authors were merely transcribers.
Thus, the question persists, “Which concept of inspiration are we talking about regarding America’s founding documents?”
Knowing their affinity for originalism, I argue that Trump and his disciples are partial to the theories that cement written words as though they came straight from divine thought. Therefore, if God had inspired the Bible, the founding documents would also have been inspired.
This is a dangerous path to tread. If a claim can be made that God inspired America’s founding documents, then someone else might claim that Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” was inspired as well.
The absurdity of this claim is laughable. Still, when the term “divinely inspired” is thrown around for political documents (and America’s founding documents were political), a door opens to claim other documents as “divinely inspired.”
The simple notion that America’s founding documents are inspired is not heretical (there was indeed some inspiration for the thoughts). Still, when coupled with “divinely inspired,” God is an accomplice in America’s faults.
Did God think people of African descent ⅗ of a person?
Did God think women should not have rights?
Did God think America’s Indigenous people should be killed for their lands?
Did God think every form of government throughout history was an abomination? Historically, God seems partial to monarchies.
In the final analysis, the “God Bless the USA Bible” is really the “Trump Bible.” It would be laughable if it were not so dangerous. Authoritarian theology and politics demand total control—even control of scripture and all other writing they deem “divinely inspired.”
Americans and Christians should never forget the events of June 1, 2020, when former President Trump ordered federal troops to clear Lafayette Square of peaceful protesters so he could walk across the street, from the White House to Saint John’s Episcopal Church, to take a photo of himself holding the Bible.
Remember that image if you want to know what the accurate “Trump Bible” looks like.
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