God Bless the USA Bible: Even Better Than Snake Oil
I’m a terrible magician.
But when my kids were small, I could clumsily discover a quarter behind their tiny ears. I could cause the same coin to “disappear”. With a worn deck of cards, I could slightly bend a corner so that it was easily identifiable among the fifty-one other choices. I did other tricks too, and they would grin and giggle and debate with themselves about how I performed the slight of hand or if it really was magic.
My kids are smart – not geniuses or exceptionally clever – but smart. It didn’t take long before they deciphered the mystery, and because my magic skills were so subpar and predictable, my ability to con them vanished.
The truth is most of us, if we trust our instincts, can spot a fraud. Admittedly, as scams and scammers have become more sophisticated some of us have fallen for the ruses. It is from experiences like these that we derive the adage, “Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice shame on me.”
Yet, despite the repeated cringy cons, a near majority of the American people support Donald Trump for president. And among Evangelical Christians, nearly 70% support him. The final straw for this demographic should have been the “Access Hollywood” recordings revealed in 2016, yet in the last 8 years the pile of “final straws” could fill a Kentucky horse stable. But Trump’s endorsement of the “God Bless the USA Bible” during Holy Week at a time he is desperate to raise cash to fund his campaign and cover massive legal expenses must be the final, final straw, right?
God’s Favored Nation?
For the low-low price of $60, you too can own this “trusted” King James translation complete with God’s favorite founding documents, the Declaration of Independence, The U.S. Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. But wait, there’s more! This faux leather-bound edition includes a hand-written chorus of “God Bless the USA” written by fellow endorser and songwriter, Lee Greenwood.
Wow! It’s like a first-class ticket straight to American Heaven.
Even Easter and Christmas-only readers of Scripture know that the United States of America is not mentioned in any of the 66 books of the Bible. There is no passage where God or the apostles designate white, Anglo-Saxon’s and their descendants as His chosen people. The Declaration of Independence has several references to God like “Nature’s God,” “Creator,” and “Supreme Judge,” but the Constitution makes no reference to God. And the words, “one nation under God” from The Pledge weren’t added until 1954.
The references to God in our founding documents are important, even later additions like the “one nation under God” phrase. They tell us something about the mindset of our leaders and the country at the time and point to the building blocks of our laws and system of government. But adding these to a version of the Bible and branding it with the American Flag is a “bridge too far.”
The packaging and messaging associated with the “God Bless the USA Bible” and Trump’s endorsement conflate our founding documents with Holy Scripture. As genuine evangelicals know, “All Scripture is breathed-out by God…” (2 Timothy 3:16). Our founding documents were imagined and drafted by men – some believers and some followers of Enlightenment philosophy – but none scribes of God’s word. One set of documents is profound and history-making. The other “documents” are Holy. Unfortunately, too many of Donald Trump’s supporters don’t seem to acknowledge the difference.
Do As I Say, Not As I Do.
Just since Trump was defeated by President Biden in 2020, he has been indicted on 91 criminal charges across multiple states. A jury found him liable for the sexual assault of E. Jean Carroll (one of 25 credible accusations) and ordered him to pay $83 million in damages. A judge in New York found that Trump committed frauds that “leap off the page and shock the conscience” associated with his lying to banks and insurers about the value of his properties to secure favorable terms. The judge ordered him to pay $355 million plus interest.
Many supporters claim that the courts and prosecutors in all of these cases are corrupt, the witnesses are lying, and it’s a conspiracy to prevent him from becoming president again. Others take a more Machiavellian view and don’t particularly care if he committed these crimes as long as we “Make America Great Again.”
Let’s say none of the judgements and indictments are true – not one. His shameless hawking of the Word of God amid the mere allegations further taints the image of Christianity in the eyes of the world. And, it’s not as if Trump is sharing the Gospel out of concern for the lost, he stands to profit at a critical juncture in his campaign. The FAQs on the website selling the “God Bless the USA Bible” boast that Trump’s campaign, legal fund, nor any of his companies will receive proceeds from the sell of the Bibles. However, upon close inspection, the reader learns Trump is being paid for his name, likeness, and image.
But No One is Perfect
Common refrains from Christians who support Trump are “none of us are perfect,” “we’ve all sinned and fallen short of the glory of God,” and “God uses imperfect people to accomplish his purposes.”
All of these are true.
In 2015, GOP pollster, Frank Luntz, asked Trump at an Iowa conference on faith and family if he had ever asked God for forgiveness. Trump famously replied,
“I am not sure I have. I just go on and try to do a better job from there. I don’t think so. I think if I do something wrong, I think, I just try and make it right. I don’t bring God into that picture. I don’t.”
By contrast, King David’s repentance for adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband Uriah is documented in Psalm 51. In verse seventeen, David prays,
“The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.”
Conclusion
For nine years, Christians, and the rest of the world, have had the opportunity to listen to Trump’s words and witness his actions. There are no signs of contrition, not even for the things that are indisputable like the Access Hollywood recording, incessant lying, and petty name calling.
While no Christian should ever expect or ask for perfection, continuing to condone Trump’s actions, behaviors, and criminality drives a border-wall-sized wedge between the Gospel we say we believe and those with whom we are called to share it.
Dad Sense 
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