Man who can’t read claims favorite book
“All Americans need a Bible in their home, and I have many. It’s my favorite book,” Trump declared in March, in a video posted on Truth Social. “I’m proud to endorse and encourage you to get this Bible. We must make America pray again.”
In the video, Trump, who has a long history of endorsing and selling things, is clutching the God Bless the USA Bible – a “patriotic” take on the holy text that Trump is now hawking for $59.99.
“I want to have a lot of people have it,” Trump continued. “You have to have it for your heart and for your soul.”
Well of course he wants to “have a lot of people have it” – because he’s selling it for 60 bucks. You can get them free, of course, but what good is that to Donald Trump?
Anyway the obliging writer, Adam Gabbatt, duly bought the book.
Happily the Bible, which cost $83.37 after tax and shipping, eventually arrived. I eagerly tore open the packaging, held the bag upside down, and out plopped what is essentially a Christian nationalist’s fantasy: a Bible that is all American flags and bald eagles, with founding documents and lyrics to a patriotic anthem slotted in alongside the holy text.
We’re in a hurry, ok? We have to mash all these things together to save time. Oh say can you see our father who art in heaven etc etc – it gets the job done.
The front of the Bible has an embossed USA flag. In the back are glossy pages bearing some of America’s most sacred documents: the Declaration of Independence; the Pledge of Allegiance; and the lyrics to Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the USA, a song which is played on repeat at Trump’s political rallies.
These pages are illustrated with the American flag and some of the country’s best-regarded things: the bald eagle, yes, but also the Statue of Liberty, what appears to be a musket, and the Capitol building, which somewhat ironically was attacked by supporters of Trump three years ago.
Well that’s why! “Look at the size of the dome on that thing! But it didn’t scare me!!”
Let’s slap The Trump Brand on the bible, and as Donnie’s good buddy Ye says, “F..k You, Pay Me”.
The writers of the Bible were completely unaware of most of the Universe. They were completely ignorant of electrons, wombats, and galaxies. And, coincidentally, the existence of North and South America. So while God presumably had some knowledge of Terran geography, He did not see fit to pass this onto the writers of his “Holy” book. Which kinda makes them look like a bunch of putzes when all this completely unexpected new knowledge shows up. “How the FUCK do you put your trust in a book that doesn’t know what a goddamn WOMBAT is?!!!”
Plenty of christian Americans love this thing, but the especially devout are disgusted by it.
Holms,
I think there’s a lot of Christians who know that Trump is an absolute phony Christian, and are fine with that, because all they really want is for non-Christians to “bend the knee” and profess belief publicly whether it’s sincere or not. Saving souls is secondary at best, if it’s relevant at all.
It’s why there’s such a keen interest in forcing prayer in public schools. The point isn’t to make their own kids pray — they are presumably already doing that at home and in church. It’s to make everyone else’s kids pray, as a gesture of submission to Christianity’s dominance. You want to be a filthy atheist in the privacy of your own mind, who cares, I’m fine with you going to hell, but in public you pay lip service to our faith!
The fact that Trump, who prides himself on supposedly being a tough guy who says and does whatever he likes, is willing to abase himself like this is almost endearing to them. I think they regard it as a show of respect. Which in one sense it is, I suppose. He’s recognizing their political power. In other sense, of course, he thinks they’re suckers.
I have probably mentioned that I hate that song, and my hatred has only grown as the song has become associated with Trump rallies. I’ve performed it with a band, the last time maybe 12 years ago. I refuse to play it again. The quoted text above makes it seem like the lyrics are among America’s most sacred documents; do they really think that, or is that sloppy writing? Both, perhaps?
Re public prayer, saving souls: one of the concepts I learned from Bill Bishop’s “The Big Sort” is that some Christian sects believe that salvation is attained through belonging to the correct church. Not doing good works, not praying, not believing per se, but being part of the right group, and demonstrating that one is part of that group. Hence they try to increase their numbers all the time, nothing else is important.
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A lot of these people think that the US Constitution mentions the christian god. It doesn’t. Not even once. One person to whom I pointed this out said that the “preamble” to the document was the declaration of independence and it mentions “god given rights”, which just made me laugh/cry and bemoan the failure of civics education in the USA.
Sackbut, #5.
Both, I think. From what I’ve read in discussions on sites frequented by conservative males from mainly the mid-western and Southern states – the kind who fly the flag on their porches and from their outsize trucks – the song is almost revered. It’s the perfect combination of mawkish sentimentality and ‘God, guns, and the American way’ that hits them right in their patriotic hearts. I have little doubt that if another civil war breaks out, as many of them are thirsting for, that song will be the national anthem of the Second Confederacy.