To know me is to know I’m not ashamed of my Christian faith. It plays a major role in who I am, what I do, and more importantly, how I treat others. Because my faith is a personal choice, I don’t push it on others, nor do I assume others should govern themselves by the same tenets. One of the founding principles of this nation is the separation of church and state. It’s that freedom that allows all Americans to practice their religion of choice and be respected in doing so.
I must admit I found it deplorable when a current presidential candidate starting selling “God Bless the USA” Bibles for $59.99 during Holy Week. I don’t think it’s a coincidence this is happening while the former president is having serious financial problems fighting four criminal indictments and several civil charges. No doubt he is targeting a White Evangelical Christian base who have shown their unwavering support no matter how anti-Christian the former president’s behavior is. Everything about a self-proclaimed billionaire selling bibles is antithetical to Christianity.
Jesus is the central figure of Christianity, and the fulcrum of the Holy Week is when Jesus is executed because of the collusion of bad politics and bad religion. Earlier in the week the bible tells the story of Jesus flipping a table in the temple because “money-changers” were exploiting the poor. If Donald Trump read what he was selling, he would know Jesus was a revolutionary who opposed empire, healed the sick, loved those who were different, fed the hungry, and stood against unjust laws. Trump selling bibles isn’t about Christianity. It’s about capitalism.