Billionaires should give away Bibles, not sell them. Especially on the day their social media stock profits them $8 billion.
Donald Trump has made a significant blunder partnering with country singer Lee Greenwood to hawk “God Bless the USA” Bibles. Greenwood reached a licensing agreement with Trump to use the former president’s name, image, and likeness to sell Bibles for $60 a pop. Tuesday, they launched a website and released a promotional video featuring Trump.
By selling Bibles, Trump is legitimizing criticisms that argue his political movement is fraudulent, a religious hustle.
The Bibles include texts of the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, and the Pledge of Allegiance.
This is a really bad idea, and it’s really poorly timed.
Trump’s Truth Social app went public on Tuesday. The stock price soared, netting Trump more than $8 billion and fixing all of his cash-flow problems.
In addition, a judge slashed the ridiculous $454 million bond New York Attorney General Letitia James sought against Trump in her ridiculous lawfare pursuit of the Republican candidate for president. This week, Trump told the media he’ll now pay the new $175 million bond in cash.
Despite all the political persecution, Donald Trump is blessed. He’s currently favored to win back the presidency. His financial troubles are behind him. Atlanta District Attorney Fani Willis has been disgraced.
Now is the time to give away Bibles, not sell them. The appearance that Trump wants to profit from Jesus and the Christian faith is an awful look. He should take down the website and hand out copies of the “God Bless the USA” at all his future rallies.
After that, Trump should crack open one of those Bibles, and the first thing I’d have him read is Matthew 19:24: “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter the kingdom of God.”
Rich people tend to focus too much energy on securing more wealth or protecting the wealth they already have. It distracts them from securing more righteousness and protecting their spiritual values. They put their faith in money more than God.
It’s a mistake, a trap. We all make it. I know I have. We think we can buy everything we need. The truth is that all we need will be provided by God.
Trump is not all wrong here. If American citizens studied and understood the Bible, they would be less likely to question the brilliance and fairness of our Constitution, Bill of Rights, and the Declaration of Independence. They would value this country’s founding principles.
I don’t have a problem with packaging the Bible with this country’s founding documents. Obviously, the Bible does not need to be packaged with anything. It’s a stand-alone document that requires no endorsement or supporting material.
We live in a time, however, when the absence of biblical knowledge is undermining the very freedoms that allow us to pursue biblical knowledge. Politicians and institutions are implementing laws, rules, and standards that are redefining scripture as “hate speech.”
The desire for religious freedom and a belief in Christianity inspired this nation’s founding.
Trump and other political figures recognize that many American evangelicals are longing for a reboot to factory settings. You can see it in the slogans being shouted:
“America first!” “Make America great again!” “Christ is King!”
Yes, “Christ is King” is our factory setting. The founders designed a political system that reflected biblical wisdom. Understanding the Bible is the best way to understand our Constitution.
By selling Bibles, Trump is legitimizing criticisms that argue his political movement is fraudulent, a religious hustle. He needs to take down the website and hand out Bibles. He should also tell his supporters to quit analogizing his political persecution to the persecution of Christ. It’s another bad look.
As believers, we should also offer Trump a bit of grace. On Sunday, I spent much of the day reading the Bible and engaging with my X/Twitter audience about the “Christ is King” slogan that has been politicized.
A wise responder pointed me to Paul’s words in Philippians 1:15-18:
It is true that some preach Christ out of envy and rivalry, but others out of goodwill. The latter do so out of love, knowing that I am put here for the defense of the gospel. The former preach Christ out of selfish ambition, not sincerely, supposing that they can stir trouble for me while I am in chains.
But what does it matter? The important thing is that in every way, whether from false motives or true, Christ is preached. And because of this I rejoice.
Giving away Bibles would be a great way for Donald Trump to proclaim that Christ is King.