Stephen Louis Craft of the Tribune Content Agency asked the question:
“Donald Trump was recently accused of ‘Bible blasphemy’ for selling a version of the Bible, which prompted me to write this commentary on his motivations for such an act. Is this truly blasphemy? Or is it a way to encourage his followers to study the Holy Scriptures to ‘Make America Great and Godly Again’?”
Are the critics right? Is the Trump Bible blasphemous?
Blasphemy is a uniquely religious idea. Religions are outraged when people disagree with them. To satirize a religious idea or religious leader is regarded as out of bounds, a cultural taboo.
In a democracy, however, society thrives on criticism. The whole point of a democracy is that people are free to think what they want and to say what they want.
The relevant question in the United States of America is not whether what a presidential candidate does is blasphemy. A more important question is whether a presidential candidate respects democracy.
Donald Trump clearly does not respect the laws and values of democracy. He has promised to suspend the Constitution if he gets into the White House again. He has said that he would become a dictator. He has pledged to use his power to hunt down his opponents like vermin. He has said that he will put millions of people into prison camps.
In the context of that kind of threat, the issue of blasphemy seems absolutely insignificant.
If Christian Nationalists can’t bring themselves to show respect to the laws of their own country, why should anyone else respect their holy book or their god?
The Trump Bible may be sacrilegious, but it is the most honest representation of American Christianity that we can find.