Cultural Christianity could also be one in all the thorniest issues facing the Church within the United States. In part, cultural Christianity is problematic because Christian culture points society toward an ethical life informed by the Bible. Unfortunately, Christian culture falls in need of Christianity because Christianity seeks to make disciples of Christ who recognize the authority of Christ. To put it in a different way, “Christian culture” still rejects Christ and, as such, is unworthy of being described as “Christian.”
Trump’s “God Bless the USA Bible” is a product of the Christian culture of the United States. What does that mean?
First, it implies that there are underlying cultural and historical reasons that Trump didn’t release a “God Bless the USA” Veda (the sacred texts of Hinduism), the Quran (the sacred text of Islam), and even the Book of Mormon. The predominantly Protestant makeup of the United States at its founding continues to exert a level of influence on the best way many individuals think in regards to the United States. A Bible, no matter one’s religious affiliation, suits into the story of the United States in ways in which other sacred books simply don’t. There is, in some circles, a sentimentality across the Bible even when the Bible shouldn’t be viewed as the ultimate authority for all times and faith.
Second, to suggest that Trump’s “God Bless the USA Bible” is a product of the United States’ Christian culture implies that the Bible is commonly used to bolster American ideologies slightly than challenge them. There is a comparatively common conception that America was founded as a Christian nation. Though it appears to be the case that Christianity and the biblical writings influenced certain points of the United States, Christ shouldn’t be essential to the United States. As such, as I actually have argued in Serpents and Doves, “Christian” shouldn’t be used to explain our nation (or some other nation). It seems to me that the phrase “Christian nation” blurs the excellence between the Church and the governing authorities.
Tying the Bible to the United States in an uncritical manner is problematic.
When desirous about Trump’s “God Bless the USA Bible,” there are five major points everyone must know.
Photo Credit: YouTube/Lee Greenwood/God Bless the USA Bible
