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Just a couple of weeks ago, two major U.S. publishers, HarperCollins and its religious imprint Zondervan, pulled out of a deal to publish The God Bless the USA Bible. This was to be the New International Version translation (a well-known translation that has been around for many years); however, the book would also include the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance and the lyrics for the song God Bless the USA by country singer Lee Greenwood.

As if all of the above was not misguided enough, this book was scheduled to come out this coming September to commemorate the 20th anniversary of 9/11. There has been an online backlash coming from many well-known Christian figures in a petition with over 900 signatures (so far) that reads in part: This is a toxic mix that will exacerbate the challenges to American evangelicalism, adding fuel to the Christian nationalism and anti-Muslim sentiments found in many segments of the evangelical church.

The fact that The God Bless the USA Bible came so close to being published by one of our countrys leading publishers ought to be highly disturbing to any Christian or any well-informed American citizen for any number of reasons. Of course, we do have something known as the separation of church and state in the U.S., referenced in the First Amendment to our Constitution. Clearly, then, to publish a book nationwide that links the Bible with U.S. founding documents suggests even fosters the idea there is some sort of direct connection and partnership between the two.

To foster a partnership between Christianity and the state is not only a bad idea, but it is also counter to the origins of Christianity as a religion. Unlike almost any religion before its founding or after it, Christianity was founded in opposition to the governments surrounding it counter to the Jewish ruling Sanhedrin and counter to the Roman imperial government. This, in fact, is the legal reason why the wayward rabbi Jesus was crucified. For the first 300+ years of Christianitys development, it was very much at odds with the Roman Empire.

It wasnt until 380 that the emperor Theodosius made Christianity the official religion of the Roman Empire. Only about 10 years later, Ambrose, bishop of Milan, stood up to Theodosius in no uncertain terms and condemned the infamous Massacre at Thessalonica, demanding in writing that the emperor perform an act of penance and ask for forgiveness. Various accounts of the time affirm the emperor did so, standing in the snow in front of Ambroses church in Milan.

For the entire history of the papacy, many popes have been at odds with many kings and heads of state. One could accurately say the relationship between the Vatican and secular governments has almost always been one of dialectic and dialogue and dispute not partnership. And that situation dominated church/state relations for 1,500 years. With the Protestant Reformation, church/state relations started to change. Of course, King Henry VIII in England made himself the head of his new Church of England, removing the pope from the picture there Queen Elizabeth II is the head of the Church of England today. Luther and Calvin were very much working with secular governments Calvin even set up a theocracy form of government in Geneva for a time.

The self-governing, theocratic Protestant Pilgrims arrival in New England in the 1600s has been, unfortunately and inaccurately, turned into a simplistic mythic origin narrative that our country was founded on Protestant Religious Values. I say this was unfortunate because during the 19th and 20th centuries, this false narrative caused a good deal of discrimination against Catholics some of which is still evident even today.

The majority of the founders of the United States in the late-1700s were most definitely not descendants of the Pilgrims, nor did they share the Pilgrims ideas about theocratic forms of government. The opposite is more accurate: Our founders fear of extremist, theocratic forms of government and fear of the partnership of Englands king with the Church of England is what caused them to be sure the government of the U.S. would never establish a partnership with any one religious denomination. This is exactly why we call this section of the First Amendment, the Disestablishment Clause. It was a darn good idea.

But there is today a group of American Protestant evangelicals who truly want to overturn this part of our history and our government. This group hates liberals because liberals hate religion and dont believe in God and all liberals are Democrats. The publication of the God Loves the USA Bible would be the perfect book to be the foundation stone of a whole new (evangelical) architecture for the government of the United States.

Unfortunately, it is all too easy to imagine Donald Trump again pulling together evangelical support holding high in his right hand the God Loves the USA Bible. It would be a marriage made in heaven or some other place. The publication of this book, and the heated argument about it, would surely become a factor in the 2024 presidential race, no matter who is running.

Such a heated argument becoming front and center in our politics would cause our founders to roll over in their graves. This would be exactly the type of dangerous and divisive argument that the First Amendment was designed to permanently take off the table because it is so deadly to a democracy. The natural born enemy of democracy is not only autocracy; it is also theocracy or anything leaning toward it.

Let us pray the God Loves the USA Bible never sees the light of day. Amen.

John Nassivera is a former professor who retains affiliation with Columbia Universitys Society of Fellows in the Humanities. He lives in Vermont and part time in Mexico.

Link:
On Faith: The Bible and nationalism | Perspective | rutlandherald.com - Rutland Herald