North Carolina pastor calls Trump's “God Bless America” Bible “blasphemous” in viral sermon
Loran Livingston says voting is not a “spiritual 'responsibility'”
A North Carolina pastor has gone viral after urging his congregants not to accept the “God Bless the American Bible” endorsed by former President Donald Trump, which includes documents central to the founding of the United States.
Pastor Loran Livingston of Central Church in Charlotte, North Carolina, condemned the “God Bless the American Bible” in sermon delivered on April 14th. Clips of the sermon have been viewed millions of times after various users shared them on social media in recent days.
During Holy Week, Trump endorsed the Bible's “God Bless America” in a video posted to Truth Social last month. Retailing for $59.99, the special edition Bible contains copies of the U.S. Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the Pledge of Allegiance, along with the handwritten chorus to Lee Greenwood's song “God Bless America” , which is often played at Trump rallies.
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Livingston warned that “people who do not read [the Bible] and praying will make politics mingled with church.”
“Some of you are bringing politics into the Church,” he lamented. “You think politics is a spiritual thing.”
Livingston rejected that notion, asserting that “politics is of this world.” Addressing a message to people he said “bring politics into the Church,” he told them, “You think it's your duty to be political about this, that and the other.”
“No!” he exclaimed. “Your duty is to serve the Lord your God with all your heart, mind, soul, body and strength, and love your neighbor as yourself.”
Livingston urged the congregation not to tell him about their “spiritual responsibility to vote” because “I have no spiritual responsibility to vote.” Instead, he characterized voting as a “civil privilege.”
He claimed that the belief that voting is a “spiritual responsibility” stems from a failure to read the Bible.
“When you're not reading and praying, you say, 'Wow, there's a Bible now that includes the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, isn't it wonderful?'” Livingston said. “No! It's disgusting, it's blasphemous, it's a trick. are you kidding me Are some of you so encouraged by that?”
Livingston said, “the Gospel is not an American Gospel; it is the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.” He argued that it is inappropriate to place historical, foundational documents of the United States apart from the word of God such as the Bible “God Bless America”.
He compared the US Constitution's use of the phrase “of the people, of the people and for the people” and the repeated use of the term “the people” with the Bible's message “of Him, of Him, through Him , to Him. , of Him, is everything,” suggesting that the dueling ideas were incompatible.
“If you glory in that kind of thing, you don't have a prayer life. If you're proud of that kind of mess, political mess, you don't know what the word of God says,” Livingston emphasized. “This is not my home. This world is not my home.”
“My true citizenship is in Heaven, from which we seek the Lord Jesus Christ, who will change our vile body so that it may be made … upon His glorious body,” he added.
Trump made headlines and sparked mixed reactions from Christians after he appeared in a video saying: “This Bible is a reminder that the biggest thing we have to bring America back and make America great again is our religion.”
The former president suggested that the presence of the founding documents next to the Bible is a good way to draw attention to the influence of Judeo-Christian teachings on the founding documents of America. He also encouraged his supporters to read the Bible, suggesting that many of the problems engulfing America stem from the fact that “we have lost religion in this country.”
Livingston is not the first religious figure to express concern about the “God Bless the American Bible.”
Andrew Walker, a professor of ethics and public policy at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky, wrote an opinion piece insisting that “conflating America's founding documents with the Word of God is a syncretistic expression of civil religion that goes beyond what those who love their . country – and, more importantly, for those who love their Bibles – should ever allow.”
“To put things bluntly, a Bible like this should never have been made,” he added. “This is not because I am anti-Bible or anti-Constitution. Indeed, I am very much in favor of both. They nourish both my heavenly citizenship and my earthly citizenship. But merging the two in the name of religious-civic identity. can quickly become a form of identity politics for the political right.”
Tony Perkins, president of the Washington Christian conservative lobbying organization Family Research Council, told The Christian Post in a statement that he is fine with Trump's promotion of the Bible if it encourages someone to read it.
“The truths of the Bible transform lives,” Perkins said. “A daily dose of the Bible is the best anti-anxiety medicine you'll find.”
The Trump campaign does not raise money from the Bible because it “is not owned, managed or controlled by Donald J. Trump, The Trump Organization, CIC Ventures LLC or any of their respective principals or affiliates,” according to the Bible. website.
“GodBlessTheUSABible.com uses the name, likeness and image of Donald J Trump under a paid license from CIC Ventures LLC, which license may be revoked or terminated in accordance with its terms,” the site states.
Source: www.christianpost.com