Overboard?
2007 June 2
Lest some of my readers think I went a bit overboard in my Memorial Day post that denounced American Christianity’s tendency to cuddle up on the couch with American civil religion, do check out these two posts about a new series of Bibles marketed for U.S. soldiers. The back cover of the bibles reads, “The book that defines true liberty and freedom for all time,” underneath an American flag. And do check out the list of “additional features” listed on the back cover.
Did I merely provide caricature of American Christianity? Or do many American Christians truly not know the difference between patriotism and nationalism? More on that “distinction” soon…
i want to know WHAT quotes from g.w… at least, i think i want to know.
Thanks for the link. Although I am a radical free church Protestant, Dorothy Day is one of my heroes. So, I will like any site inspired by her kind of Catholic anarchism.
I’ve always seen the two (patriotism and nationalism) linked, if not the same thing, in our day. With the rise of the modern nation-state, and becoming a position of power unto its own (a classic Cavanaugh line) as an over emphasis on house or state loyalty, we see an emergence of nationalism on a grand scale. The term nationalism is nothing new to historians, but something that never reaches the public’s ears because its too raw. It seems to me that the word patriotism, in America, is something that any American should strive to wear with honor (specifically to the flag, even if it really is to the standing army – a coercive force – and the nation’s capital power brokers), but the word nationalism connotes the very thing that patriotism gets at through a symbol. Nationalism is an unfiltered word, while patriotism is historic and grandiose. Nevertheless, they really speak at the same thing – our imperialism, our Romanism.
David is right, this is our Romanism, our Caesarism. The question I have, is where do we go from here?
Our American Church has lost it’s way, seduced by wealth and power, consumed with lust for more. Evangelicals put more faith in guns and bombs than the gentle Shepherd from Nazareth.
Even so, what now? How do we bring back the Beatitudes? How does this knowledge inform our walk with the Wounded Christ, how can we reach out His hand to serve?
The worst part about these Bibles, is that the contents of the Bible aren’t any different from any other Bible, only the cover and the price tag. One gets the same thing from the “Extreme Teen Catholic Bible” and the “Woman’s Bible.” A “different” Bible for every different person…individualism…If its not nationalism, then its certainly effective marketing.
When was the last time a Bible was marketed towards a community?
It would be good to have appropriate passages in the military Bibles, especially those dealing with compassion, love, justice, nonviolence, highlighted.
Thanks for the link. Glad to see this discussion growing.
In response to adamv, there’s actually more than just the covers that is different in these “bibles.” Inside, there is an essay on Roman centurions, praising them as model men of character (this essay is directly followed by the Apostle’s Creed!), there are all sorts of hymns about the various branches of the U.S. military, there are military prayers and quotes from military leaders. These “bibles” are specially designed to prevent pacifist readings of the Scriptures.
My mouth is agape and my mind reeling.
I doubt I’ll ruffle many feathers if I say only one thing. What those people have tried to do to the Bible is blasphemy in the truest sense I can think of. I’m not a person who ever uses that term but it’s the one that fits. I have a lot to say but none of it is really new, perhaps if anyone here feels so inclined as to google The War Prayer by Mark Twain you’ll get how I’m feeling after reading the back of what they did to the Bible.
I’m sorry I can’t even bring myself to think of what those people have done as being a Bible, only what well intentioned but woefully and terrifyingly misled people have done to a Holy book, one who’s every page and story have as their ultimate and final message nothing less than real forgiveness and peace.
I would be angry if I thought that this was some kind of malicious joke, but knowing that it’s attempting to weaponize the message of God in order to help dying men and women to somehow cope with the hell they are bringing to earth, all I can do is feel sad that this will be sold by and to Christians of nearly every type with no thought to the irony that a sculpted piece of chocolate formed into the shape of the body of Christ is what the culture and many of the faithful are calling blasphemy.
I feel numb.
WHAT???????
You should post this in Vox Nova so people can see what you meant. Well… those who didn’t understand you…
Katerina – Done!
thanks for the dose of disgusting truth. yes, we are a confused people. twice last sunday, at two different services, i heard soldiers esteemed as great, selfless defenders of liberty and justice. of course, there was no mention of the liberty and justice that is stolen from people in places like afghanistan, iraq, el salvador, and wherever else our military comes to town. one priest even compared US soldiers to jesus, who “layed down his life for his friends.” it’s depressing and frustrating.
sidenote: just to clarify, i think the greatest blame lies with our government and military masterminds, not the soldiers on the ground.
Did anyone else notice the Marine addition features “Col. Oliver North’s Testimony”? I wonder, is that his testimony to God or Congress… and does it include anything about his drug running?
Upsetting as this is, I think we should get some perspective on it. The Bible has always been traduced and used as a justification for the most appalling crimes; glosses foreign to its spirit have always been added to it. This isn’t the first example and it certainly won’t be the last.
A condition of faith must be that it understands the Holy Spirit as being able to break through the obfuscating layers of human-generated lies and deceit – that God can and will intercede directly on behalf of those ready to accept Him. In other words, we have to trust that He will speak to attentive and open-hearted readers of the Soldier’s or Marine’s Bible, no matter how it’s been packaged, or what chauvinistic dross His word has been placed alongside. Possibly, these military readers may also come to notice the disparity between the pronouncements of George W. Bush and those of Jesus Christ, and begin to question the wisdom of following the teachings of the former, instead of the latter.
This doesn’t quite fit with the discussion, but this post reminded me of something said by one of my students. He said that his preacher told him that the reason why the U.S. is so blessed as a nation (economically and such) is that we support Isreal. I just scratched my head and said well…
This isn’t your first encounter with this “version” of the Bible is it? I’m no stranger to seeing this ALL OVER the place. It’s published by Broadman/Holeman Publishers (of the Southern Baptist Convention). As someone who grew up and was nurtured (for better or worse) in the United Methodist and Southern Baptist traditions, I must say that I’ve seen my fair share of this type of idolatry and it has taken me years to recover from it. This is not to say that the faith of these folks is not genuine, but it is certainly wrapped up in a twisted version of nationalistic arrogance that I have come to see as idolatrous.
Andrew – I’ve seen other “soldiers’ Bibles” and prayerbooks before but this is definitely the most extreme version I’ve ever seen!