Christian Leaders Slam Donald Trump For 'Cheapening' The Bible And Using It As A 'Political Prop'

Christian leaders have expressed their opinions on former president Donald Trump's "God Bless The USA" Bibles, which he launched shortly before Easter.

Trump announced the release of the Bibles, named after country music artist Lee Greenwood's patriotic song, on his social media platform, Truth Social. The books were priced at $59.99 and boasted of a "slim design" that "invites you to explore God's Word anywhere, any time."

After Trump was blasted on social media for selling unorthodox Bibles, religious leaders from across the Christian denomination have weighed in on the ex-president's controversial business move.

Speaking to Fox News Digital, Daniel Darling, the director of Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary's Land Center for Cultural Engagement, branded the former president's decision to hawk Bibles before Easter "crass," noting that even Christians are "wary" of mixing secular documents with the Holy Bible.

"Many Christians, even those like me who are very conservative both politically and theologically, thought his approach was a bit crass," Darling said. "While many Christians are deeply patriotic and revere our nation's documents, they are wary of mixing those things too closely inside the pages of a Bible."

Darling went on to state that although Trump may not have intended to offend Christians, selling the Bible the way he did came off as "commercial."

He also noted that "a Bible endorsed by any politician smacks of syncretism and an over-the-top civil religion that cheapens the Bible when it's used as a political prop."

Another Christian leader, Fr. Brian Graebe, a priest with the Archdiocese of New York, told the news outlet that they were not bothered by Trump's decision to sell the Holy Bible, noting that "the more Bibles that are out there and the more people read it, the better."

However, Fr. Graebe found an issue with the Trump-centric "marketing" of the Bible. He said, "I think the troubling aspect here is […] the marketing of it, the Americanization of it, the Trump-ification of it."

Fr. Graebe then asked, "Is the Trump Bible more Trump than Bible? I think that's a key question that we need to ask ourselves to see what the ultimate objective here is."

When Trump announced the sale of the "God Bless The USA" Bibles, it was billed as the "only bible endorsed by President Trump," a statement that drew a lot of criticism from Christians online.

The inclusion of secular documents, such as the U.S. Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the Pledge of Allegiance, in the Bible also raised eyebrows.

Fox News Digital also spoke with Joe Heschmeyer, an apologist at Catholic Answers, who felt that the inclusion of secular documents in the Trump-endorsed Bible showed a lack of respect for the holy book.

Heschmeyer expressed that the Catholic Church is generally against "patriotic appropriations of Christianity that seek to turn the Gospel into fodder for a political campaign or a social movement."

He said, "The Hebrew word for 'holy' is qadosh, which means 'separate' or 'set apart.' The idea is that some places, times, and things belong to God, apart from ordinary worldly use."

"We wouldn't put soda in the Chalice from Mass, or use the church as a gymnasium, and it's why we don't want to do anything that blends the sacred and the secular in the Holy Bible," Heschmeyer added.

Amid the criticisms and mixed reactions, Dr. Peter Kerr, dean and professor at Colorado Christian University's School of Business and Leadership, told Fox News Digital that Critics of Trump were being unreasonable.

Kerr argued that "Inserting America's founding documents into a Bible is not wrong" and that the secular documents included in the "God Bless the USA" bible were written by men who were "followers of God."

The dean further stated, "As long as people can differentiate God's words from human words, it doesn't matter if they were published inside the same cover."

The recent criticism from Christian leaders comes amid Trump's campaign's push to raise money for his re-election.

The ex-president and the Republican party officially began their massive general election fundraising operation on Saturday night in Palm Beach, Florida,

At the event, prominent donors, including his vocal supporters and newcomers, gathered to lend their support to the party's presumed nominee.

Trump's wife, Melania, who has been noticeably absent from the campaign trail, was present for the occasion, which was hosted by billionaire John Paulson.

According to the organizers, a staggering $50 million was raised for Trump's campaign and the Republican party. The figure almost doubles the amount raised by President Joe Biden's fundraiser, held in New York last weekend, which reportedly brought in $26 million.