In recent days, President Donald Trump has publicly promoted a special edition of the Bible known as the “God Bless the U.S.A. Bible.” This is not an ordinary Bible. In addition to the biblical text, this edition includes documents such as the United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and other patriotic elements. It has been presented as a symbol of faith and national values and offered as a special product.
For some, this may seem harmless. For others, even inspiring. But for many believers, it has raised a deep concern: what happens when the Word of God is mixed with human agendas, national symbols, or political interests?
From a pulpit in North Carolina, evangelical pastor Loran Livingston of Central Church in Charlotte chose to speak clearly about this issue. Not to attack a person, nor to create division, but to warn about what he considered spiritually dangerous. In his message, he stated that using the Bible as a political or commercial tool can empty it of its sacred meaning. He emphasized that the Word of God does not need additions to be powerful, nor human documents to validate it. For him, the problem was not loving one’s country, but placing the Bible at the service of interests that do not belong to it. He went even further, stating that presenting Scripture under a national identity is blasphemous, because the Bible is not American; the Bible belongs to Jesus Christ, our Lord. By calling it and promoting it as the “God Bless the U.S.A. Bible,” he warned that there is a risk of taking something that belongs to God and placing a human label on it.
The pastor was also clear about something that made many uncomfortable: the Bible cannot be degraded into a simple piece of political marketing merchandise. He pointed out that selling it as a product for profit—offering it to the public at a price of approximately $59.99—reduces the Word of God to a commercial item. For him, turning Scripture into a strategy to generate money is treating something sacred as if it were a brand, when in reality it is an eternal message that has no price and must not be used to enrich oneself or promote human agendas.
To be fully responsible with the truth, it is important to clarify that this Bible edition does exist and has been widely documented by national media. It includes biblical text alongside historical documents of the United States and has been publicly promoted by President Donald Trump. The price near sixty dollars has also been confirmed by journalistic sources. Likewise, the statements made by Pastor Loran Livingston, calling this practice blasphemous and warning that the Gospel is not “American,” come directly from his sermon, which was recorded and publicly shared. Everything stated here is based on verifiable information and real declarations.
At SomosCristianos.org, we do not take a political position nor promote candidates. Our position is spiritual. We believe that the Word of God must be honored and treated with reverence, not used for commercial or ideological purposes. Our call is to discernment and to remember that the Gospel transcends every human agenda.
His words made many uncomfortable, but they also resonated with others. Because he did not speak from politics, but from faith. He did not speak about votes, he spoke about reverence. He did not speak about ideologies, he spoke about discernment.
And here is where, as a Christian community, we need to be honest. The Bible is not a cultural symbol. It is not a flag. It is not an accessory. It is the living Word of God, capable of transforming hearts without human help. “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any double-edged sword, piercing even to the division of soul and spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” (Hebrews 4:12)
We can love our country. We can respect our laws. We can participate as citizens. But the Christian faith is not born or sustained by a nation. The Gospel does not belong to a party or to a public figure. Jesus did not come to establish a political kingdom, but an eternal one. He did not use symbols of human power, but truth, love, and the cross.
The danger is not in reading the Bible, but in using it. Not in honoring it, but in manipulating it. When the Word of God becomes merchandise or an ideological message, it stops pointing to Christ and begins pointing to man.
I leave you with this reflection, not to take sides, but to gain awareness. The Bible remains holy, living, and sufficient. The question is whether we are treating it that way.
I invite you to join me in this prayer.
Lord, teach us to honor Your Word with reverence and humility. Give us discernment so we do not confuse what is eternal with what is temporary. Free us from using Your truth for human interests and help us live it with integrity, love, and faithfulness. May everything we do always point to Christ, and not to ourselves. Amen.
At Somos Cristianos, we connect hearts with Christ.
