3mo ago

'Trump Bible' one of few that meet criteria for Oklahoma classrooms

www.oklahoman.com 'Trump Bible' one of few that meet Walters' criteria for Oklahoma classrooms

Bibles endorsed by former President Donald Trump cost $60 each online, with Trump receiving fees for his endorsement.

Bids opened Monday for a contract to supply the state Department of Education with 55,000 Bibles. According to the bid documents, vendors must meet certain specifications: Bibles must be the King James Version; must contain the Old and New Testaments; must include copies of the Pledge of Allegiance, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights; and must be bound in leather or leather-like material.

A salesperson at Mardel Christian & Education searched, and though they carry 2,900 Bibles, none fit the parameters.

But one Bible fits perfectly: Lee Greenwood’s God Bless the U.S.A. Bible, endorsed by former President Donald Trump and commonly referred to as the Trump Bible. They cost $60 each online, with Trump receiving fees for his endorsement.

AMUSING, INTERESTING, OUTRAGEOUS, or PROFOUND @lemmy.world

Oklahoma's Schools Superintendent wants the state to buy 55,000 Bibles for public schools, and the Trump Bible meets all the criteria

www.oklahoman.com /story/news/2024/10/04/donald-trump-supported-bible-one-of-few-that-meets-ryan-walters-criteria-for-ok-classrooms/75510021007/

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Scam to shovel taxpayer dollars to Trump.

Specifically created for the grift.
Walters is a piece of shit.

Forcing your State to buy 55000 Bibles from ONLY Trump is PROOF that DEMOCRATS are the Swamp!

There is no better description of the anti christ than trump.
- He’s also the Republican’s golden calf.
- Very much so:
  https://www.benjaminlcorey.com/could-american-evangelicals-spot-the-antichrist-heres-the-biblical-predictions/
  
  I don't believe in the coming of an antichrist but damn, why do so many prophecies written two millennia ago point to one specific person, especially when those prophecies are so specific

Shouldn’t Church and State doctrine (or whatever it is called) immediately make all of this illegal?
- Yep! That’s why they’re counting on, throwing enough dollars at the conservative judges that they will let this theocratic bullshit stand.
  Fuck them and anyone who supports their religion
- It's probably purposely designed to create a court case so the Supreme Court can hollow out that principle.
  
  I will give credit to Republicans on this. They spent decades playing thre ong game with the judiciary. Now, that Republicans achieve their goal. They are now engineering facts to get cases to SCOTUS. The only way to play, is don't appeal cases. Leave the cases at the trial level or first level appeal.
  Fix the judiciary, then start taking these fucks all the to top.
- You haven't ever been to OK have you?
  Marrying your cousin is also supposedly "illegal"
- It’s not mixing the two, it’s a founding document of our nation, and what our society is based on. /probably
  As someone who is at least a bit religious, get that blasphemy out of the Bible, don’t allow that blasphemer to profit off religion, and whatever you do, get such blasphemy out of the school. Being the state with the 49th best education is not a good thing, nor is aspiring to 50th

This is the perfect job for the satanic temple.
The bible, complete with all American founders documents : brought to you by satan.
- I so want them to do this. Big ol baphomet right on the cover, and put the TST tenets on the first page. If they undercut the Trump bible aren't they kind of obligated to go with the cheaper option?
- Any company that sells bibles should sue the state for uncompetitive processes. This is illegal

Bible [...] must include copies of the Pledge of Allegiance, Declaration of Independence, U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights
I'm sorry? Why would people mixed (modern) political text to their religious ones? Aren't people buying bibles suppose to care about their religion?
- The goal is to abolish separation between church and state bit by bit.
  
  Pretty sure the goal here is to funnel more money to Trump.
  
  This seems more like taking a tank through a screen door. The separation is barely there to begin with.
- They catered the criteria so only a single company fit the bill
- By making those requirements they are making sure money is diverted from teacher's paychecks an into Trump's pockers

Why are they putting bibles in classrooms in the first place? Did they repeal the First Amendment?
- Apparently, the State Superintendent gets to decide what gets taught in classrooms, and how it gets taught is left up to individual school districts. But it's fully within his right because no "commentary" is allowed around the Bible, just how important it was to America's history.
  Why that requires a physical copy that's leather bound, I have no idea. Nor why the money has to come from the fucking payroll budget.
  Oklahoma is ranked 49th in education, yet this is what we're spending money on? Seriously?
  
  But they are top five in propaganda training!
  
  They're really gunning for 50th.
  
  I'm certain they take 49th with equal amounts salt and pride, as that means theres still a few states left to beat.
- The first amendment doesn't apply to Christian evangelism.
  According to SCOTUS at any rate.
- The Bible is really important for understanding western society and it's history. It has a place in the classroom.
  I'm sure that was not the motivation behind that law but it's true.
  
  There are history books that can contextually bring our students up to speed on what religious texts drove certain events/societies.
  
  You're not wrong but, thankfully, studying history and teaching the impact of things doesn't require the things to physically be in the room.
  
  It might fit into history if it hadn't been changed and edited, sections omitted, additions made, for the entire time it existed. It was only the printing press that allowed us to have true copies for the masses.
  It surely has a place in history, but not for psychology or sociology. In my opinion there is some value educationally but its very limited. There are even denominations that exclude books or add them, so it depends which religion you consider to be the "main" one.
  To have a truly nuanced class about it, would have to be in college I would think.

people still read the KJV?
and like, not as some sort of masochistic snoodery?
- Some denominations do believe that only the KJV is the correct English translation. Many of those people do not understand what the words actually mean. They interpret the text very narrowly and frequently are told by others what interpretation is correct.
  
  They also don't know that King James was gay. And it pleases me to inform them.
  
  Which the whole symbolism of the temple veil being torn when Jesus carked on the cross was meant to mean there was no need for anyone (the clergy) to do that or to intercede.
  
  "If the King James version was good enough for Jesus, it's good enough for me".
  I live in the shithole south, and I have heard this unironically on multiple occasions. Please send help. And education.
  
  That's insane, because the KJV is objectively a bad translation. I'm not even Christian anymore and it still annoys me how popular it is.
- It's public domain so they don't have to pay for the copyright of a modern translation.
  
  American Standard, Young's Literal Translation, are both out of copyright as well. Both of which are more readable than the KJV and frequently offer more insight into historical and cultural context without... fudging things for political interests....
- KJV people are always around. Thee thy and thou.
  
  It's what I had to memorize as a kid so it's embedded in my brain.
- Sure along with ever other translation I can find. I prefer the geneva translation but that is hard to find so I often end up with the king james when I need a printed copy. for those not familar, the good parts of king james is where they took the geneva and updated to modern english - this should tell you something about my tastes.

if that doesnt convince you that religion is made up on the spot for conniving convenience, nothing will
- Religion is the multi-tool, always there to back you up no matter what.

I'm sure jeebus had a thing or two to say about marketplaces of thieves and swindlers.
- "It is written, 'My house will be called a house of prayer,' but you are making it a den of robbers." -Matthew 21:13
  To be clear, I don't believe in fairy tales, but they clearly don't either.
  
  I like to read the biblical texts as texts you have to interpret. Basically like fairytales and fables are in versions that aren't from the brothers Grimm and especially Disney - they often were used to carry points that wouldn't have been tolerated by authority if they hadn't been covered like that, or simply to tell about some aspects of life.
  When reading it like this the Bible is an extremely interesting book, and I'm saying that as an atheist.

With the 3 million they would save buying the cheaper bibles(something they shouldn't be doing either) they could wash a lot of men's feet. They could be teaching all these students how to fish. That is their job after all.

For fuck's sake in ten years we're going to hear kids tell us the Constitution was given to us by Jesus.
- There will be no Constitution
  
  Oh no. It's an important point of legitimacy to have one. It won't be worth a damn though.

Ah, yes, the best thing to do money laundering with: Bibles!
- Likely not the first time

Yep, that’s when you start with the answer you want, then set “general” requirements that only it can meet

Who tf wrote those requirements?
It seems pretty clear to me that they intended the Trump Bible to be the only one that fit all the specifications.
- While it's obviously weird to want the bill of rights and declaration of independence in your Bible; let me just say, if your goal is to convert kids to Christianity, the KJV bible is just completely opaque to children that don't normally read 17th century literature.
  
  They want it to be opaque, that lends it an air of mystery and importance, and then when the preacher drills contradictory information into their heads theyre less likely to question it or look it up themselves because if the church says god hates gays or poors or immigrants it must be in that big scary book somewhere.
  
  At the rate these political hacks are going, students won't be able to parse modern text.

Rev 22:18 NET testify to the one who hears the words of the prophecy contained in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book
I always object to adding anything to the bible. It is fine to want a printed constitution but it should be a separate book.
- Sacrilegous in two ways - adding to the scriptures, and promoting a religion with the state. Pick either one, both lanes lead the same direction.
- Look, I hate this too, but that's not what that passage means, clearly. Addendums aren't the same as adding new fake scripture (although since there are multiple ideologies on what books of the Bible should be cannon, who's to say). Put your pitchfork down.
  
  I know what you mean but I don't think it is quite that clear and in this case useful to remind people of the other meanings. If nothing else to think about it even if they reject them the thinking is good.

Trump, cashing in on licensing. Like the $100K watches, where proceeds don't quite go to funding his campaign. They money goes pretty much directly to his pocket. He loves the poorly educated!
- And shoes!

So... do Catholic Schools have to use this King James Bible?
Because that's going to be fun.
- Public schools i believe
- Catholics have their own Bible.
  
  Exactly.

you mean to tell me the requirement isn't "be a bible" ???
- Did a con artist promote it for money? If so-✅

Isn't it ironic that bibles sold to this agency have the documents stating there is separation of church and state included in the book?

if legislation was to be passed against this book, would it be called the "bye bible bill"?

OH WOW! That's such a weird coincidence! Imagine the odds of that! /s
Of course they did. The thing is the way the law is written violates the Constitution by promoting an ideologically-loaded, outdated translation of the Bible used by more socially extreme groups.
NRSV(UE) is the gold standard nowadays.
Leather cover? Why? What's the point?
The Founding Documents to the United States do not belong in a Bible. Not everything has to be tarnished with crass "Patriotic" grift.
Just the Bill of Rights? The Amendments to the Constitution are legally part of the Constitution. What are they not included? Is there something in those Amendments they don't feel is appropriate?
This Bible has consistent poor reviews on Youtube. A number of Bible collectors, theologians, pastors, etc have panned this book for being cheaply and poorly made. It has poor print quality, it's pages stick together, are thin, and rip easy.
It should be obvious to anyone this is an ideological grift and it is criminal graft too. These criminals need to be thrown in prison for this.

Wait, I thought these guys were against indoctrinating children or whatever?
- They're against anyone else indoctrinating children.

Pretty clear they wrote the requirement to fit some recently hacked up version as opposed to the one hacked up by king james.
- The article states they hacked it up 2900 times at least before this one. 30k different Christian sects in the U.S. last I knew
  
  I'm sure its more than that. The really perverse thing about that is all the people that are super sure their particular flavor is right and everyone else is wrong. Its the old thing about what is a cult and what is a religion? A cult is a small unpopular religion and a religion is a large popular cult.

Why would any school want a Bible that doesn't also have the Declaration and Constitution? It's a perfectly logical requirement, and it's not Trump's fault so few others are making them.
- Did you drop this: /s
  
  No, because the sarcasm was so obvious that a doorstop would get it.

That is pretty messed up.

So do these bibles omit all of the text and stories in the normal Bible that would qualify them for book bannings?

To be fair, the average readers just interpret the word as is convenient to their own ends, so...

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