The Easter season is in full swing, and it’s a good time to reflect on how the two presidential front-runners are approaching faith in their politics.
Joe Biden recently downplayed the importance of Easter by playing up International Transgender Visibility Day, which falls annually on March 31, the same day as Easter this year. He has also done everything in his power to support abortion in all circumstances, despite his long-held beliefs about the subject.
Meanwhile, Donald Trump started peddling the “God Bless the USA Bible,” which includes copies of the US Constitution, the Bill of Rights, the Declaration of Independence, the Pledge of Allegiance and the lyrics to the song “God Bless the USA.” For just $59.95, you can own a copy of “the only Bible endorsed by President Trump.”
While faith may not matter to many voters, what should raise concern is the lengths to which these two politicians will go to gain popularity. It’s disappointing to see a once proud Catholic man give up so much of what he believed in. It’s equally distressing to see a man who has led with his ego for most of his life now stake his claim in Salvation History.
In January 2021, a newly elected President Biden, said, “For me, faith, it’s all about hope and purpose and strength.” The Washington Post described Biden as “a devout, churchgoing liberal… a president who goes to Mass every Sunday, plus on Catholic feast days, and sprinkles conversation casually with scripture, religious hymns and references to religious history but describes faith’s purpose in general, inclusive terms — as sustenance for the weary, encouragement for the suffering and an obligation to welcome and care for one another.”
Trump was raised Presbyterian but was not a regular churchgoer for much of his life. Just before the 2020 election, he announced, “I now consider myself to be a non-denominational Christian.” Critics considered that to be a shift toward the evangelical Christians who helped get him elected in 2016. These days, as he endorses the “God Bless the USA Bible,” Trump intends to “make America pray again.”
Both Biden and Trump appear to take their cue from the teachings of Jesus but in convoluted ways. Biden equates offering “sustenance for the weary” and “encouragement for the suffering” with helping abortions to be available in almost all circumstances. During an interview in 2008, Biden said, “I’m prepared as a matter of faith to accept that life begins at the moment of conception.” He also said that he would not impose his personal views on others. How refreshing it would be to hear Biden admit to the conflicting emotions of believing deeply in something while also acknowledging differing viewpoints.
Biden has also been very vocal about his support for the LGBTQ community. Again, this is a nod to his “all are welcome” stance. Biden had the perfect opportunity, however, to wear his faith on his sleeve and move Trans Visibility Day to another day besides Easter Sunday.
Easter is the single most important day in the Christian calendar. The resurrection of Christ extends hope and peace to everyone who believes. As a Christian, Biden knows that Jesus died for everyone, no matter their race, gender or sexual orientation. Easter, therefore, should be celebrated on its own as the important holy day that it is.
Either Biden has lost his fervor for Catholicism, or his faculties have declined so much that other people are making decisions for him. Either possibility is concerning.
Trump, on the other hand, has developed a religious passion out of nowhere, and it has a smarmy quality to it. Hawking Bibles is cringe-worthy at best. At worst, it is disingenuous and manipulative. As Georgia Sen. Raphael Warnock recently commented, “The Bible does not need Donald Trump’s endorsement…. Jesus in the very last week of his life chased the money changers out of the temple, those who would take sacred things and use them as cheap relics to be sold in the marketplace.”
Neither Biden nor Trump appears interested in honoring faith as it should be honored. It is not something you pull out when it’s “safe” (Biden), and it’s not part of a political strategy to bolster your popularity (Trump). Both of these men would do well to study the political and personal life of the late Sen. Joe Lieberman, who died recently following a fall.
Lieberman was an Orthodox Jew who observed the rules, including not using a motor vehicle on the Sabbath. Instead, Lieberman would walk a few miles to his synagogue. Following his death, his daughter recalled that observing the Sabbath was “very dear” to him.
Lieberman frequently talked about how his faith shaped his political worldview and how it gave him common ground with people from other faiths. “I feel very lucky; my adherence to the Jewish tradition is really an asset,” he once said. “Religious Catholics and Protestants find a bond of common value with my beliefs. It is this that makes me so proud of being an American.”
Lieberman was pro choice, by the way, but he was able to explain his views in a respectful way to his opponents. Lieberman was a perfect example of someone who could keep his faith while fulfilling his political obligations.
With Biden, we see a lifetime Catholic unable to stick to his Catholic values. With Trump, we see a man without a strong religious foundation trying to show his Christian superiority. To both Biden and Trump, we can paraphrase a line from the 1988 vice presidential debate and say: “Sir, you are no Joe Lieberman.”
I do not have the ability to see into someone's heart or soul, but like many others, I often have a 'feeling' about someone or their actions. These strong, uneasy vibes have proven to be valuable warning signals in my life. Whenever I've chosen to ignore these signals, I've invariably felt regret. Therefore, I don't usually disregard my instincts. So while I cannot know their true religious convictions, it appears that they both have exploited Christianity for political gain. This tactic is not uncommon; figures like Putin have similarly utilized religion for their agendas. However, such overt displays of performative religiosity repel rather than allure me. It prompts me to question whether they truly fear the living God.