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.

  • @garretble
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    1333 months ago

    Specifically created for the grift.

    Walters is a piece of shit.

  • @[email protected]
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    1013 months ago

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

  • @Zexks
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    883 months ago

    There is no better description of the anti christ than trump.

    • @Myxomatosis
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      213 months ago

      He’s also the Republican’s golden calf.

      • @[email protected]
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        73 months ago

        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

        • Flying Squid
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          103 months ago

          I think they just had a very good idea of the concept of an evil, immoral leader.

          They had plenty of them back then after all. Especially in the Roman empire.

          • @[email protected]
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            3 months ago

            But then there’s also the seven heads (seven trump headquarters), getting shot in the head thinking it’s fatal but surviving seemingly through a miracle, the ones about his relations to the kingdom to the south, resulting in criticism from the north and east etc

            Of course it’s coincidence (at some point there just has to be someone who can be accurately described with these prophecies) but it’s still very interesting

  • hopesdead
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    563 months ago

    Shouldn’t Church and State doctrine (or whatever it is called) immediately make all of this illegal?

    • @[email protected]
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      363 months ago

      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

    • @[email protected]
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      193 months ago

      It’s probably purposely designed to create a court case so the Supreme Court can hollow out that principle.

      • @[email protected]
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        103 months ago

        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.

    • @AA5B
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      03 months ago

      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

  • masterofn001
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    553 months ago

    This is the perfect job for the satanic temple.

    The bible, complete with all American founders documents : brought to you by satan.

    • @eodur
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      343 months ago

      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?

    • FenrirIII
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      63 months ago

      Any company that sells bibles should sue the state for uncompetitive processes. This is illegal

  • @[email protected]
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    543 months ago

    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?

      • @edgesmash
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        143 months ago

        Pretty sure the goal here is to funnel more money to Trump.

      • @GroundedGator
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        83 months ago

        This seems more like taking a tank through a screen door. The separation is barely there to begin with.

    • @fox2263
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      3 months ago

      They catered the criteria so only a single company fit the bill

    • @Dearth
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      133 months ago

      By making those requirements they are making sure money is diverted from teacher’s paychecks an into Trump’s pockers

  • Rob
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    523 months ago

    Why are they putting bibles in classrooms in the first place? Did they repeal the First Amendment?

    • @[email protected]
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      323 months ago

      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?

      • @Crashumbc
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        53 months ago

        But they are top five in propaganda training!

      • @Ultraviolet
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        23 months ago

        They’re really gunning for 50th.

      • @[email protected]
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        23 months ago

        I’m certain they take 49th with equal amounts salt and pride, as that means theres still a few states left to beat.

    • @Maggoty
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      163 months ago

      The first amendment doesn’t apply to Christian evangelism.

      According to SCOTUS at any rate.

    • @[email protected]
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      -73 months ago

      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.

      • @Entropywins
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        73 months ago

        There are history books that can contextually bring our students up to speed on what religious texts drove certain events/societies.

      • @hr_
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        23 months ago

        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.

      • @[email protected]
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        13 months ago

        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.

        • @[email protected]
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          13 months ago

          It has a place in history because the last thousand years of Western civilization have been directly influenced by it

          • @[email protected]
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            13 months ago

            I just don’t know how much you could go into it in grade school. They tend to leave out the bad stuff the US does until you go to college.

  • FuglyDuck
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    393 months ago

    people still read the KJV?

    and like, not as some sort of masochistic snoodery?

    • 1024_Kibibytes
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      503 months ago

      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.

      • Flying Squid
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        273 months ago

        They also don’t know that King James was gay. And it pleases me to inform them.

      • FuglyDuck
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        143 months ago

        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.

        • @[email protected]
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          303 months ago

          See also: Jesus chasing away salesmen in the temple, because they used god to peddle shit to people.

          • FuglyDuck
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            93 months ago

            also that part where god snuffed a guy because he was an asshole. I kinda wish he’d go back to doing that. (well. maybe not. I get the feeling my definition of ‘asshole’ and their god’s definition are different.)

            • @Today
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              123 months ago

              I’ve had plenty of asshole moments. Let’s hold off on that one.

              • FuglyDuck
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                63 months ago

                like seriously, though, god totally tolerated the existence of all sorts of down right awful people. what kind of asshole do you have to be… to get “fuck you in particular” kind of attention?

      • @ArtVandelay
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        83 months ago

        “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.

      • @[email protected]
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        43 months ago

        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.

    • Optional
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      83 months ago

      KJV people are always around. Thee thy and thou.

        • Optional
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          03 months ago

          In Ye Olden Tymes, people learned to read with it, to much the same effect.

          Very clever, Christians.

    • bluGill
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      13 months ago

      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.

  • @Sam_Bass
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    if that doesnt convince you that religion is made up on the spot for conniving convenience, nothing will

  • @JeeBaiChow
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    363 months ago

    I’m sure jeebus had a thing or two to say about marketplaces of thieves and swindlers.

    • @ArtVandelay
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      “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.

      • @[email protected]
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        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.

        • @Hagdos
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          23 months ago

          As a christian, that’s how I like to read it too.

        • @[email protected]
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          23 months ago

          Its more interesting once you find out how many things were changed over the years. The why it was changed is the most curious part. Was it a tired scribe who skipped a passage, completely omitting it? Was it intentionally rewritten by someone to “clarify” its intent?

          There are some good papers and presentations recorded online if you are interested.

  • TooManyFoods
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    353 months ago

    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.

  • @Maggoty
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    313 months ago

    For fuck’s sake in ten years we’re going to hear kids tell us the Constitution was given to us by Jesus.

    • @Sightline
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      43 months ago

      There will be no Constitution

      • @Maggoty
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        13 months ago

        Oh no. It’s an important point of legitimacy to have one. It won’t be worth a damn though.

        • @Professorozone
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          33 months ago

          Wasn’t it George W. Bush that said, “… it’s just a god damn piece of paper?”

          • @Maggoty
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            23 months ago

            I’m sure he wasn’t the first. (Yeah I’m looking at you Andrew Jackson, we haven’t forgotten.)

  • @seth
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    303 months ago

    deleted by creator