Franklin Graham, in a move that would make a Pharisee proud, is complaining about President Donald Trump’s public profanity.
Graham disconnects Trump’s words from his deeds. He offers a half-baked condemnation of the president’s words. But it is Trump’s deeds that are profane.
“Profane” means more than bad language. According to Numbers 30:2, lying is a profane act.
I now understand that calling Trump a serial liar has no impact on MAGA evangelicals. They accept his lies as a necessity because they believe he is fighting against evil Democrats. In this view, lying is necessary.
But it is still wrong.
What the Bible says
In Numbers 30:2, Moses says, “If a man makes a vow to the Lord or swears an oath to bind himself with a pledge (of abstinence), he shall not break (violate, profane) his word; he shall do according to all that proceeds out of his mouth.”
Rodney Kennedy
The Hebrew prophet Ezekiel had a deeper awareness of profanity than any other biblical author. In Ezekiel, God says, “You profane me in front of my people for handfuls of barley and scraps of bread; you kill those who should not die and spare those who should not live, when you lie to my people, who listen to lies.”
My mind gravitates to the useless, theatrical attempts of Elon Musk to eliminate waste in the federal government. “For handfuls of barley and scraps” he is profaning our federal workforce and undermining our government.
Ezekiel condemns the clergy for participating in profane actions: “Her priests have violated my law and have profaned mine holy things: they have put no difference between the holy and profane, neither have they shewed difference between the unclean and the clean and have hid their eyes from my sabbaths, and I am profaned among them.”
Trump’s language
Now, Trump makes a habit of saying “God damn” in his speeches and a handful of evangelicals groan. But Trump’s language is not a deal breaker for them. What they overlook is that Trump’s language matches his actions.
Frankly, Franklin, I don’t believe you give a shit about Trump’s language. If you did, you would have made his lifelong habit of profanity a disqualifying issue when he first ran for president. He is the most publicly profane of all American presidents.
“Frankly, Franklin, I don’t believe you give a shit about Trump’s language.”
In a single speech on Friday alone, he managed to throw out a “hell,” an “ass” and a couple of “bullshits” for good measure. In the course of just one rally in Panama City Beach, Fla., earlier this month, he tossed out 10 “hells,” three “damns” and a “crap.” The audiences did not seem to mind. They cheered and whooped and applauded.
“I’d say swearing is part of his appeal,” said Melissa Mohr, the author of Holy Sh*t: A Brief History of Swearing, published in 2013. “It helps create the impression that he is saying what he thinks, ‘telling it like it is.’ We tend to believe people when they swear, because we interpret these words as a sign of strong emotions. In his case, the emotion is often powerful anger, which his supporters seem to love.”
Actions matter more than words
The problem is not Trump’s public profanity with words but his profane mistreatment of the land, his worship of idolatry, his disregard for the sabbath of the Lord, his deeds that God finds detestable. Most of all, there is the profane mistreatment of people with no regard for them.
Evangelicals have forsaken action for words.
In modern times, presidents rarely have been church mice afraid of a little salty language. But Trump has grown increasingly willing in recent months to say in public what most of his predecessors tried to keep behind closed doors.
“His is the profanity presidency.”
His is the profanity presidency, full of four-letter denunciations of his enemies and earthy dismissals of allegations lodged against him. At rallies and in interviews, on X and in formal speeches, he relishes the bad-boy language of a shock jock, just one more way of gleefully provoking the political establishment bothered by his norm-shattering ways.
Trump has no restraints on his language.
For example, in one rally speech, Trump crowed, “They’ll be hit so goddamn hard,” while bragging about bombing Islamic State militants. And Trump warned a wealthy businessman: “If you don’t support me, you’re going to be so goddamn poor.”
Evangelicals will insist, “Democratic presidents have used profanity.” Yes, but those often have been private remarks or “hot mic” remarks. No president cusses in public like Trump.
Recall the Pastor Robert Jeffress defending Trump’s “shithole countries” remark: “Apart from the vocabulary attributed to him, President Trump is right on target in his sentiment.”
Jeffress saw Trump’s profane remark as evidence of his strength. He said, “I’m grateful we have a president like Donald Trump who clearly understands that distinction and has the courage to protect the well-being of our nation.”
No biblical standard
Evangelicals don’t care about Trump’s profanity because they don’t have a biblical standard that matters to them when it comes to Trump. They are not really disturbed by Trump’s profanity, they like it, just as they like the profane things he does.
“Trump has made a career of disobeying the Ten Commandments as the defining nature of his character.”
Because being able to do this and get away with it is to them a sign of real strength.
The biblical literalists are willing to throw out their literal interpretation of the third commandment and despise the truth of God’s word because of their loyalty to Trump more than the word of God.
Trump has made a career of disobeying the Ten Commandments as the defining nature of his character. From not honoring God to bearing false witness and coveting other men’s wives, property and sovereign nations, Trump has profaned God’s holy name.
Franklin Graham thinks Trump’s profanity is the president’s main problem. I think Graham protests too much about too little. Graham claims he shared a Bible verse from Matthew 12:36 with Trump to encourage him not to use profanity in his speeches: “I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak.”
If Graham thinks he can change the president’s language, why doesn’t he try to change his immoral behavior? Why can’t Graham influence Trump to stop denying food, supplies and medicine to poor people? In fact, why can’t he convince Trump to repent of his sins?
If Graham were serious about helping Trump reduce his profane, obscene, belligerent and God-dishonoring ways, he would be better served protesting Trump’s actions more than his words.
Rodney W. Kennedy is a pastor and writer in New York state. He is the author of 11 books, including his latest, Dancing with Metaphors in the Pulpit.
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