President Trump recently suggested that part of Joe Biden’s agenda is to “hurt the Bible, hurt God.” Naturally, Biden did not take lightly the charge that he, like the president, is shifty on religion, and so he responded with a statement on faith to remind everyone where he stands.
Yet, the statement falls rather short on substance. Biden has succumbed to the greatest political temptation of our age: to place Trump at the center of all things, even his religion.
Biden has suffered unutterable tragedies in his life. In 1972, his wife and infant daughter died suddenly in a car accident. In 2015, his son Beau died from brain cancer at age 46.
Biden comes off as nothing other than sincere when he credits his Catholic faith as the source of his comfort through each of those trials. It would almost have to be sincere. How else could one weather such tragedies?
His statement starts strong, offering a nod to that function of faith.
“Like so many people, my faith has been the bedrock foundation of my life: it’s provided me comfort in moments of loss and tragedy, it’s kept me grounded and humbled in times of triumph and joy,” Biden’s statement reads. It also refers to his faith as “a constant reminder of the fundamental dignity and humanity that God has bestowed upon all of us.”
Human dignity is a powerful message. It’s certainly central to the Christian message: Think of the lepers, the beggars, the woman at the well, and the good Samaritan.
From here, Biden shifts to the campaign: “Trump’s comments reveal more about him than they do about anyone else,” and “Trump seems to only be concerned about his gilded friends.”
In the Catholic’s statement on faith, the president gets seven mentions, and Jesus Christ gets zero. Biden does invoke the greatest commandment, but he fails to remind readers who commanded it.
There’s an obvious effort to play it safe — to be solemn but not too controversial. Many Democratic and other prospective voters would likely view it in bad taste for Biden to align himself too closely with Jesus, and many others just don’t like Jesus.
But what’s not controversial or brave is to say you don’t like Trump to an audience that doesn’t like him, either. Biden didn’t say much interesting about his faith, but he at least managed that.
