On Saturday, Black Anthem carried an article raising First Amendment questions about The Soldier's Bible and The Soldier's New Testament, published by Broadman & Holman Bible Publishers in Nashville, Tenn., which is owned by the Southern Baptist Convention. The legal issue stems from the fact that each Bible carries a gold-embossed Department of Army emblem on the front cover. Each Bible carries a small-type disclaimer on page 3: "The seal of the Army is used by permission but in no way carries the endorsement of this product by the U.S. Army, the Department of Defense or the government of the United States." But, the article asks, is that enough to avoid the Bible appearing to be a government publication?
Currently the publisher's website features the Coast Guardman's Bible, with the Coast Guard seal on the cover. Its promotion reads: "This Holman CSB Coast Guardsman’s Bible is the fifth in Holman’s series of Military Bibles. For these perilous times Holman Bible Publishers is pleased to provide the entire Bible in a format that is handsome, easy to carry, and that is designed to meet the unique needs of those who serve the U.S. in exceedingly difficult situations."
