An ABC News investigation, which discovered a supplier of high-powered rifles to the U.S. military has been printing coded Bible verses on the weapons, has the Editorial Board wondering what’s up with secret evangelism.
Subtle religious reference is nothing new — most of us have discovered the “John 3:16” inscription on our Forever 21 bags. And West Coast restaurant chain In-N-Out Burger displays four different verses on its packaging.
We understand showing pride in faith, but why the secrecy? If companies with faith-based backgrounds want to spread Christianity, they should be open about it and allow people decide for themselves whether or not to support them — in fact, it may boost sales by encouraging those with similar beliefs to buy from the companies.
But in the case of a weapon manufacturer, religious symbolism is inappropriate.
Trijicon’s placement of the verses on assault weapons carries the disturbing implication that soldiers who use the guns are doing so in the name of Christianity — something the military has established laws to prevent.
The perception that the U.S. military has a religious affiliation would be the first step down a dangerous path, and the stamps promote that perception.
We hope Trijicon will remove the stamp from its weapons — otherwise, the U.S. military should find another supplier.
