Thanking God in our National Anthem

The national anthem... as sung... is usually devoid of that section. Perhaps you can tell me where you heard the entire song has been sung?Until everyone is routinely forced to sing it with that section (looks like a tongue twister to me anyway) included, there probably won't be much complaint.I wonder if one day some will take offense that we don't sing the entire anthem so that everyone is forced to sing the word "God"?

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holmes
"What you need is sustained outrage...there's far too much unthinking respect given to authority." (M.Ivins)

1) Right now students are forced to say "under God" in the pledge of allegiance... indeed that they must say a pledge at all is sort of disconcerting to me.
2) Right now I am being forced to look at your avatar and it is freaking me out.

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holmes
"What you need is sustained outrage...there's far too much unthinking respect given to authority." (M.Ivins)

I didn't doubt that he was right that it was in there. I had read that whole thing a while ago. The point is that no one is ever really compelled to sing it, and when they do definitely not the section he is discussing.None of this really bothers me enough to do anything about it. I don't like national anthems and pledges, so its sort of off from the get go, but I'm not going to waste energy trying to shoot it down.In God We Trust on the money is just as ridiculous as Under God in the pledge, and it was added for the same kinds of reason. We have a thread on that somewhere at EvC, and I provided a link to the US Mints history of the addition. Wholly for prosyletizing.In the end I have a sort of laugh as it actually debases their religion, rather than debasing my feelings about the nation.

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holmes
"What you need is sustained outrage...there's far too much unthinking respect given to authority." (M.Ivins)

It still is a motto of the US.IGWT may be some free floating "national motto", but EPU was instituted as a National Motto as part of our Great Seal. When IGWT was put into place, the congress said that it did not remove EPU. EPU remains as the ONLY motto on our nation's Great Seal, as well as the Presidential Seal, and on the money.

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holmes
"What you need is sustained outrage...there's far too much unthinking respect given to authority." (M.Ivins)

I believe that varies from place to place. When I was a student I was ordered to say the pledge. In fact I got in a lot of trouble for deliberately mocking the pledge during delivery because I thought it was wrong. I was just kiddig around. It is sort of abrasive, but has an interesting, hypnotic quality. If YOU like it then keep it. Screw me for suggesting otherwise.

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holmes
"What you need is sustained outrage...there's far too much unthinking respect given to authority." (M.Ivins)

If you look up the full lyrics of My Country Tis of Thee, you will find it has the same, if not more, references and reverences to God.I don't think any of this should be surprising. Songs written back then for vast and easy emotional appeal are going to contain references to God. Those appealing to song lyrics to create divisive arguments suggesting the nature of this nation's GOV'T is somehow based on Xianity, are just fishing for material because they can't find it where it counts most... our gov't documents.And in this case the portions discussing God are not routinely sung at all, so its really fishing for redherring.

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holmes
"What you need is sustained outrage...there's far too much unthinking respect given to authority." (M.Ivins)