7-2-11 Is it time for persons of faith to think about a new National Anthem??
Oh what a patriotic tempest a small Anabaptist Indiana teapot of a college has provoked:
Monday, June 6, 2011
Goshen College Board of Directors ask for alternative to playing the national anthem
GOSHEN, Ind. — The Goshen College Board of Directors announced today that it has asked President James E. Brenneman to find an alternative to playing the Star-Spangled Banner that fits with sports tradition, that honors country and that resonates with Goshen College’s core values and respects the views of diverse constituencies. …
Mark Schlonger, pastor of Springdale Mennonite Church in Waynesboro, Virginia, wrote a thoughtful support of Goshen College’s decision for CNN’s blog My Faith, in which he said,
To Mennonites, a living faith in Jesus means faithfully living the way of Jesus. Jesus called his disciples to love their enemies and he loved his enemies all the way to the cross and beyond. Following Jesus and the martyrs before us, we testify with our lives that freedom is not a right that is granted or defended with rockets’ red glare and bombs bursting in air. True freedom is given by God, and it is indeed not free. It comes with a cost, and it looks like a cross.
His point appears to be that Anabaptists, as Christians, really try to do as Jesus did, so singing a song glorifying violence makes a lot of them uncomfortable. But Mr. Scholonger also points out that not singing the The Star Spangled Banner does not make you un-American; you are not required to glorify war to be an American patriot.
His essay touched off a “fire storm” of comments, many of which seemed to consider patriotism, militarism and Christianity almost interchangeable concepts.
For example:
Texan … I thought the cross was blood-soaked. And that we were bought with a price. Spiritual freedom came at a price and physical freedom does too.
It does seem to me that “The Star Spangled Banner,” encourages such confusion. It is, after all, America as a song. And the country it lionizes is a nation of warriors, carrying big sticks and stomping enemies. That’s it. Nothing else about America rates glorification in our national anthem.
I’m not a Mennonite or even a Christian. In fact, I’m not religious at all. But I am a person of faith, who is a huge fan of Jesus. The guy’s message was, whether we like to admit it or not, pretty durn pacifistic. He talked a lot about turning other cheeks and loving enemies. If we really follow Jesus, it seems pretty clear that we shouldn’t be glorifying the resolution of struggle with clubs. All the violence in Jesus’ life was perpetrated by the bad guys, not by him. Except, of course, for turning over a few tables.
It strikes me as bizarre when American Christians conflate love of Jesus, love of country, and a kind of “bring ‘em on” aggressive militarism. So on this most patriotic of holidays, as we Americans celebrate who and what we are, might it not be time for all us persons of faith to take a good long listen to our national anthem? Is it really an appropriate national hymn for a country that is predominantly Christian?
Tags: faith, Goshen College, Jesus, Mark Scholonger, Mennonite, National Anthem, patriotism
I have to distinguish between what is my heritage and what is my faith. It’s a natural distinction, really. My heritage is what I’ve been or what I’ve been a part of. My faith is where I’m going, what I’m asking (or being asked) to be.
On the Fourth, I stand up and sing “The Star Spangled Banner” and thrill to the fireworks and enjoy all the martial music for about as long as the fireworks last because that’s what we’ve always done. I can celebrate that. But as a Christian, I am told to “repent”, that is, “turn around” from what I’ve been. Jesus is inviting me to grow up. At the very least, this means a deep examination of what’s gone before.
Look at the circumstances that led Mr. Key to pen the words of “The Star Spangled Banner”. Listen to the melody. Let’s face it; the song is a bit of nationalistic bombast meant to hide the insecurities and feelings of inferiority of an adolescent nation. And again, I can appreciate and celebrate that just as I do the old rock anthems of my high school days. But does that reflect who I am now? Who I want to be? Where I’m going?
Time to grow up.
I have the same problem with Xmas songs.
There are those thouchy feelie memories from childhood associated with the music.
Then, as an adult, I read the words and find so much of to disagree with.
Maybe we need to do some creative mix and sample, changing some words to match the old stuck in the head tunes.
The reality is that freedom and independence could have never be created without the real struggles through violence was completed, even today people believe that “love” and “tolerance” will convince the violent and disturbed to change their ways, this is untrue. Civil law is a far greater element for peace than all religious concepts and faith combined. Civil Law, although not perfect has the ability build a realistic standards of conduct and has protected religious freedom, personal freedoms and has created the greatest creative 200 years in human history. The founding Fathers of this country knew that to protect life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness would take far more than faith, prayer or turning the other cheek. There is not any greater gift than a man or women that will risk there life and future to protect the freedoms that not only we enjoy, but the rest of the world desirers.
After many years of preaching the gospel and promoting faith I can assure you as I look at my grandkids playing in my yard and lighting fireworks for the fourth of July, I have never one time took for granted the sacrifice great men and women throughout history made to make this freedom possible. I also know that the reality is that without our soldiers and the battles they encountered the world would be a terrible place, so let the rockets glare and starburst burst, because without it you take away the “truth” of American history and Jesus was really hip on the truth.
Thanks, Martha! Perceptive (and accurate!) comments.
First off, the original tune of the Star Spangled Banner was an English drinking song. So it was a kind of “in your face” militant song aimed at England. Aesthetically it is a horrible song to tryi to sing with the large range of notes, many people unable to reach the high notes without their voices cracking. America the Beautiful and God Bless America are much more lyrical.
I agree with the article that the Star Spangled Banner is overly militaristic, although perhaps not blood thirsty as is France’s national anthem La Marseillaise (study the words to it if you have not). Still, our anthem may reflect the majority of our citizens’ belief in the rightness of our current pax-Americana efforts to bring peace to the world via unilateral US military might rather than through concentrated humanitarian aid and diplomatic conflict resolution. Perhaps when the majority of US citizens realize the folly of our overreliance on military might they will want to change their national anthem to reflect this change. But probably not before then.