Last night I took my kids to see the Nashua Pride vs. the Can-Am Grays, two teams in the independent Can-Am league. The Grays won 5-3 playing as the home team, even though the game was in Nashua. The Grays are a travel team and don’t have a home field.
During the 7th inning we did the traditional stretch, singing “Take Me Out to the Ballgame.” As always, I was annoyed by those around me who thought the lyrics were “. . . buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks . . .” instead of “Cracker Jack.”1 But even more bothersome was the singing of “God Bless America,” a practice that some ballparks have adopted since the attacks on 9-11.
In and of itself, I have no problem with the song. As a hymn, it asks God to bless America. Granted, it is worded as a command to God to bless America, but that is poetic license that can be excused. And while we should be praying for God to bless the whole world, asking on behalf of our own nation is hardly problematic. My problem with its use at baseball games, however, is that it smacks of civil religion.
The problem has little to do with the words of the song, which merely ask for God’s blessing and guidance. The problem comes from the effect of the song. When “God Bless America” is sung during a time of war, it has the effect of implying that God is on our side in this war. This is especially the case when politicians and pundits are calling the current war a war between good and evil. But God does not take sides with individual nations. God is with those who do good on both sides and with those who suffer on both sides. If America could claim to be 100% good, we might have a chance for claiming that God is on our side, but that is hardly the case.
For those that doubt that this is a confusing of religion with politics, take a look at what happens when “God Bless America” is sung. The announcer asks people to rise and remove their hats. This is something that is done when the flag is presented. And many of the people around me at the game last night faced the flag and placed their hand over their hearts. This is a salute to the flag, a symbol of our nation, but it was done while a prayer to God was being offered, i.e., the singing of “God Bless America.”
It can be argued that singing “God Bless America” at public events merely has the effect of unifying people as a nation. If that is the case, the same thing could easily be accomplished by singing a song that doesn’t invoke God, such as “My Country ‘Tis of Thee” (which doesn’t mention God in the first verse). I am very patriotic and love it when they sing the National Anthem at the start of ballgames, but I don’t like the mixing of patriotism and religion. My devotion to God takes precedence over my loyalty to the United States, and I don’t like it when the former is confused with the latter.
- The name of the product is Cracker Jack. It is not plural, and the actual lyrics reflect this. [back]