Things have changed since September 11th. Security at airports is more of a pain in the ass in the ever. For some reason, we still have to take off our shoes, as if the terrorists are really that dumb to put C4 in their shoes anymore. The United States is set at a constant state of Orange Alert, whatever that means. Countries can be attacked even without doing anything to the U.S. Our government can spy on us without a court order. However, we’re still looking for WMDs in Iraq.
But what pisses me off almost as much as having to take my shoes off at airports is listening to the song “God Bless America” during the 7th inning stretch of Major League Baseball games. The policy was implemented the day baseball returned to the airwaves after the attacks, and that is fine. The policy continued through the playoffs and World Series. OK.
Then “God Bless America,” if memory serves, played during the 7th Inning Stretch of every MLB game in 2002. A big baseball fan, I go to a lot of games. Maybe not as many as some, but I’d say 25 games a season is more than most people go to. That’s a lot of times to hear “God Bless America,” and think of the players – they have to hear it at least 162 days a year. Sure, the National Anthem and Take Me Out to the Ballgame are played every game, but one is our national anthem, and other is a pure baseball tradition. “God Bless America” is just something Bud Selig added to appeal to patriotic sensibilities, and presumably NASCAR fans.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m patriotic. Yes, I’m liberal AND patriotic (I don’t view the two as being mutually exclusive, at all). No, I don’t wear American flag underpants or burn Dixie Chick records or take everything (or anything) our President says at face value; in fact, I question most things our government tells us, and even what the national media tells us. But I love America and am proud to be an American, despite everything we do to the world.
So, when I say I hate the song, “God Bless America,” I am not being unpatriotic; I am simply saying that it is an overly used, annoying, biased and ultimately offensive piece of music.
Why should MLB not play “God Bless America” at its baseball games anymore? Here are a few reasons:
- As an atheist, it mildly offends me. OK, in reality, I just don’t like hearing the song, but being forced to listen to “God Bless” stuff is just nauseating.
- On that note, though, whenever I hear, “God Bless…” I think Christian. Which is fine, except baseball is a sport for all people and all religions, not just Christians. What do Muslims think? Hindus? Buddhists? Most don’t care; they live in a country based on Christian principles. Fine. But in an age of political correctness, shouldn’t the MLB be a little more… politically correct? (see, I actually suggest being PC when it’s in my best interest)
- Furthermore and foremost, “God Bless America?” Isn’t that a little self-centered, a little pre-globalization. Patriotism and a little bit of nationalism is fine, but how about “God Bless the World?”I’d find that a lot less offensive, as we shouldn’t be concerned about whether God blesses this country but rather the world as a whole? “America” implies the United States, but a good chunk of baseball players are from other countries.
Why this random post? It has nothing to do with movies, though arguably it has to do with entertainment. But really, I just got really annoyed when, after listening to “God Bless America” at the baseball game, the Gasworks Park fireworks show on 4th of July (the biggest show in Seattle) did their finale to Celine Dion’s version of the song. Isn’t Dion a Canadian, for starters? And two, really? That song of all songs to do your finale to? No!
Tags: baseball, god bless america, mlb, music, song
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July 9th, 2008 at 2:45 pm
Wanting them to stop playing the song because it’s annoying is like saying there shouldn’t be the A-Team intro every episode. I understand the atheist point, but this is a christian nation and naturally not everyone can be pleased. Being PC is a newer concept and is taking time for everything to be PC. I mean this statement stretches out as far to say that “God Bless” and “In God We Trust” should be taken off of everything. Maybe it should, but it simply will never happen or at least take a very long time to happen. The United States is a self-centered country, but isn’t every country as self centered or even more self-centered? I understand your points and respect them, but they’re not good enough to actually get them to stop playing the song. We’ll all just have to deal with hearing it…
July 9th, 2008 at 4:54 pm
Hi Luke,
Thanks for the comment. The “God Bless” part really has little to do with it; since I’m an atheist, it does become an easy arguing point. I have no problem with “In God We Trust” on our money and so on and so forth; my main issue is that MLB added this song within the last decade when they should be promoting the unity of so many countries that come together to make the MLB what it is. If “God Bless America” had been around as a baseball mainstay since the Cubs last won the World Series, I’d have no problem with it; but they added it recently with seemingly little regard for people of other nations/religion/etc.
July 10th, 2008 at 9:43 am
I agree. I miss the old days when the only song played during he 7th inning stretch was ‘take me out to the ball game’. One could argue this isn’t simply a Christian nation, but a nation of many different people, so presuming that most people want to hear ‘God Bless America’ is kind of silly. You can’t have unity without exclusion, think about it…
July 12th, 2008 at 12:41 pm
I know that an atheist or agnostic mind cannot comprehend this, but without “God Blessing America”, you would not have the opportunity to debate this issue, or to even attend a professional baseball game. Sorry to all of you “liberated” folks out there.
July 14th, 2008 at 4:26 am
Patriotism is a little self-centered, and pre-globalization. I’m not saying the author is anti-American, but I would suggest that they examine what it means to them to be an American.
Patriotism means that I’m an American not just because I was born here or because it’s a good place to get a job, but because I love this country and what it means to me, and because I choose to be here (and not Canada, Israel, Sweden, etc).
I hate to burst the post-modern bubble, but patriotic people don’t love every country equally. The song “God Bless America” is not about screwing all the other countries; it’s merely a bold declaration that the United States is a little more important than those other countries to (most of) the people living here. That may not be PC, but it is reality.
As for the religious overtones, I think you’ve overlooked your own bias. The idea that the song makes you think specifically of Christianity is your own choice. I wouldn’t expect a liberal to be so narrow-minded. Furthermore, you say that Christians shouldn’t impose their song on Muslims and Hindus (I guess sticking up for Jews is no longer PC), while conveniently proposing a solution that provides a perfect solution for athiests and athiests alone.
July 14th, 2008 at 6:12 am
So, you’r problem is the allusion to God? Banning God from the public square equally offends me. Standoff. Besides, a ballpark is not a public square.
July 16th, 2008 at 11:39 am
Can I take batting practice during your church sermons? What God is blessing the USA anyways??? The oil thieving God of death?
July 16th, 2008 at 7:12 pm
Hi everyone, thanks for your comments (and keeping them respectable, too). @David, you’re right, as an atheist I don’t really comprehend the statement. I believe if there is a God, he created the universe billions of years ago, but has not blessed any individual nation, world, solar system, etc. But thanks for the feedback nonetheless.
@Deymond, you raise some good points. Time Magazine just did an interesting article on patriotism and how liberals and conservatives take a different view of the word and where they need to find compromise. Your comments reflect some of those compromises. I’m patriotic by your definition; I do love this country and think it’s more important than others; as for viewing the song as Christian because I’m an atheist, perhaps that is a valid reason – at the same time, I don’t really have issue with the song outside of MLB games (though now that I hear it so often, I do get rather sick of hearing it so often) – to me, the song was put in place as a marketing move to pander to certain sentiments. Again, that’s fine, but that was seven years ago. Isn’t the national anthem, or the game of baseball in and of itself, enough to satisfy Americanism? Ultimately, this has nothing to do with patriotism or atheism or religion; I simply want baseball back how it was.
@Skip – I don’t care about allusions to God one way or the other, and I never said to ban God from public places. But God Bless America is a shortsided song that doesn’t embrace what MLB means to so many countries.
@Reality and Anon – thanks for sticking up for me!
July 16th, 2008 at 7:45 pm
I didn’t realize it was played at every game now. You’re right about keeping old traditions but why start new ones that might offend nonChristians. Given that, should Major League Baseball allow worship services by an Evangelical Christian group in its clubhouses? (http://blogs.pioneerlocal.com/religion)
July 16th, 2008 at 7:50 pm
Hi Brett, now they only play it sometimes; I don’t think there’s any specific pattern, though I’m guessing it’s played more on the weekends.
As for MLB allowing worship services, I don’t know. I always wonder with sports stars how many of them are actually religious. Josh Hamilton praised Jesus repeatedly for his Home Run Derby showing; but I can’t think everyone is religious on the team.
July 28th, 2008 at 6:34 am
Skip, a ball park is if it is owned by a state or local government body. Ironically, there isn’t anything remotely P.C. about this supposedly P.C. positon. Throughout the 19th and the first half of the 20th centuries, proud and patriotic overwhelmingly christian Americans took the seperation of church and state very seriously, and viewed a muddling of religion and patriotism as a sin and unchristian.
I personally like standing up and stretching during the seventh inning on Sundays. Unfortunately, I now have to wait until after this unamerican song is finished playing, as I do not sin against my God by debasing him with nationalistic references, or violate my Constitution with a cooersed tribute to God on state land. Now there is unneccessary tension between myself and my fellow baseball fans that surround me, as many may construe my refusal to participate as hostility agianst my country that I love, and my God whom I love more. The culture war has now invaded the ball park. grrrreeeeeaaaattt. Good job honoring America and God.
October 22nd, 2008 at 10:51 pm
Okay, so you have issues based on the pronoun “god,” but aren’t instead worried about all the little kids that will grow up not knowing the “Star Spangled Banner” is our REAL national anthem????
That is my fear. The miseducation of all those “Little Timmys.”
October 23rd, 2008 at 7:27 am
I recall reading that even Irving Berin hated the song. And Woody Guthrie, whom I consider the greatest American of all time, really hated it.
I hate hearing it at baseball games, or any public event. Let me explain how offensive it is to me: if you are a Christian, and you substituted “one nation under god” with “one nation under no god,” or “god bless America” with “satan bless America”, and that offends you, well that’s about how I feel. It’s the same thing.
For me it’s the last straw, after parking and ticket/concession prices. I will not attend another MLB game until this tradition dies. Which may be never. Which is just as well, as the Ms suck and will for the foreseeable future, and my former hometown team the Phillies are in the World Series. Go figure. If the Phils win the series, maybe I’m done with major leauge baseball.
October 23rd, 2008 at 7:36 pm
Hi Jim, well said (especially about the Ms). I’m confused, though… So you won’t watch baseball anymore if your former hometown team wins the Series?
October 23rd, 2008 at 7:37 pm
@angryman1n, also good point. Don’t confuse kids with a false national anthem!
March 10th, 2009 at 8:57 am
It’s the 7th INNING STRETCH. Your suppose to STRETCH, get up, walk around, go to the bathroom. Now they force you to listen to their Christian Indoctrination. Completely ANTI-AMERICAN.
You’d expect something like that from Saudi Arabia, not the USA.
March 10th, 2009 at 5:58 pm
Well said Reality.
July 19th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
I think if America is to start banning anything, we should begin with the likes of you. God Bless America!!!
July 30th, 2009 at 12:47 pm
This treacly song should be banned from ballparks immediately. Not only is it annoying, it’s offensive to atheists, agnostics and freethinkers. It’s imposing religion on a captive audience in a public setting. The nonsecular “Take Me Out to the Ballgame” is the traditional ditty sung in the seventh inning; let’s leave it at that.
August 9th, 2009 at 1:13 pm
I did a search and found this post because I also don’t want to be forced to participate in a religious/political loyalty pledge/ritual when I just want to watch some baseball.
I’m also not a fan of flag lapel pins being a requirement for politicians.
P.S. I love America.
August 9th, 2009 at 1:19 pm
Hi Nathan – I agree – why should politicians feel obliged to where flag label pins? Isn’t the fact that they’re devoting their careers to public service enough to tell us that they love their country?
August 17th, 2009 at 8:59 am
Yes! As a protest to God Bless America, Woody Guthrie wrote “This Land is Your Land” (prev known as “Did God Bless America for me?) Not only is this offensive to atheists and agnostics, but it is extremely nationalistic in nature. To think God would bless one country of the other is dangerous. To think that we are blessed when so many people in this country are so self-centered and only thinking of themselves and their own pocketbooks. We have so many homeless, poor, uninsured, p*ssed on, I fail to see how God is blessing America in that respect.
September 1st, 2009 at 7:04 pm
@Luke: America may have lots of Christians living in it, but it is most assuredly NOT a Christian nation. The Constitution is deliberately a secular document. There is no mention of Jesus Christ in it. The New Testament is not the law of the land, and with good reason. The Founding Fathers knew very well where to find the Bible if they wanted to install it as the law of the land. They wrote a secular document instead. They knew the damage a theocracy could do to society, and were trying to get away from one. And don’t give me the argument about all the Founding Father being Christian. First of all, they weren’t (most self-identified as Deists); and second, they were wise enough to know they weren’t just creating a fantasy playground only for people like them, but rather an enduring institution for all their progeny, for all time. The argument that America must be a Christian nation, and by the way a white Aryan nation, is repeatedly advanced by white supremacists like Jeff Berry and the late Richard Butler. And it’s completely off base.
I suggest you also read the text of George Washington’s letter to the congregants of Newport Synagogue.
The decision to play this song when and where it is played was the act of a single autocrat, Bud Selig. Just because he is Jewish doesn’t make it right, or better. If anything, it’s worse. Stadiums are not churches. In fact, some of them are public property, which means being forced to hear this song is being forced to swallow someone else’s religion in a public setting. Most importantly, this kind of blind meaningless patriotism is exactly the reason the rest of the world hates us.
“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carry a cross.” –Sinclair Lewish