Ronald Reagans state funeral tomorrow

[Downhome]

My God, what an emotional week this has been. It's been a while since a week that was as draining as this one has been, emotionally. I can't put into words just how much this week has meant to me, what it has made me personally reflect on, and so on.

 

For me, simple words could not do it justice.

 

Once again Mr. President, Ronald Reagan, you will forever be missed. Rest, in peace...and God bless.

[Vern Gagne]

Let me guess --- you refuse to exercise your rights and freedoms here, because the founding fathers said they were given to us by God, right?

          -=Mike

I just personally find that song to be more about religion and less about patriotism than other songs, such as Stars & Stripes Forever, the national anthem, America The Beautiful, or others.

 

Also, our rights were granted by a "creator", of which no specific denomination was named, thank you.

That song is more religious than the others. That's why President Reagan choose that song to be played at his memorial.

[Firestarter]

I just personally find that song to be more about religion and less about patriotism than other songs, such as Stars & Stripes Forever, the national anthem, America The Beautiful

(emphases added)

 

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just

And this be our motto, "In God is our trust"

- fourth verse of the national anthem

 

America, America

May God thy gold refine

'Til all success be nobleness

And every gain divine

- third verse of America the Beautiful

 

NB. Every single verse of the latter mentions God. I'll give you Stars & Stripes Forever, though.

[Jobber of the Week]

Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just

And this be our motto, "In God is our trust"

- fourth verse of the national anthem

That couldn't have been in the original song? That phrase was adopted as motto in 1956.

 

 

 

 

Minutes later: I've researched harder now, it may very well have. But to be honest, I didn't even know there was a fourth verse.

 

That being said I also like "God Bless America", and don't consider that exact phrase an endorsement of religion either, although I'm sure there's someone somewhere who would.

[Firestarter]

That couldn't have been in the original song? That phrase was adopted as motto in 1956.

Minutes later: I've researched harder now, it may very well have

Click here for an image of the sheet music from 1814. This link leads to the subject page at the Library of Congress site.

[Jobber of the Week]

Yup. Oh well. I'm in no hurry to get "In God We Trust" off everything, or "God Bless America", although I am in general interested in slowly eliminating all those 1950s changes that were made clearly to promote religion in the middle of the red scare.

 

And none of those songs is as religious as the Battle Hymn.