Remember this from the ‘Values Voter Debate?’
[kml_flashembed movie="http://www.youtube.com/v/X77R_prkCkg" width="425" height="350" wmode="transparent" /]
Lyrics:
Why should God bless America?
She’s forgotten he exists
And has turned her back
On everything that made her what she isWhy should God stand beside her
Through the night with the light from his hand?
God have mercy on America
Forgive her sin and heal our landThe courts ruled prayer out of our schools
In June of ‘62
Told the children “you are your own God now
So you can make the rules”
O say can you see what that choice
Has cost us to this day
America, one nation under God, has gone astrayWhy should God bless America?
Shes’s forgotten he exists
And has turned her back on everything
That made her what she isWhy should God stand beside her
Through the night with the light from his hand?
God have mercy on America
Forgive her sins and heal our landIn ‘73 the Courts said we
Could take the unborn lives
The choice is yours don’t worry now
It’s not a wrong, it’s your rightBut just because they made it law
Does not change God’s command
The most that we can hope for is
God’s mercy on our landWhy should God bless America?
She’s forgotten he exists
And has turned her back on everything
That made her what she isWhy should God stand beside her
Through the night with the light from his hand?
God have mercy on America
Forgive her sins and heal our land(Reading from 2nd Chronicles 7:14) If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and forgive their sin and heal their land
God have mercy on America forgive her sins and heal our land
Nice try, but no, it’s NOT exactly comparable to what Rev. Wright said. If anything it’s just the opposite — the author/singer is asking God to show mercy to America in spite of her sins, not calling down judgement upon the nation in retribution for them.
To ask, sorrowfully and with regret, “why should God bless America” is not the same as shouting “God damn America!” with anger and vindictiveness. To warn someone that they will suffer if they do not change their ways is an act of mercy; to wish for that suffering to happen or directly act to bring it about (outside of a legitimate “tough love” kind of intervention) would be an act of hatred.
The issue with Rev. Wright is in what sense did he mean his comments — as an admonishment or as a direct plea for divine punishment.
Bookworm,
You’re comparing Johnagolds to Braeburns — they’re both apples, just different kinds. But nice try at parsing an excuse for the lyrics.
Besides, this song is downright tame compared to the fire and brimstone sermons and statements of Falwell, Robertson, Hagee, Parsley, etc. To them, America deserved damnation in the form of 9/11, Katrina, etc.
Which is worse, pointing out that America is damned because of its divisiveness or pointing out that Americans who are not straight and socially conservative are cause for “Divine Retribution” (as if any mere mortal, conservative or liberal, could even know God’s Plan)?
PS:
It is abundantly clear from that little thing called context that Rev. Wright intended the sermons as admonishment.
But again, nice try at parsing.
===Nice try, but no, it’s NOT exactly comparable to what Rev. Wright said. If anything it’s just the opposite — the author/singer is asking God to show mercy to America in spite of her sins, not calling down judgement upon the nation in retribution for them.
Someone is angry and vindictive about the long history of racism in the United States? How dare they.
Taking a blip of Wright’s sermon and saying he wants to damn America literally is a bit bizarre. He was talking in a context of redemption.
The thing about the statements above is that they are expecting the country to be damned and, in fact, these same groups claim God did damn Americans with terrorist attacks and hurricanes.
I’m finding it hard to believe that Wright metaphorically talking about damning is somehow worse.
“metaphorically talking about…”
I wish you would please stop using these big, big words.
The continuously looping video smear of Dr. Wright was created to tickle emotions of the “less-educated” voters. There isn’t time left to explain to them what a metaphor is, much less time to teach them how to sound out the word “metaphorically.”
You need to write using a vocabulary level George Bush might understand.
Where’d my bag of pretzels go?
The sad thing is that most Americans are at a level below our president, Mr. Botch. While he might not have attended classes or managed to get more than a few C’s in said classes, the majority of Americans are at a significantly less reading level than our clueless leader. Bush it but a puppet. Does anyone really think he’s in charge?
I am a writer and I used to write to what was the standard; an 8th grade level.
USA Today writes to a 4th grade level.
Worse yet, few people are able to critically think for themselves. They listen to the pundit that closely resembles their views and don’t expand their horizons in thought. And they never question what does not align with what they already believe. Question? Research? What’s that?
Combine inability to comprehend with an inability to think critically and our country is long to doomed.
Ugh, while I am a writer, I am really bad about editing (nay, READING) what I have just written before clicking that Submit button.
Grammatical (and too quick to click) errors are all mine.
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