tuscl

God bless America OT

londonguy
Breathe, breathe in the air
Thursday, March 10, 2016 8:02 AM
When Presidents and others end speeches saying "God bless America/U.S.". do they mean it or they think people want to hear it? How religious is the U.S.A. overall? Less or more than some people like to believe?

40 comments

  • chessmaster
    •
    8 years ago
    Fuck america.
  • Meursault
    •
    8 years ago
    If you are really in London (which I assume is the case), America is much, much, much more religious than your homeland. But not as religious as it was in the 50s or even the 70s, and increasingly that religion is more social club than hard held belief.
  • rockstar666
    •
    8 years ago
    I think they say it as a PC thing. The ONLY time there should be ANY public prayer is before a car race, because the drivers are some of the only people who might get killed on the job for our amusement. A prayer before they start seems appropriate, even if it's Christian.
  • GACA
    •
    8 years ago
    It more of a traditional thing, like your "God Save the Queen"
  • san_jose_guy
    •
    8 years ago
    America has lots of churches, more than there are in Europe, and most people see religious attendance as normative. All the more so for people with money and positions of social power. But the real religion of American has become neo-liberalism and keeping up appearances. And this depends upon familial child abuse. So there is zero humility in "God Bless America". It is shameful and disgraceful. SJG
  • ime
    •
    8 years ago
    GACA has it right, disregard anything that SJG says he is an utter moron and he and his warped thoughts are not a representation of America, so please don't hold that idiot against us.
  • vincemichaels
    •
    8 years ago
    londonguy, it all depends on who you talk to. Some are very religious, some are very anti-religious. Politicians will say what they think we want to hear.
  • san_jose_guy
    •
    8 years ago
    Here is the guy who has got it right: [view link] SJG
  • jackslash
    •
    8 years ago
    Politicians think people want to hear it, but I think most of them mean it too.
  • mikeya02
    •
    8 years ago
    "God Bless America" is also a great patriotic song that people like.
  • shailynn
    •
    8 years ago
    Wow just made me realize a lot of churches in my community are like social clubs. I see it as a social club which is used in the place of a country club, and from what I've heard the members are pressured to contribute a lot of money - to the point where some of these churches sit down and go over what families' annual incomes are and recommend (think: demand) what that family should be contributing. A few of these churches have concession stands for Sunday services!!!
  • ellocohombre
    •
    8 years ago
    I love our country. It's the government I don't trust. I also have a problem with " One nation under God" and "So hope God" when you are under oath. These phareses should not be used by a country that says we have religious freedom. That freedom is also the freedom to not believe.
  • rickthelion
    •
    8 years ago
    The weak-minded hairless apes in America don't have the courage to stare into the void and realize that they are all alone in a godless universe and when they die they are vulture food. Or should be vulture food. Most of you boneheads embalm or cremate. You should throw your dead by the roadside and let rickthevulture and his buddies clean up. The cycle of life. Plus I've found carrion to be tasty on occasion. I normally like the finer things, but there are times I need comfort food like three day old rotting wildebeest.
  • rickthelion
    •
    8 years ago
    You hairless apes should be careful what you wish for too. If there was a god he'd be a perfect being. What are the most perfect beings in the universe? That's right, it's the lions. So god would be a lion wearing the classiest suit ever. If there was an afterlife you hairless apes would be prey items for eternity. Do you really want that. I think not. So grow up, get a brain, a heart, and the courage to stare into the void and say "this is it so I better grab life by the balls and live it because I'm going to die." ROAR!
  • san_jose_guy
    •
    8 years ago
    ^^^^^^^ :) I agree, most popular religion is basically superstition, fear of death, fear of the unknown. But it is also a form of self-righteousness, and so this is why "God Bless America", when coming out of the mouths of politicians, is so extremely offensive. Long Live Dougster! SJG
  • Mate27
    •
    8 years ago
    "God Bless America" is really a tribute to anyone who has faith in the most non-religious aspect. It was our founding fathers who started allowing "God Bless America" even though they had formally separated church and state. The reason why this statement keeps ringing is because so many people start out on ventures not knowing if they can succeed, but it is their faith that has them go forth, and it is faith that they will prosper and have a better life. Even Thomas Jefferson agreed to allow "God" although he had no belief in a higher power due to the fact that he knew human beings has to forge through in difficult times without quitting, and sometimes faith is all a person has going for them. For without faith progress into new worlds and ideas would never happen. This is why "God Bless America" will always be part of the United States of America, not because of any religious statement.
  • san_jose_guy
    •
    8 years ago
    Unfortunately its part of a belief in American Exceptionalism, and this is what keeps getting the US into troubles. SJG
  • magicrat
    •
    8 years ago
    Shailynn....Wow just made me realize a lot of churches in my community are like social clubs. I see it as a social club which is used in the place of a country club, and from what I've heard the members are pressured to contribute a lot of money I agree 100% and it's why I don't attend church anymore.
  • shadowcat
    •
    8 years ago
    When I moved to Atlanta from So. Cal back in 1987 and my kids started school here, the first question their class mates asked was "What church do you go to?". Social clubs?
  • former_stripper
    •
    8 years ago
    Depends on the area actually. I know a lot of religious people but I live in a majority rural/suburban area. Many people claim to be religious then practice activities to the contrary of that religion. There are many churches here and ironically there was a swingers group so it's safe to assume many of those attended the swing parties on Saturday and church on Sunday. The thing that sets the USA apart with religion is we have hundreds of religions. Most of the countries in Europe have one official one. We also seem to have more fundamentalist religious people too.
  • san_jose_guy
    •
    8 years ago
    It has actually been well studied, most of those who attend swinger's clubs are: 1. Republicans 2. and a large number attend mainstream churches which would be mortified by the idea of a swinger's club In the US we have so many denominations because these are break away groups. Mainline Protestantism took huge losses in the 1970's. It really never has come back. But instead what has grown immensely are the Evangelicals, and they are by nature not a real denomination. In fact, the reason so many people identify as "Christian" or "Born Again", is because of these Evangelicals and the fact that their denominations are amorphous. So except for Catholics, and maybe Eastern Orthodox, people don't identify with denominations anymore. This tends to produce a sort of Biblical literalism. They follow the bible completely out of context, and as a prescriptive document. And then there are things like Vision360 and Church Growth Inc, think tanks for how to build up huge congregations within just a decade or two. Usually what this means is going after like minded people, so you make a church based on professions of belief and conversion narratives, instead of anything resembling faith. It's all a kind of consumer product, and a mental toxin. And about Europe, don't worry as Rick Warren has dozens of satellite congregations across the continent. Warren is incapable of speaking without using the royal WE. And he is making Recovery into the new Original Sin. May lightening strike him and blast him into a million carbonized fragments. Also I strongly recommend Randall Balmer [view link] SJG
  • mjx01
    •
    8 years ago
    I think it just became routine to say that... and they don't what people asking questions why they didn't say it. Few if any people in the public will be put off by saying it, but not saying it will rile up the zealots.
  • mikeya02
    •
    8 years ago
    If Trump makes all Americans rich, our coins will have "In Trump We Trust" on them.
  • san_jose_guy
    •
    8 years ago
    ^^^^^^^ Very insightful comment! SJG
  • san_jose_guy
    •
    8 years ago
    After Carlo Ponzi got convicted and served 10 years, the Supreme Court also revoked his decades old naturalized citizenship and deported him to Italy. He ended up working for Mussolini. SJG
  • Mate27
    •
    8 years ago
    After SJG hooked up his motor home to stay the evening with an AAMP provider in an undisclosed location, the provider awoke to him penetrating her vagina without consent. She was under false pretenses that she was there in only a "friends" type relationship and would provide a massage as a stress relief from his long day of driving his Winnebago. Once the act of rape had ceased, she kicked SJG in the nuts and ran out of the motor home half naked to the nearest hospital to get examined for physical proof taken to the police.
  • Cashman1234
    •
    8 years ago
    I think politicians say it almost as an afterthought - and I doubt most really mean it. I think the level of religiousness depends upon where you live. The predominant religion can vary by region as well. I've never lived outside of the USA so I can't comment on whether it's a more religious country than any other. The trend has been away from organized religion in recent years, but overall it's still very prevalent in my local area.
  • Papi_Chulo
    •
    8 years ago
    It’s kinda tradition – the United States was founded upon Christianity from the Mayflower to the Declaration of Independence.
  • Papi_Chulo
    •
    8 years ago
    Since most politicians lie more than they say the truth; I take it as most of them saying it for political reasons rather than their own strong personal beliefs.
  • MrDeuce
    •
    8 years ago
    The United States is certainly the most religious of the rich countries, because of religious freedom and because it has always been a haven for religious dissidents from other countries. There is absolutely no violation of religious freedom when a politician says "God bless America". You are free to listen or not, agree or disagree -- your freedom has not suffered in the least. For that matter, properly speaking the Constitution doesn't mandate separation of church and state. It merely requires that *Congress* will not establish a religion. Constitutionally speaking, individual states should be free to have an established religion (several did until almost the middle of the 19th century), cities should be free to display creches at Christmas, and schools should be able to have prayers. That these things are no longer possible results from a doctrine of "separation of church and state" that was invented, not found in the Constitution.
  • JohnSmith69
    •
    8 years ago
    Ronald Reagan is the last president who said this and really meant it. For most, it's the equivalent of saying "good luck." And yes this is also a way of pandering to religious voters of whom we have many.
  • 4got2wipe
    •
    8 years ago
    "After Carlo Ponzi got convicted and served 10 years, the Supreme Court also revoked his decades old naturalized citizenship and deported him to Italy. He ended up working for Mussolini." "After SJG hooked up his motor home to stay the evening with an AAMP provider in an undisclosed location, the provider awoke to him penetrating her vagina without consent. She was under false pretenses that she was there in only a "friends" type relationship and would provide a massage as a stress relief from his long day of driving his Winnebago. Once the act of rape had ceased, she kicked SJG in the nuts and ran out of the motor home half naked to the nearest hospital to get examined for physical proof taken to the police." Brilliant additions to this thread! ;)
  • 4got2wipe
    •
    8 years ago
    I love the fact that the lion guy plays the lion as an atheist! Totally ace!
  • Hugh_G_Rection
    •
    8 years ago
    Juxtapose "God Bless America" with this classic Black Sabbath line: "Day of judgement God is calling/ On the knees the warpigs crawling/ begging mercy for their sins/ Satan laughing spreads his wings" I think much of the exuberance of calling on the almighty boils down to justification and rationalization by a political elite that wants to both cover its tracks and attract a holier than thou constituency that had a history of voting its agenda at the ballot box.
  • Mate27
    •
    8 years ago
    ^^^^ "Oh Lord's Hell!"
  • san_jose_guy
    •
    8 years ago
    Deuce wrote, "The United States is certainly the most religious of the rich countries, because of religious freedom and because it has always been a haven for religious dissidents from other countries." Bullshit! The reason that the United States has so many religionists is that it has very little of a social safety net. In Europe people stopped going to church and putting money into collection baskets when they got universal health care and good unemployment and housing protection benefits. Church should be for people who want to pray and explore their faith, not just to encourage people to live by fatalism, fear, and superstition. And in an advanced industrial democracy where production of basic necessities is always in gross surplus, no one should ever have to live without such. Politicians can say what they want, but for any governmental entity to support the language or symbolism of established religion clearly violates the 1st Amendment. That this may not have been recognized in past times is just a historical fact, not a present exemption. And the only woman who has ever bedded down with me that did not want additional midnight penetrations was my wife. And she only got that way after we were married, of course. The others were not only thrilled by it, they expected it. It was that when I was much younger I lacked sufficient brilliance to know that I should do it that way. SJG
  • DandyDan
    •
    8 years ago
    It depends on where in America. In general, the farther south you go, or the more rural you go, the more religious they are. Being I live close to an Air Force base, it seems like they are religious there too.
  • rockstar666
    •
    8 years ago
    God has already blessed America I hope she blesses people who really need help, like the homeless families in Syria who aren't sure if they will eat from day to day.
  • san_jose_guy
    •
    8 years ago
    ^^^^^^^^^ agreed SJG
  • ilbbaicnl
    •
    8 years ago
    Kinda like when you all say "Her Majesty's" this and "Her Majesty's" that. But it's not like you'd really let Liz go pawn any of that stuff, is it.
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