How Many Know the 2nd verse of the Star Spangled Banner?

What does this have to do with Christianity?

The Star Spangled Banner Lyrics
By Francis Scott Key 1814

http://www.usa-flag-site.org/song-ly...d-banner.shtml


Oh, say can you see by the dawn's early light
What so proudly we hailed at the twilight's last gleaming?
Whose broad stripes and bright stars thru the perilous fight,
O'er the ramparts we watched were so gallantly streaming?
And the rocket's red glare, the bombs bursting in air,
Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there.
Oh, say does that star-spangled banner yet wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave?

On the shore, dimly seen through the mists of the deep,
Where the foe's haughty host in dread silence reposes,
What is that which the breeze, o'er the towering steep,
As it fitfully blows, half conceals, half discloses?
Now it catches the gleam of the morning's first beam,
In full glory reflected now shines in the stream:
'Tis the star-spangled banner! Oh long may it wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

And where is that band who so vauntingly swore
That the havoc of war and the battle's confusion,
A home and a country should leave us no more!
Their blood has washed out their foul footsteps' pollution.
No refuge could save the hireling and slave
From the terror of flight, or the gloom of the grave:
And the star-spangled banner in triumph doth wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Oh! thus be it ever, when freemen shall stand
Between their loved home and the war's desolation!
Blest with victory and peace, may the heav'n rescued land
Praise the Power that hath made and preserved us a nation.
Then conquer we must, when our cause it is just,
And this be our motto: "In God is our trust."
And the star-spangled banner in triumph shall wave
O'er the land of the free and the home of the brave!

Thanks Gloria, I was looking for this to post it. Anyone here can see this fourth verse clearly does say "In God is our trust". Also to anyone who wants to do a bit more research, there are websites out there that list all 50 states Preamble to the Constitution. In all fifty of them, God is mentioned. We are a nation founded on Christian principles and beliefs. They still exist today, whether Mr. Obama wants to believe it or not.

Excuse please, but when exactly did "God" become exclusive to Christianity? Most religions have at least one.

How arrogant is that? To presume that "Christians" have a monopoly on God. For shame! God is for everyone!

I, for one, am thankful that this country was founded on the principles of religious freedom, not Christianity nor any other specific religion. Our forefathers were very explicit about that.

Colorado's preamble mentions the "Supreme Ruler of the Universe". That's Zeus.

Delaware's mentions "their Creator"...that's just about all of them.

Hawaii - "Divine guidance". That could be any of the Island Gods.

Iowa - another "Supreme Being"

Maine - Sovereign Ruler of the Universe. Akin to the "Great Spirit", numerous Native American tribes.

Massachusetts - Great Legislator of the Universe. A Kennedy must have written that one.

Missouri - Yet another "Supreme"

Vermont - the "Author of Existence" Now that one is catchy. But it's not in the preamble...Vermont doesn't have one, they get right down to business.

Washington - Even more "Supreme"

New Hampshire and Virginia - They blew off having a preamble as well.

Furthermore let's not forget this is a song. Yes a song. Written by an author, a poet... not even a professional poet at the time. It is a beautiful song, but that is what it is a song. A Nation is much, MUCH more than that; at least I sure hope so.

I totally agree with both of you. That's one of the biggest isses I have with some Christians - that very attitude that only their God is the true God.

".....home of the free..."

Free to worship as they like, as everyone has mentioned, religious freedom - Yahweh, Allah, Buddha, God - as brought up before, everyone has their own Supreme Being - or not.

Good grief - as pointed out before, Christians don't have a monopoly on God. Thanks, Mike, for pointing out the preambles - excellent find!

If it were up to me we'd change the US National Anthem to "America the Beautiful" anyway. How many countries besides ours have a drinking song as their national anthem?

I'm OK with giving Christianity a go at running the country. Of course, first we have to select a doctrine. We have to select only one, because if not we'll end up in a silly Christian Civil War, like so many other "Christian Nations" have over the centuries. I say, everyone in government office will have to be a member of the United Church of Christ. The Church must be sole head of government, no "appointing" or "crowning" a scapegoat to cover for them when they fail.

It has "United" and "Christ" in it's name, that covers both bases fairly well. And they don't need gold or elaborate clothes to dictate policy. And, so many of the others are named merely after the people that started them.

They will have 2 years to blame current administrations, then after that, any and every success, failure or defeat is Christianity's alone.

I read the original post as simply trying to point out that the U.S. was founded on the Judeo-Christian principles - I didn't take the post as being "arrogant" or to presume that "Christians" have a monopoly on God. The founders didn't want a State religion, neither would other Christians.

I guess what you believe about American History, and the Founder's beliefs in God - the Judeo-Christian God, depends on what history books, or education, and educators to which one was exposed in his/her formative years.

I'm not sure what other religion(s) have the same set of principles that were set forth in the historic documents on which the U.S. was built. Right now I'm thinking about the part that talks about a Creator's endowment: "We hold these truths to be self-evident: That all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness..."

I'm curious to know what other "religions" talk about us being "created" - but not that curious to continue posting in this thread - really, (!) this subject will never find an agreement on this website.

I guess it depends on what the meaning of "is" is.

Truth - the elusive search. Something we will each discover, and, for some, it may be with regrets.

Our God is the ONLY God and Jesus is his Son.

Here is a list of many of the religions that hold humanity to be "created". As for the Gods, I'll not get into that, there are literally hundreds of them.

No it isn't.

Wow, Carolina, what an elitist attitude, IMO.
Is there some rule that poets are not allowed to write songs?
If a poet does have the audacity to write a song, he BETTER be a "professional" poet. Good grief.
What makes a person a "professional" poet, being paid money for your poems?

I, for one, love our National Anthem, it always brings tears to my eyes. Listening to this Marine made me cry like a baby. For the most part, I am still proud of this country and proud to be an America.

Did I miss where someone in this thread is pushing for our government to have a state-run religion?

Not at all, you have it backwards. The OP is pushing for a religion-run state. The desire to have a "Christian Nation".

No she isn't, but then you know that.
Nowhere did she say that and nowhere did she "push" for that.

Hey Skippy - Where's the List?

Not serious - like I said - this topic is like a puppy chasing its tail - going no where.

Well, I could add - trying to identify ALL Christians in a negative light can't help an argument - it's just lame.

ooooh, I AM really trying to leave this thread!!!

Really. It would appear to be very, very obvious that she did! Turkey is over 99% Muslim, yet they are not, nor do they claim to be, a Muslim nation, because they are not governed by Islam. We are not governed by Christianity, so therefore, not a Christian nation...although some want it to be apparently.

Let me make this clear: I am proud to be an American and I'm proud of my country. That's one of the reasons I think we deserve a more worthy national anthem and also why I can't get upset when kids aren't allowed to wear our flag to school as a do-rag .

And as far as insisting on equating God with Christianity, this is exactly what gives "Christians" such a bad reputation. Thank heaven more and more people are seeing the Christian system for what it is.

Oops.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Creation_myth

Who is trying to identify ALL Christians in a negative light? I'm pointing out that calling the United States a "Christian Nation" when it has absolutely nothing to do with it's governance is as meaningless as calling it a "Female Nation" because 51% of the population is female. It's a statistic, nothing more.

What??? Is this a serious statement? Because you can not seriously get what I wrote and transform it into this conclusion...
All I am saying is that that is merely a song. That is all. The guy was an amateur poet... A human being like any of us, who wrote a beautiful song. That's all. He just wrote a song.... a song... let's put things into perspective: a s-o-n-g.

A song does not make a nation. That is my point. The United States of America got to be more than a song.

I hope you get my point and stop with your habbit of twisting my words trying to find hidden meanings on them. Elitist me? I am anything but, and if you knew me you would never say that.

I was wondering how kids wear a National Anthem as a do-rag to school.

I'm sorry if, according to some people, "equating God with Christianity gives Christians a bad reputation."

Did I miss where someone said or implied that a song is all America is?

Sorry, when you said, it seemed like you were implying that he was, somehow, unworthy because he wasn't a "professional." My bad for seeing an "implication" that wasn't there.
All we have to go by on a forum such as this is the written word.

I was NOT implying anything of sorts, but again, whatever.

I edited the post and added three words that should have been in there. We okay now Carolina?