Ballpark ritual “doesn’t hold much theological water.”


By Ted Berg – June 4, 2013 at 7:41pm EDT


Fans at Progressive Field in Cleveland stand for God Bless America.


In an opinion piece for the Washington Post, Methodist minister and Washington Nationals fan James P. Marsh, Jr. explains why he does not stand for God Bless America at baseball games:

One hot Sunday afternoon last season, I did not rise for “God Bless America.” In a beer-soaked tone of voice that wasn’t pleasant, a gentleman several rows behind me told me to stand up. I reminded him that I don’t have to.

This incident made me think more about the question: I love this country and don’t want to live anywhere else. But being pressured to stand up at a baseball game for a song that’s essentially a prayer seems, well, un-American. It feels like being pushed into the river for a baptism I didn’t choose. It’s an empty ritual, and one that I think doesn’t hold much theological water.

He has a point. One of the main things about the United States of America — from the very start — is that Americans should be welcome to practice (and not practice) any religion they’d like. Pressuring or strong-arming Americans into standing for God Bless America in the name of patriotism runs directly counter to the principles upon which the country was founded, and so in fact does not seem particularly patriotic at all.

Marsh goes on to point out that asking God to exclusively bless America is “a myopic way to exercise faith,” explaining that “[w]hen we ask for blessings to be bestowed only on ‘us,’ we are in danger of seeing ourselves as set apart from the world.”

Some will argue, not inaccurately, that God Bless America is played at ballgames in honor of American troops fighting overseas. But there are certainly more productive ways to support servicemen and women than the silent, symbolic observance of a song that does not necessarily represent every one of those troops’ belief systems.

Also, and beyond the fact that every pro baseball game played on U.S. soil already opens with The Star Spangled Banner, there is no more patriotic song — or ritual, really — than playing Take Me Out to the Ballgame during the seventh-inning stretch.


www.ftw.usatoday.com

Some people insist on form over substance, which is why Rev. Marsh will be criticized for what he said.

I agree with him. I dont feel an obligation to stand for God Bless america or the national anthem,, and I dont begrudge the choice of others who wish to

its a public event,, participation in recitals/prayers/ songs,, is actually voluntary as it should be,,,

Its Communism! That's what it is!

I'm getting tired of "God Bless America" being played at baseball games anyway. It's just another empty ritual, and in a nation that purposely does NOT have a state religion, this mass idea of pushing religion on people at every turn only serves to turn my stomach.

Don't get me wrong; it's a beautiful song in its way, although I too have issues with the idea of exclusionary blessings. I don't believe in an exclusionary Deity, so the idea of exclusionary blessings is alien to my particular faith.

In any case, I'd much rather just do the "seventh-inning stretch", sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" (a song that has actual relevance to the activity at hand) and get on with the game so I can get out of there at some reasonable hour and go grab some food and drink that doesn't carry the kind of overinflated price-tag that ballpark refreshments do.

Note: At the Jake (for some of us it will always be "Jacobs Field" rather than Progressive) they do both songs back-to-back... trust me, by the middle of the seventh, I'm in c'mon-hurry-up-and-win mode. Slowing down the game bugs me.

*looks down*

Oh pooh, where'd this soapbox come from, and who wants to use it next?

I think you will find that God Bless America, is a patriotic thing, not a religious thing.
It's promoting America not God.
Many Americans would concider it unpatriotic to not stand. It's like God Save the Queen. It's really a public show of supporting the monarchy not God. America, democracy and individual rights is actually promoting sin not truth.

so,would you rather live in an oppressive Theocracy instead of a Republic?

Reminds me of nebuchanezzar who required everyone to bow to his idol when the music was played.

As for "God bless America" being a prayer. Lol!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The US government and people are doing everything they can do along with the rest of the world leaders to remove God from the equation.

Smh.

actually God was never in the Equation!

Don't see ''God Bless America'' as some sort of prayer or something.....but just a national Anthem.Neither is exclusionary blessings where America is like ''God Bless America,and the rest part of the world can die of abject poverty for all she cares! '' It's just observing some respect to a dear country....

I would moon 'em if it was Mohammed bless America.

don't you know MOONING is against the Law?

I personally do not have a problem with it. I see it as a National Tradition standing for it just shows respect for the national past time.

National past-time?

yea yea.. well that's what I see sports as in this country a National past time.

I don't recall "God Bless America" being performed during a basketball game or during an American football game.

its just Baseball then? Maybe never thought about it much