"God Bless America!" - What does it mean to you?

It seems that every President nowadays has to keep using the old "God Bless America!" phrase after every important campaign speech, even though they might not be that religious themselves and even though our nation is a whole lot more secular than even a half a century ago.

I've personally felt that the way this phrase has been used, all the time, is improper and incorrect. Here's why.

When people say, "God Bless America!", I feel as if that is a command for God to bless America. It is as if people are saying to their God, "America! You, God! Bless it! Bless it now!!!"

Traditionally, all Christian sects have taught the submission of the human being to God, so I'm not sure why so many Presidents claiming to be genuinely religious use this (seemingly blasphemous) phrase.
*Note that I am NOT a Christian. (In fact, I used to be an Atheist before I became a Jedi.)


Now, some of you might say that this phrase is not a "demand" since it's not at all demanding: not an"America! You, God! Bless it! Bless it now!!!" - type of phrase.


However, do you need to sound demanding in order to exert your dominating demands? Take the Emperor from Star Wars, for example, and Vader:

Emperor: Do what must be done Lord Vader....
Vader: Yes, my master.


Does the phrase, "God Bless America!"...
1) Sound like a demand to God?
2) Reflect peoples' modern views of commanding God? (For their own, often amoral purposes?)
3) Seem cliche to you? Or do you want to hear it after every campaign speech?

Ceremonial Deism?

It's all to do with the way it's pronounced...

It wouldn't sound right saying "GOD BLESSES AMERICAAAAAAAA!" It's all to do with empowerment...

1. No.
2. No.
3. Does it matter? People will say whatever they want to hear...reading too deep into things is tiresome.

our nation is a whole lot more secular than even a half a century ago.

untrue. Before 1954 the pledge of allegiance did not contain the words "one nation under God" and your motto was "E pluribus unum", not "in God we trust".

Sounds to me like the US were more secular 60 years ago than they are today...

SeanChing wrote: Does the phrase, "God Bless America!"...
1) Sound like a demand to God?
2) Reflect peoples' modern views of commanding God? (For their own, often amoral purposes?)
3) Seem cliche to you? Or do you want to hear it after every campaign speech?

i didnt read the other comments so as not to adulterate my responses, so here goes:
1) no.
2) kind of. the modern view of 'commanding god' is often couched in a request...'god please smite the LSU tigers, so that mighty Alabama may remain undefeated and cruise to the national championship, amen.'
3) very. like the phrase 'support our troops'. wth does that even mean? support them with what? combat operations? with your prayers to whatever god from afar? food, clothing, money?

if you look into the origins of the phrase, you may find a Strong government mandated push to use the phrase everywhere, make it ubiquitous. its just the sort of groupthink, feel-good trite little '1984' style propaganda that one would expect.

Support our troops background info

i see the phrase 'god bless america' as something like that as well, just a little garnish on the end of most every political speech these days. completely empty of actual meaning, thrown out there solely for that candidates gain. i find it almost insulting now. the implicit converse is 'screw everybody else', which has been our international relations policy for decades now, anyway.

Does the phrase, "God Bless America!"...
1) Sound like a demand to God?
2) Reflect peoples' modern views of commanding God? (For their own, often amoral purposes?)
3) Seem cliche to you? Or do you want to hear it after every campaign speech?

1) No, I think it sounds more like "Good luck" than a demand. It's a wish for our country to do well (in my opinion) and I don't usually hear it in a demanding tone.

2) No, when people sneeze and they say "God bless you" or "Bless you" it's not a demand on God. It's usually said to be polite and/or to well wish the sneezer. God Bless America seems to have a similar feel.

3) I understand variety is nice, but no it doesn't bug me to hear this phrase. I enjoy it when people are patriotic (whatever country they may be from) and in the US it's common to use this expression. Why twist it into a negative when it's clearly not meant to be?

"I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."

Had to look it up after Ren made that comment. I never knew that the original didn't include God.

Oh, and E pluribus unum (One from many) is still on our seals.

ren wrote:

our nation is a whole lot more secular than even a half a century ago.

untrue. Before 1954 the pledge of allegiance did not contain the words "one nation under God" and your motto was "E pluribus unum", not "in God we trust".

Sounds to me like the US were more secular 60 years ago than they are today...

You totally beat me to saying that...

Though I believe that there are more atheists now than at that time. Having 'In God we trust' as the national motto was actually a lot in response to the rise of the Soviet Union

Christians in America today (on the whole) just shout more loudly, I don't think there are necessarily 'more' - I hope there aren't as many of the stereotypical ones at least...

I think "God Bless America!" is a thank you more than anything

Why do we sometimes say "Bless you" after someone sneezes? We aren't asking something to bless them, it makes no sense grammatically

We are saying "Thank You" in the same way I think this phrase is used

"Thank you America!" - what they are thankful for I guess is open... thank you for listening to me, thank you for just being there for me, thank you for the work you've done etc...

There's something about it that irks me a little and I've heard others say the same...

To some outsiders (i.e. non-Americans) it can sound sorta like "America is God's favourite country because we're much more righteous and Godly than every other country..."

I'm not saying that's what I actually think it means, I'm just saying that's how my brain subconsciously translates it sometimes...

But I'm sure that you guys don't actually think of it like that. It's just a part of your culture, not a declaration of superiority.

I just...would feel uncomfortable saying "God bless England"...because I wouldn't want to ask God for special blessings on the people of my country. I would want God to bless every country and every person.

V-Tog wrote: I just...would feel uncomfortable saying "God bless England"...because I wouldn't want to ask God for special blessings on the people of my country. I would want God to bless every country and every person.

We're already chosen by God anyway:

And did those feet in ancient time
Walk upon England's mountain green?
And was the holy Lamb of God
On England's pleasant pastures seen?
And did the countenance divine
Shine forth upon our clouded hills?
And was Jerusalem builded here
Among those dark satanic mills?

Bring me my bow of burning gold!
Bring me my arrows of desire!
Bring me my spear! O clouds, unfold!
Bring me my chariot of fire!
I will not cease from mental fight,
Nor shall my sword sleep in my hand,
Till we have built Jerusalem
In England's green and pleasant land.