Christianize US civic iconography and texts

[overoceans]

Say that some time around when "under God" was added to the Pledge Of Allegiance(IOW mid-50s or so), devout or opportunistic politicians go an a sacralization spree, trying to get as much Christian content into the USA's patriotic texts, music, icons, flags etc. What are some things that could be changed?

(Assume for the sake of discussion that the First Amendment isn't an issue, either because the courts are interpreting it narrowly to mean only "no state church", or the politicians supporting christianization don't care if their alterations eventually get struck down, as long as they can posture for a while as friends of Jesus.)

One thing I'm thinking of is replacing The Star Spangled Banner with something more religious, either The Battle Hymn Of The Republic or God Bless America. The Battle Hymn has the advantage of being historically significant and morally uplifting, but on the other hand, doesn't mention the nation itself in the verses most likely to be sung publically. And it might not sell well in the south.

God Bless America would be more of a crowd-pleaser, more generic in its religiosity, and hence easier to understand. Don't imagine that the religion of its composer would be much of an issue, except among the most extreme anti-semites. Might be a little too "commercial" for traditionalists, though.

 

[Murica1776]

Say that some time around when "under God" was added to the Pledge Of Allegiance(IOW mid-50s or so), devout or opportunistic politicians go an a sacralization spree, trying to get as much Christian content into the USA's patriotic texts, music, icons, flags etc. What are some things that could be changed?

(Assume for the sake of discussion that the First Amendment isn't an issue, either because the courts are interpreting it narrowly to mean only "no state church", or the politicians supporting christianization don't care if their alterations eventually get struck down, as long as they can posture for a while as friends of Jesus.)

One thing I'm thinking of is replacing The Star Spangled Banner with something more religious, either The Battle Hymn Of The Republic or God Bless America. The Battle Hymn has the advantage of being historically significant and morally uplifting, but on the other hand, doesn't mention the nation itself in the verses most likely to be sung publically. And it might not sell well in the south.

God Bless America would be more of a crowd-pleaser, more generic in its religiosity, and hence easier to understand. Don't imagine that the religion of its composer would be much of an issue, except among the most extreme anti-semites. Might be a little too "commercial" for traditionalists, though.

I think God Bless America is the right pick for the national anthem. The Great Seal could potentially be changed to this:

​

Which depicts Moses parting the Red Sea.

 

[overoceans]

@Murica1776

Thanks for the Seal suggestion. I gather that was an unused proposal for the motto, but when was the Exodus inagery drawn up?

One thing I was wondering about was the Eye Of Providence, since it was originally a Christian symbol, but by the 20th Century not really recognized as such. So would anyone feel compelled to remove it? I'm thinking maybe the pyramid could go, in any case. Pretty easily read as an allusion to pagan religious practices.

 

[overoceans]

One issue with the seal in Post 2 is that, by the mid 20th Century, American politicians likely wouldn't have seen much benefit in promoting rebellion. Maybe come up with a slogan emphasizing the founding-a-new-nation aspects of the Exodus, rather than the flipping-Pharoah-the-bird aspects.

 

[Murica1776]

@Murica1776

Thanks for the Seal suggestion. I gather that was an unused proposal for the motto, but when was the Exodus inagery drawn up?

One thing I was wondering about was the Eye Of Providence, since it was originally a Christian symbol, but by the 20th Century not really recognized as such. So would anyone feel compelled to remove it? I'm thinking maybe the pyramid could go, in any case. Pretty easily read as an allusion to pagan religious practices.

That is actually a direct unused proposal from the immediate post-Revolution era championed by Ben Franklin, image and all.

One issue with the seal in Post 2 is that, by the mid 20th Century, American politicians likely wouldn't have seen much benefit in promoting rebellion. Maybe come up with a slogan emphasizing the founding-a-new-nation aspects of the Exodus, rather than the flipping-Pharoah-the-bird aspects.

Maybe for the slogan something like "God and Freedom Brought Us Here."

 

[Roches]

It would have been quite plausible for "The Star-Spangled Banner" to be disqualified as the national anthem. As many will know, the melody is shared with a 19th-century drinking song, "The Anacreontic Song" or "To Anacreon in Heaven". Anacreon was a Greek poet, and the chorus — "the land of the free and the home of the brave" — was "the myrtle of Venus and Bacchus's vine". So, it's not only referring to pagan Greek gods, but to the ones associated with love, pleasure, and drinking. Given that the national anthem was made official in the era of prohibition, it's possible to imagine that someone could get hold of the song's history and declare it immoral.

I suppose Americans do tolerate "My Country, 'Tis of Thee" despite its being identical to "God Save the King", but that would be an objection on political grounds, and, in some ways, that's easier to overcome than the Women's Christian Temperance Union launching a crusade against The Star-Spangled Banner at baseball stadiums in 1908. (I don't know if they even sang it then, I'm just thinking of a way somebody could object to the song.)

 

[overoceans]

@Roches

I think the tune of TSSB could survive, because the song's origins as a pagan-besotted drinking hymn aren't obvious, and you'd really have to go out of your way to find out about them.

The lack of religion in the lyrics, however, is pretty self-evident, and in the absence of outright replacing the song itself, I could imagine them being slightly reworded...

Oh say can you see,
by Our Lord's guiding light...