As America celebrates the anniversary of its declaration of independence from England today, we will hear many expressions of patriotism. Mixed in with all of them will be sentiments that suggest that America is god’s favorite country. These sentiments are repeated all the time in public life and are pretty much obligatory for any politician in the US running for elected office. Anyone who as much as hints that perhaps god does not care much for national boundaries would be doomed to defeat.
Hence it should not be surprising to find a new survey that shows that a majority of Americans think that god has a special affection for this nation.
In total, 53 per cent of 1,000 people surveyed agreed with the statement that God has a special relationship with America; a figure that rose to 67 per cent of evangelical Christians.
African Americans were also among the most likely to share the belief, at 62 per cent, along with 59 per cent of Southerners.
Actually, given the relentless promotion of the idea that god really, really loves the US, I am a little surprised that the numbers are not higher.
It is always dangerous when people think that their god views them as a specially chosen people. It tends to breed a sense of self-righteousness that makes people intolerant and willing to do the most cruel things to others.
It should be simple enough to prove one way or the other. Here’s a list of a few things with which God has blessed the USA in recent times:
-- Dick Cheney & George W Bush
-- The Tea Party
-- The NRA
-- Dylann Roof
-- Donald Trump
There certainly seems to be a definite pattern emerging…
It really goes hand in hand with the idea that this is the “best” country, and how lucky are all us Muricans to be born into it. Investigation of the into the bleak truth of that is greatly discouraged.
You forgot the first and primary item on the list, raym: God blesses the troops. Isn’t that the whole purpose of exceptionalism? It’s used by expansionist colonial powers to drive the masses in support of causes counter to their own economic interests, discourages reflection on the brutality and exploitation performed in their name (since one never questions God), and pays them back only with the feeling of superiority over targets of national aggression. Every empire in history encouraged belief that they were divinely chosed to fulfill a special role, expressed through military force.
America is no exception. It’s just the latest example.
According to many of these Christians, including a sizable number of the evangelicals, God is really, really, really pissed off at America. We keeping ignoring his biblical admonishments against gay marriage, gay rights, women’s rights, abortion, pornography, etc., plus we continuously persecute his favorite American’s, the Christians themselves.
Well, of course God loves America the most after all look at how often it’s mentioned in the Bible .. um, .. wait.. No? Okay*, b-but look at all the time that Jesus and Moses and King David and so on spent in America where they ..erm, weren’t born, never visited and, ahem, never even knew of!
Er, no, no, that won’t do, make that look at all the number of times God -- the Christian one anyhow not silly obviously fake feathered serpents and bloodthirsty sun gods -- spent talking directly to the ancient Olmecs and Mayans and all the varied Native Americans and, er .. um, ah, nope.
Hmm .. well the Bible is written in english isn’t it? Yes? Yeah! That’s it. Yay America must be God’s country!
* Actually wait, not okay! Someone better write America in somewhere in some extra book, say, I dunno, say that, er, the American “Indians”are really Israelites maybe? Something like that. Tell’em an angel seddit, via special rocks in a hat or some such thang, yeah, that’ll work. Oh wait its been done? Thank Mammon, er Mormon!
We in Scotland are intrigued to learn that the so-called “United States of America” never declared its independence from us! Now, about all those back taxes an duties you owe us…
You in Scotland might be speaking Deutsch today. You’re welcome.
jws1@7
*whooosh*
(That was the sound of the point flying over your head.)
At the risk of going Godwin…
Do you recall the phrase, “Gott mit uns”? There is a danger in thinking God is on your side.
It’s often the same Christians making both arguments, dogfightwithdogma, appealing to the same ideal of America’s divinely sanctioned status. When other nations flout god’s laws, it’s up to us to bring them back in line. When god himself takes personal charge of punishing America’s bad behavior, he is only respecting our rank in the heirarchy and ensuring the job is done right. Compare it to their model of parental instruction.
interesting interview: