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June 26th, 2011
01:00 AM ET
My Faith: Why I don't sing the 'Star Spangled Banner'
By Mark Schloneger, Special to CNN I choose to belong to a strange tribe. Goshen College, my alma mater, made national news this month when its board of directors decided that the “Star Spangled Banner” would not be played before athletic events. As could be expected, the decision was met with confusion and contempt. Wasn’t this just another example of our traditional values being trampled by the unrelenting march of political correctness? What sort of ingrates object to our nation’s anthem, anyway? Fluffy-headed campus philosophers? Lazy latte-sipping liberals? The decision not to play the national anthem reversed last year’s decision to play it for the first time in Goshen College’s 116-year history. That, too, caught the media’s attention. It also caused widespread concern and confusion among the college’s students, professors, alumni, supporters and, yes, donors - many of whom felt like playing the anthem compromised the college’s Christian values. Goshen is a small school in northern Indiana that's owned and operated as a ministry of Mennonite Church USA. I am a Goshen graduate, a longtime member of the Mennonite Church and the pastor of a Mennonite congregation. Mennonites live in countries all over the world. Though we speak many languages, have different ethnic origins, and express our faith in diverse ways, we all claim the Anabaptists in 16th century Europe as our spiritual ancestors. The Anabaptists agreed with most of the ideas of the Protestant Reformation but felt that reformers like Martin Luther and John Calvin didn't go far enough. Anabaptists rejected the practice of infant baptism, for instance, believing that water baptism should be reserved for believers who confess a faith in Jesus. Because they understood the exercise of state power to be inconsistent with the church’s identity and mission, Anabaptists also advocated for the strict separation of church and state. This then-radical stance was prompted by both theology and necessity: Anabaptists had the distinct notoriety of being tortured and killed by both Catholics and Protestants wielding the power of the state against them. Instead of compromising their core convictions about what it means to follow Jesus, thousands of Anabaptist men and women adhered to their freedom of conscience even as they were mocked by neighbors, burned at stakes and drowned in rivers. Although there certainly are diverse viewpoints among individual Mennonites today, we continue to advocate for the strict separation of church and state. Most Mennonite churches do not have flags inside them, and many Mennonites are uncomfortable with the ritual embedded in the singing of the national anthem. That’s because we recognize only one Christian nation, the church, the holy nation that is bound together by a living faith in Jesus rather than by man-made, blood-soaked borders. To Mennonites, a living faith in Jesus means faithfully living the way of Jesus. Jesus called his disciples to love their enemies and he loved his enemies all the way to the cross and beyond. Following Jesus and the martyrs before us, we testify with our lives that freedom is not a right that is granted or defended with rockets’ red glare and bombs bursting in air. True freedom is given by God, and it is indeed not free. It comes with a cost, and it looks like a cross. It’s a strange tribe to which I belong, and sometimes it’s hard to be strange. We struggle to be inclusive in our welcome yet passionate in our identity. Our desire for acceptance, for approval, is strong, and we don’t always live up to the convictions that we set before us. We must repent of that, for the world cannot know of its brokenness and hopelessness without a people who show a holistic way of life. The world cannot know that there is an alternative to violence and war without a people of peace making peace. The world cannot know that the weak and the vulnerable are cared for by God without a people practicing an economy centered on sharing and mutual aid. The world cannot know the unsurpassable worth of human life without a people who consistently work to protect it - in the fetus, in the convict, in the immigrant, in the soldier, and in the enemy. These convictions do not reflect ingratitude or hatred for our country. Rather, they reflect a deep love for the church and a passionate desire for the church to be the church. Mennonite beliefs and practices seem bizarre to some and offensive to others. But it’s life in this strange tribe that keeps me faithful to what I believe. I love my country, but I sing my loyalty and pledge my allegiance to Jesus alone. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Mark Schloneger. soundoff (4,381 Responses)« Previous 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88 89 90 91 92 Next »
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The CNN Belief Blog covers the faith angles of the day's biggest stories, from breaking news to politics to entertainment, fostering a global conversation about the role of religion and belief in readers' lives. It's edited by CNN's Daniel Burke with contributions from Eric Marrapodi and CNN's worldwide news gathering team.  |
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Editor's Note: Mark Schloneger is pastor of Springdale Mennonite Church in Waynesboro, Virginia.
The idea that a church school wants to separate itself from 'the state' is a good argument and valid and I would have had no problem saying, "That is the school's choice." However the man goes on to say that rejection of the song, and various other government based things (IE:pledge and such) are because he refuses to celebrate war or pledge his loyalty or allegiance to his own country. WHAT? A person can pledge to their spouse, to their children, to even their job all varying degrees of loyalty, you can in fact be loyal to more then one thing. If your 'god' says you can only be loyal to him/her/it then you sir live a LIE. Stop hiding behind your god to find a fence to stand on somewhere so that whoever wins in the end you can hop off of and stand there. You live and breathe and exist in this country because men and women for decades have fought and bled and died to keep you safe, and give you the freedoms that you do have. Does it have a cost HELL YES. Freedom does NOT come free and you sir need to pay the bill like we all do and respect, HONOR and be loyal to your damn country or get the hell out.
I'm an atheist and sing the anthem or god bless America with pride.
Good for you. You get 15 brownie points.
to
Even though I do not agree, I am glad to know that our Country is a free place where people like the Anabaptist can live freely and securely.
God bless America and whatever it takes to keep our land prosper and free.
Real Christians don't fear death my friend. They are braver that any military. Real Christians will go anywhere on earth to help others, even if it cost them their life. Christians don't carry weapons. They know that God will take care of them until they have completed their mission.
First Amendment protections allow the author the freedom to not sing the National Anthem. Fine. The same First Amendment protections allow me to dismiss Mennonites as a bunch of religious wack-jobs.
As the old saying goes: religion and astrology are both havens for fools.
Religious whack jobs, patriotic whack jobs = Same things.
I respect this graduate. The Republic is dead. Pledging to the flag is sheeplish a horse crap illusion still being promoted by the gov.. This once great nation is now criminal. Killing over 4 million in Iraq in the name of freedom including many poor innocent families. 100's of thousands forced into refugee status and fled to foreign lands to survive. Reality is the current wars are fought for empire building and resources like energy. The fighters are mercenaries collecting paychecks. For the last 50 years it's all been empire building. Since when do we kill people in their own country in their own homes calling them "suspected terrorists" with drones. Not even a fair trial. No respect for sovereign borders. It's criminal not patriotic.
It's all a lie. Your freedom is a lie. Most people in America are working slaves for banker interest payments on cars, homes, and education. I ask you where did the bankers get the right to take paper and ink, or electronic digital entries, and create the value you borrow and make payments on so the bankers can benefit from interest received? The principle was created out of thin air. The deposits on hand in the banks amount to about 4-5% of the money loaned. The evil system is called fractional banking has enslaved everyone to interst bearing payments.
You are a slave to the gov. for taxes. Between taxes and interest payments you can never get ahead. Your nation is a lie. It's not a Republic and not even a democracy. It's a socialist / fascist nation. Your wealth is a lie. It's all fiat. Every fiat in the history of the world eventually was worth zero. The US dollar, reserve currency of the world, soon to devalue everyone into poverty. The same currency that has starved many in the third world through inflation and stolen the wealth of many nations for the last 40 years through deception by trading unlimited printed paper, digital electronic entries created out of thin air for sweat off their backs of the world so we could have Walmart trinkets. This is ending. The world now knows the truth about fiat paper. Your privacy is a lie. Indiana courts just ruled an officer of the law can enter your home anytime he wants to without notice to you. Welcome to Amerika. Please keep pledging alliance to the regime.
We should all just leave, right? I mean, it seems like you have such a problem with it. Why stay? Are you lazy?
@Alienxfb14, you have this strange idea that if a person doesn't agree with what their country is doing then they should leave. I don't believe in blind patriotism. I will stay and fight for change. Thanks.
You should lead the charge!! CHAAAARRRGE!!!!!!
You're right, there are lots of people who don't like their country. Most of them end up here. Like Mexico. Those people don't seem to stop at words. They're definitely not lazy. You should take some pointers!
Someone in the USA finally woke up, I welcome you back to reality. I have no problems with the USA helping other countries with it military however not with bombs and brute force. Has USA ever questioned why it invaded Iraq or Afghanistan? Iraq had no WMD and Bin Laden was in Pakistan (so it seems), the good part is a little good came out of invading the wrong countries.
America is simply not the country it used to be, and it is sad to see another American telling you that if you do not like it leave. Real shame that person could not wake up and enter reality once again.
Actually, people question it all the time. Including myself. Do I like that we did that? Absolutely not. Could it have been handled better. Most definitely. But not singing the National Anthem isn't going to solve all of that. All it shows me is that you take for granted everything you have, you've never worked a day in your life, and you have no idea how many BILLIONS of people in the world wouldn't give their left arm to trade places with you.
No, America is not perfect. But if you find me a country that is, I will gladly move there in a heartbeat and never sing the Star-Spangled Banner ever again.
Fair enough AlienX, I have very little, I work 5 days a week but i do agree with you that lot of people would trade places with me. The BIG but is America has sunk so low that people do not wish to be American as much as they once did. The country has changed so much in the last ten years that i believe it is actually repelling immigrant and those crossing the border from Mexico are just looking for a safe place to live until things cool down.
There is no perfect Country but what's you reason for living in the far from perfect country? As there are far better countries in the world today other than the USA.
I sing the Star Spangled Banner in Punjabi.
Awesome!
Please Don't
this is garbage.
I am glad the Mennonite pastor and his congregation has the freedom to worship according to the dictates of their conscience. It is a freedom that was not freely earned, nor one that is freely maintained. The Anabaptist tradition is an important part of America but it would not exist were it not for the sweat, tears, and blood of the American military. From the Revolution which gave birth to a nation based on freedom, to the Civil War which gave it a new birth, to the conflicts of the 20th Century, to the soldiers, sailors, Marines, airmen, and Coasties who give their all to our nation today, the price of freedom has been very high. Even Jesus knew that the use of violence is appropriate in some cases.
Amen
And in what cases did Jesus advocate violence? And please don't use his becoming angry in the temple, where no one was injured or killed. And you ar ecorrect in your statement that freedom costs a great deal. For those who have abandoned the faith of Christ by embracing nationlistic civic religion, freedom may be costing them their discipleship as well as their souls.
Some of the colonies had freedom of religion prior to the Revolutionary War, you know. Pennsylvania was founded by William Penn who was a Quaker, another religious sect that was persecuted in England, as a colony that firmly established freedom of religion. That's why so many Mennonites and Amish Mennonites settled in Pennsylvania. There was freedom of religion on this continent before the war happened.
Please, Matthew, reference your last statement about Jesus being okay with the use of violence. I must have missed that one in my Bible.
I am not Mennonite, but was once a Jehovah Witness. They have similar beliefs. I am now Methodist, but I still believe that I should only show alligiance to my God. I stand during the Pledge each week with my students. I stand at the beginning of events for the National Anthem. I do these things out of respect but for that reason only.
The Star Spangled Banner takes way too long to sing and its potency is diluted by the time you get to the end of it. It's rather embarrassing. The national anthem needs to be updated with the latest service pack. The American flag could use an update too. I doubt either will be changed, but I don't see why an alternative anthem and flag cannot be added for the sake of variety.
National spirit is getting destroyed because of a handful of idiots. Till today we never knew of this small tribe/sect/cult, whatever. All these are cropping up all over the world and creating an unnecessary distraction to other important aspects of the world. The majority should unite together and crush it.
The Romans tried hard to crush Christianity.
too bad they didn't succeed
And do what? Force them to sing the national anthem? You're funny.
@Kirti: If you've never heard of the Mennonites, that makes you the idiot, not the author of this article.
Please don't include all of us in your "we" statements. Many of us have known who the mennoites are and what they stand for for quite some time. Although I am not a mennonite, I applaud their faithfulness to what they believe as opposed to allowing the "Christian" culture of America to change their beliefs through its persecution of such groups. A cult? Simply because they deny nationlistic claims upon their group, a group that seeks to be the forerunners of true peace instead of embracing the myth of redemptive violence?
LOL, actually, the Roman Emperor Constantine made Christianity the official Religion of Rome...
so adhere to your ideas of what it means to be American or be crushed? pure fascism
Sounds like the famous words of Hitler....
How sad.
Because the Church has NO blood stained borders. It is only responsible for people acting like fools and destroying each other.
Yes, clearly...it is ONLY responsible for those things. It never feeds or clothes people through donations and charity. It never causes people to be nice to each other. And it never gives people with life-threatening diseases or complications a reason for hope and to carry on with their lives.
I recognize the bad things Religion has cause. But that fact that you don't recognize the good things makes you a pathetic pessimist.
and not like the American people don't give to charities or send food to 3rd world countries, or provide medical care for those parts of the world who lack it. I do not wish to compare a country to a church or religion but where is the humanitarian aide coming from these days? from churches, no from governments. Not just the US but all over the world. STOP preaching that the church is the only place to gain these things.
If god is real he sounds like a jerk. He's omnipotent, so there's no point in making us suffer considering he knows exactly what will happen. It seems like he's just doing it for the lolz. Of course, I'm not a very devoted religious person so I could be wrong.
We are God's LoL Cats and demotivational posters.
God knows what will happen but he is letting us live our lives and make our own fate doesnt that sound better than being like a robot and not having the option to do what you want you either choose to expect Jesus Christ died for our sins and spend an eternity in paradise or just believe what you want and spend an eternirty in the lake of fire
I am an American born in Poland I love this country and the opportunity it gave me and my family. I would go to war for American no matter who the enemy is. I sing the star spangled banner with honer and pride. This is the greatest country on earth. I have traveled throughout the world and would not want to live anywhere else. Its sad to see some Americans take this for granted.
I notice how no Americans who constantly bash America commented on your post. Funny....
Amen
Who really cares about some strange cult in BFE that refuses to respect the country that gives it the very freedom to practice it's anti-patriotic ways? I can atleast appreciate the irony.
So, let me get this straight? Because they put their faith in God above their faith in a nation... because they obey the laws set fourth in their Bible above the traditions proffered by conservatives... because they're willing to suffer derision for such beliefs... that makes them bad citizens?
You would've made an AWESOME roman.
Lately my sadness has been over our youth rejecting religion, so to find your church in the first phase of fragmenting it's relationship with the United States is more than sad; it is shocking & embarrassing,
The youth are smart to reject religion, and patriotism, and anything else where they are just following a pack mentality.
Either you're illiterate or incompetent. Go read the article. The man just gave you a thoroughgoing account of the Mennonite movement and its link to the Anabaptists of the Reformation. Mennonites have ALWAYS been a separatist sect, even in–and especially in–America. This isn't some newfound anti-American movement, and the fact that you could get that out of this article proves that people like yourself are what is really wrong with this country. LEARN TO READ.
Lots of self-identified Christians would be the first to turn away Jesus.
This is probably true. Jesus was pretty stern against religions of man. And that's what a lot of Christianity seems to have turned into these days. Less bible reading, and just more going to church on sundays to look good for society.
But then again that really doesnt have much to do with this article at all.
I agree, we have many so called "christians" as long as the religion supports their beliefs rather than the other way around.
America is really being damaged by stupid people, who are able to get the nonsense they say heard by other stupid people who think it makes sense.
And whom do you mean? The fool who believes in God, or the fool who doesn't follow him?
Well, the answer is simple, you don't want to be protected by the American government eventhough it is broken, looks to me like your one of the problems, Get on the bus or get out. Its easy for people and a relligion like your to kick sand in the face of normal Americans but whe you need help, who do you call ? You want all the benefits but don't want to do your share to protect those freedoms. Your extremest views are no better than the extrem muslems.
So let me get this straight: A man who insists on turning the other cheek and living peacably in obedience to the tenets of his faith is to be considered an extremist on the same level as a man who straps a bomb to his back (or someone else's) and proceeds to blow up infidels?
How is singing the national anthem has something to do with protecting our freedoms? Just more patriotic baloney.
@Simon Do you like living here in America? Are you proud of it? If not, why don't you leave? Is it because you're lazy? Or are you just someone who stops only at words? Which is it?
Looks liek someone didn't read the article. Just automatically spewed his ignorant, vile bigotry in a sea of arrogance against God. Getting all too common these days if you ask me. Ignorance is rampant.
Lance
So let me get this straight: A man who insists on turning the other cheek and living peacably in obedience to the tenets of his faith is to be considered an extremist on the same level as a man who straps a bomb to his back (or someone else's) and proceeds to blow up infidels?
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@ Lance, lets get you straight. Absolutely! If that man with a bomb is walking towards a daycare walks past a man who turns the other cheek and does nothing because of his "faith" then yes. He is just as bad. Another example, Lincoln could've use the "turn the other cheek" way of thinking, and let the South secede and continue on with slavery. He didn't. Straight enough for you?
lol, so I have to agree with my country in order to live here. Riiiight. I hate to tell you this but many people don't love the country they live in.
There are things I appreciate about the US and other things that I think are totally messed up.
I don't believe in blind patriotism though.
Ah, you're lazy. Gotcha. Makes sense...
I agree that church and state should be separate but there is no mention of God in the national anthem, the pledge is a different story.
The idea is, it's a Christian (so, religious) school, and therefore it should not be involved in state-related things like the National Anthem, a song full of un-Christian themes (such as war).
Indeed, and the orinignal pledge didn't have any mention of God in it, either!
I should have read this article closer. Upon a second look, it seems some Christian actually sees the separation between church and state. That's cool. I don't like it when religious and political viewpoints are integrated.
Most Christians push very hard to uphold the seperation of church and state. Which, controversially, includes when the state tries to change the meaning of a word that is a christian invented, holy sacrement. It's kinda odd to see the left claim opression from the church on the meaning of marriage, when in fact it is the other way around. But i guess thats because i take a non-biased non-religious view point on things. But that's what's going on.