http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1724796/posts
Posted on 10/24/2006 4:50:49 AM PDT by jmaroneps37
For generations we have sung a song about America that we learned as grade school children. It is a beautiful expression of what our great country means to us, and in fact the whole free world. Since it has probably been quite some time since we have thought about this song in its entirety, it seemed fitting to take a look at all of the words to America the Beautiful in the context of today’s world.
America the Beautiful Words by Katharine Lee Bates, Melody by Samuel Ward
O beautiful for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!
This beautiful song starts out by with a plea to Almighty God to shed his grace on America. Immediately it builds the case that without God we are just an ordinary country.
O beautiful for pilgrim feet Whose stern impassioned stress A thoroughfare of freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God mend thine every flaw, Confirm thy soul in self-control, Thy liberty in law!
This verse acknowledges America’s mission under the Almighty to build a “thoroughfare of freedom …. Across the wilderness. It says we know we are God’s instrument for spreading freedom, the freedom we enjoy only through His will.
Next it calls upon Americans to confirm the healing and mending of our national soul by doing our part and practicing self control.
It brings home the point that liberty comes from laws built around God’s laws, not ours.
O beautiful for heroes proved In liberating strife. Who more than self their country loved And mercy more than life! America! America! May God thy gold refine Till all success be nobleness And every gain divine!
Our heroic forefathers are highlighted in this verse. It points out that it is selfless love of country that has made this the greatest country the world has ever known. Those who have gone off to fight for America, or worked for the country’s safety at home, in time of war are the real American heroes. The “me – me – me” generation has not contributed to American greatness.
Next it reminds us that our wealth and the very way we live is a product of our original willingness to keep God with us in all our actions. It brings home the point that “ every gain [ must be considered divine]. Without God, this beautiful song points out, we would have no prosperity.
O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed his grace on thee And crown thy good with brotherhood From sea to shining sea!
Here we are asked to keep in mind that America as a concept is the dream of patriots who were willing to fight for greatness, with God at their side, because they understood the big picture. They understood our suffering, will not be in vain and we will grow and prosper with God at our side even in spite of the worst days in our history.
This verse begs God’s grace and asks Him to recognize that we need His help in achieving our lofty goals of brotherhood and equality for all people, if we are to live them out in every corner of our nation.
O beautiful for halcyon skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the enameled plain! America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till souls wax fair as earth and air And music-hearted sea!
“Be with us always our God”. This verse says. Our country is beautiful as long as God sheds His grace on America.
O beautiful for pilgrims feet, Whose stem impassioned stress A thoroughfare for freedom beat Across the wilderness! America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till paths be wrought through wilds of thought By pilgrim foot and knee!
“Pilgrim foot and knee!’ This could not be clearer. It talks of using our feet to spread the gift of freedom and about bending our knees in prayer to the Almighty.
O beautiful for glory-tale Of liberating strife When once and twice, for man's avail Men lavished precious life! America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till selfish gain no longer stain The banner of the free!
“Til selfish gain no longer stain…” Generously spreading freedom and the “Banner of the free” is our half of the agreement with God that has made us the great country we are. It is our God appointed mission to bring blessings of freedom and liberty to every corner of the world. God put this element in our national DNA. If it were not for America all the world would be in the dark clutches of the worse this existence has to offer. God has anointed America as the country He has chosen to be His sword of freedom on earth.
O beautiful for patriot dream That sees beyond the years Thine alabaster cities gleam Undimmed by human tears! America! America! God shed his grace on thee Till nobler men keep once again Thy whiter jubilee!
It closes by once again praying for God’s grace to help America every single day.
We can not rely on others to see to our safety. We must look up, stand up, buckle up and kick up our intensity. It’s roll up our sleeves time.
We American conservatives are the heirs of the bounteous goodness promise to us by God as described in this great song written in 1893. The message is clear. This country is a gift that God gave to the world. He has designated America to be His instrument of change and comfort for the oppressed. From the days of our revolution, our forefathers freely and unabashedly called upon God to send down His graces to sustain our nascent dream of liberty and justice for all, not just Americans but for the whole world, as our mission from Him has been spelled out.
We are the sons and daughters of those who risked their lives and well being to fight for the freedoms God promises to those who follow His laws not their own.
This great nation can not survive if we allow those who put party over country to gain power. We will fail and be a distant memory very quickly, if those who don’t have the courage to lead are given the offices of leadership. For the sake of our families and those who will come after us the Democrats can not be allowed a seat at our nation’s counsel of power.
Cowardly cutting and running from the challenges and attacks of terrorists determined to murder us and our families violates our pact with God to be His instrument of righteousness on earth. Murdering our own children because they are inconvenient, men “marrying” men, women “marrying” women is a slap in God’s face and a rejection of the very laws he has given us to live an upright life with.
The liberals stand for all of the things that violate God’s laws. They are determined to pull us away from what has made us the great nation we are. They have driven God from our schools and they will drive God from every part of our civil life if they get control of our country.
As the descendants of Revolutionary War America, we must not allow the Democrats as the representatives of liberal thinking, to win this November. We must keep the Democrat’s hands off of the wheels of power. We must reaffirm America’s compact with the Almighty.
The world is waiting and hoping for America to do what is right. The world understands that the lights of freedom and liberty go dark if America flinches from her responsibilities to be the protectors of the world. Will we step up and retake our inheritance of God’s graces? I believe we will.
Even in the days of the Revolution only 1/3 of the people fought for our freedoms. They didn’t worry about the other 1/3 that stayed home and hid in their basements with two flags waiting to see which one to wave. They didn’t worry about the 1/3 that fought against our liberty and freedoms. They didn’t count heads or take polls in 1776. They knew what had to be done and the went out and did the things they knew would bring victory: THEY FOUGHT, HARD.
You and I, as a modern day conservatives, are now called to fight for what we have. You know we can’t let the Democrats win so they can surrender to the terrorists. You can’t be concerned with the polls. Turn out will win this race. Wringing our hands and hiding under our beds on Election Day won’t help us. Not allowing them to win is within your power. No one can make you stay home but you.
Think this is NOT true? Do you doubt that our Founding Fathers placed their trust in the power of God to shape and nurture our nation? Read on:
As you walk up the steps to the building which houses the U.S. Supreme Court you can see near the top of the building a row of the world's law givers and each one is facing one in the middle who is facing forward with a full frontal view. It is Moses and he is holding the Ten Commandments!
As you enter the Supreme Court courtroom, the two huge oak doors have the Ten Commandments engraved on each lower portion of each door.
As you sit inside the courtroom, you can see the wall, right above where the Supreme Court judges sit, a display of the Ten Commandments!
There are Bible verses etched in stone all over the Federal Buildings and Monuments in Washington, D.C.
James Madison, the fourth president, known as "The Father of Our Constitution" made the following statement:
" We have staked the whole of all our political institutions upon the capacity of mankind for self-government, upon the capacity of each and all of us to govern ourselves, to control ourselves, to sustain ourselves according to the Ten Commandments of God."
Take the matter in your hands: Control this election. Do these things:
1) Give a donation to some Republican
2) Volunteer at a headquarters.
3) Put up signs call your friends.
4) Plan on going to the 72 hour push somewhere. http://www.GOP.com/72hour
ONE VOICE SPEAKING TRUTH CABN RISE ABOVE A STORM OF LIES!
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1724796/posts
Very, very good!
There was just one part I thought could have been changed:
"1) Give a donation to some Republican."
I'd say a better choice of words would be "Give a donation to a Republican who you know to be trustworthy and devoted to the common good."
I loved "America the Beautiful" as an elementary student in the late 50s and early 60s. Is there a single public school left in America that still lets children sing this song? How many of our children know this song today?
Great post, BTW.
We certainly always sang it at my prep school - since Katharine Lee Bates, the author, had been on the faculty of that school! :)
I'm probably the only heretic here who has never really liked that song. Although the lyrics are inspirational, I find the tune very annoying. Not sure why, but I do. On the other hand, I think that the Battle Hymn of the Republic rocks and should be our national anthem!
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