# God save America
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452
**Category:** Great Debates
**Created:** [December 22, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452 "2003-12-22T14:27:35Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@BK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BK)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 2:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/1 "2003-12-22T14:27:35Z")
As an Englishman I have often wondered about this phrase, seemingly uttered by every US President after every speech. Who exactly is the God in question, I thought the USA was set up as an secular state.
Bill of Rights, Amendment I: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances.
And why he is saving America in particular? Surely religion is not bound by national boundaries. Indeed this is a cornerstone of the christian church.
My kingdom is not if this world. (John 18:36)
Cheers. đ
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### Author:  [@Ace309](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ace309)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 2:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/2 "2003-12-22T14:28:20Z")
Well, itâd be kind of presumptuous to ask God to save Canada.
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### Author:  [@TwistofFate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TwistofFate)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 2:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/3 "2003-12-22T14:34:02Z")
Itâs just as silly as asking God to save the Queen.
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### Author:  [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/4 "2003-12-22T14:40:28Z")
Are you sure you are listening correctly? The presidents have usually ended their speeches with âand God bless Americaâ. Iâve never heard a president say âGod Save Americaâ.
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### Author:  [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/5 "2003-12-22T14:40:32Z")
No one says God save America. The phrase is God bless America. And I donât think they say it even after most speeches, much less every speech.
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### Author:  [@BK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BK)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/6 "2003-12-22T14:40:57Z")
Asking God to save the queen is not silly because she is the head of the Church of England. As far as the Anglican Church is concerned she is Godâs representitive on Earth and it is presumably in his interest to keep her alive.
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### Author:  [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/7 "2003-12-22T14:41:44Z")
Not to mention, Presidents often close with, âGod bless Americaâ, or some variation. I do not believe that I have ever heard a President say âGod save Americaâ.
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### Author:  [@BK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BK)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/8 "2003-12-22T14:45:54Z")
Fine, itâs God bless America, Iâm wrong, I admit it.
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### Author:  [@Brutus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Brutus)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 2:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/9 "2003-12-22T14:46:35Z")
Huzzah! A victory for Brutus!
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### Author:  [@manhattan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/manhattan)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/10 "2003-12-22T14:52:01Z")
And in answer to your questions:
Well, pretty much every country thinks itâs doing the right thing. Here in the States, most people believe in God and hope He blesses us â guides us to do the right thing, helps us do it, gives us all kinds of goodies, etc. The implied missing word is âmay,â as in âMay God bless the United States.â Itâs kind of a begging thing. Kind of unseemly to an atheist such as myself, but mostly inoffensive.
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### Author:  [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 2:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/11 "2003-12-22T14:52:36Z")
::checks forum to make sure this is Great Debates::
Well, it would make more sense if it _was_ âGod save Americaâ, insofar as America at the moment needs saving more than it deserves blessing. Even some atheists would note that while they do not believe in God, we could use all the help we can get.
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### Author:  [@Mehitabel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mehitabel)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/12 "2003-12-22T14:58:39Z")
It marks the end of the speech, and Iâve heard it used all my life by Democrats and Republicans. Itâs also the title of an extremely popular song that people have suggested be our national anthem, so the phrase has sort of entered the lexicon generally.
And from a country whose national anthem is âGod Save the Queenâ, Iâd think youâd understand. What, the singing of it is not a total heartfelt beseeching endorsement of the Deity protecting those dumpy German folks? Itâs a catchphrase and traditional and can be sung comfortably by Catholics and athiests and other such riffraff?
Well, same here. Relax.
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### Author:  [@Eve](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eve)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/13 "2003-12-22T15:14:42Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by AHunter3 \*
> \*\*Even some atheists would note that while they do not believe in God, we could use all the help we can get. \*\*
Well, _this_ atheist rolls her eyes in mild dismay when she sees âGod Bless Americaâ stickers in store windows and on cars and peopleâs doorways. Itâs this âmy God can whup your Godâ nonsense thatâs gotten us into all this trouble in the first place.
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### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/14 "2003-12-22T15:47:45Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Brutus \*
> \*\*Huzzah! A victory for Brutus! \*\*
Had to happen eventually, just by the laws of probability⌠đ
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### Author:  [@BK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BK)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/15 "2003-12-22T16:30:31Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Eve \*
> \*\*Well, _this_ atheist rolls her eyes in mild dismay when she sees âGod Bless Americaâ stickers in store windows and on cars and peopleâs doorways. Itâs this âmy God can whup your Godâ nonsense thatâs gotten us into all this trouble in the first place. \*\*
This was my point. Besides, why would any God bless a country that was originally set up without the slightest mention of the almightly. You can say God Bless an individual but for him to bless a whole nation, a large fraction of whom either down believe in him or believe in a different flavour, seems absurd to me. I find it amusing that America is filled with so many ardent christians where as England, an official christain state, has a large majority of commited agnostics. Force anybody to believe something and they, given a little freedom, will try their hardest to believe in something else.
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### Author:  [@Squink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Squink)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/16 "2003-12-22T16:47:15Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Brutus \*
> \*\*Huzzah! A victory for Brutus! \*\*
Woooo Whooo!
Whoâs Da Man?
Brutusâ Da Man!
Brutusâ Da Man!
Brutusâ Da Man!
Yeah!
Brutusâ Da Man! đ
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### Author:  [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/17 "2003-12-22T18:11:33Z")
Isnât that one of the signs of the Apocalypse? đ
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### Author:  [@Lord\_Ashtar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lord_Ashtar)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/18 "2003-12-22T18:29:24Z")
> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by Squink \*
> \*\*Woooo Whooo!
> Whoâs Da Man?
> Brutusâ Da Man!
> Brutusâ Da Man!
> Brutusâ Da Man!
> Yeah!
> Brutusâ Da Man! đ \*\*
You gonna pull out a lightsaber and jump around and scream a bunch for us now, **Brutus**?
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### Author:  [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/19 "2003-12-22T18:40:05Z")
Thatâs one right mothafâŚ
Shut yoâ mouth!
Iâm just talkinâ 'bout **Brutus**!
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### Author:  [@Ravenman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ravenman)
#### Post date: [December 22, 2003, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/god-save-america/220452/20 "2003-12-22T18:42:58Z")
I think the phrase is just cliche. All politicians say it, but perhaps only a few really believe it.
I have noticed that Bush occasionally throws in a variation: âMay God _continue_ to bless America.â That grates on my ears.
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