# What does "God Bless America" mean? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [July 20, 2007, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590 "2007-07-20T21:53:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Ms.Pumpkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a87d85/32.png) [@Ms.Pumpkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ms.Pumpkin)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2007, 3:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/21 "2007-07-21T03:58:00Z")
[QUOTE=BwanaBob] …maybe it’s missing a comma, as in God, Bless America. [/QUOTE] It never occurred to me until now that there _isn’t_ a comma. I always assumed it was a simple request in command form, as in, “Dad, pass the potatoes.” Huh. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2007, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/22 "2007-07-21T04:46:39Z")
[QUOTE=Wakinyan] Religious acts doesn’t _mean_ anything, as you’re asking for. It’s like, when somebody’s real sick or something, you say, “it’s gonna be alright” (whether it’s gonna be alright or not), or when somebody’s going to an important interview, you say, “good luck”, and so on. - It doesn’t mean anything beyond the act of expressing, well, assurance. “Everything’s good, God’s watching over us”, or “I’m sure everything’s good, because the Great Father is watching over us.” People have been saying this for two hundred thousand years - it doesn’t really mean anything, it’s just, it’s just… something we do, in one way or another. Have you ever consoled anybody?, wished anybody happiness? You atheists should read up on psychology. God or no God, it isn’t as unwordly as it seems. It’s quite ordinary. Loosen up. [/QUOTE] If I sufficiently turn off my brain, I can almost understand what this post is about. ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2007, 6:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/23 "2007-07-21T06:10:22Z")
[QUOTE=Johnny L.A.] the Germans in WWII had _Gott mit uns_ on their belt buckles. [/QUOTE] [hijack] In WWI, a German propaganda catchphrase (apparently used as a greeting during that war like Heil Hitler[sup]1[/sup] was during the next) was _Gott strafe England_ (May God punish England). This is the source of the word _strafe_ in English. [/hijack] [sup]1[/sup]One wonders what Adolf Hitler said when _he_ answered the phone… but perhaps that should be a separate thread. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2007, 7:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/24 "2007-07-21T07:13:28Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] I saw an interesting message on a local church the other day. It’s an Assembly of God church, and the message reads: “America bless God”. No idea what it means. [/QUOTE] I think it can be glossed as “America, be a blessing to God,” which in turn should be interpreted as parallel to constructions like “My children are a blessing to me” or “The large harvest was a real blessing to the town” etc. So in other words: “America, be a significant and pleasing gift to God.” -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2007, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/25 "2007-07-21T13:16:59Z")
I take it as a call/plea for Americans to turn back to God and change their wicked ways or else (implied) lose his blessing. ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2007, 1:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/26 "2007-07-21T13:28:51Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] I saw an interesting message on a local church the other day. It’s an Assembly of God church, and the message reads: “America bless God”. No idea what it means. [/QUOTE] Dyslexic minister? 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2007, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/27 "2007-07-21T16:22:33Z")
[QUOTE=vetbridge] Dyslexic minister? [/QUOTE] Could be. This is the same church, that every year puts out its annual message for the **Kids Krusade** on its sign outside. ---
**Author:** ![Jake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f475e1/32.png) [@Jake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jake)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2007, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/28 "2007-07-21T17:34:09Z")
So, after all these requests, **HAS** God blessed America yet? It’s hard to tell. 😕 ---
**Author:** ![DanBlather](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f4b2a3/32.png) [@DanBlather](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DanBlather)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2007, 8:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/29 "2007-07-21T20:28:51Z")
Do you remember Bill and Ted’s Excellent Adventure when the jock is giving his incoherent speech, runs out of things to say, and then yells “San Dimas football rules” to thundering applause. God Bless America is the same. ---
**Author:** ![Wakinyan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wakinyan/32/352_2.png) [@Wakinyan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wakinyan)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2007, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/30 "2007-07-21T22:46:28Z")
[QUOTE=panache45] If I sufficiently turn off my brain, I can almost understand what this post is about. [/QUOTE] If you _unsufficiently_ turn off your brain, can you almost understand what that post is about? ---
**Author:** ![dtilque](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/d6d6ee/32.png) [@dtilque](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dtilque)\ **Post date:** [July 21, 2007, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/31 "2007-07-21T23:54:51Z")
[QUOTE=vetbridge] Dyslexic minister? 😃 [/QUOTE] Naw, a dyslexic minister’s sign would say **Dog bless America** ---
**Author:** ![straight\_man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straight_man/32/3027_2.png) [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/32 "2007-07-22T00:20:12Z")
[QUOTE=Jake] So, after all these requests, **HAS** God blessed America yet? It’s hard to tell. 😕 [/QUOTE] One of the world’s wealthiest countries, undoubtedly the most powerful – I’d say yes. The harder and deeper question is: does America _deserve_ it? (My answer is generally, “Sometimes yes, sometimes no,” in case you wondered. Then again, I’m Canadian, so my answer probably doesn’t matter for much.) ---
**Author:** ![papaw](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/b77776/32.png) [@papaw](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/papaw)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 12:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/33 "2007-07-22T00:30:42Z")
I take it as a confirmation of the fact that God has blessed America, and also a hope that that blessing will continue. Nothing about it confuses me at all. I say “nit-picker” to the OP. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/34 "2007-07-22T01:28:05Z")
[QUOTE=straight man] One of the world’s wealthiest countries, undoubtedly the most powerful – I’d say yes. [/QUOTE] I dunno about that. _Ye cannot serve both God and Mammon_, or so I’ve heard on relatively good authority (Matthew 6:24). On similarly good authority is that Satan is in charge of doling out worldly political power and riches, not God: _And the devil, taking him up into an high mountain, shewed unto him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time. And the devil said unto him, All this power will I give thee, and the glory of them: for that is delivered unto me; and to whomsoever I will I give it_ (Luke 4:5-6). (Of course, as the saying goes, consider the source – it is just possible that the devil was, well, lying.) IANAC, but in a country where most invocations of “God” comes from Christians, I do find prayers for power and influence like this oddly hypocritical. I’d prefer something like _America The Beautiful_, which invokes “God’s grace” on the country, which to my ear implies forgiveness and understanding, whereas “blessing” implies permission and empowerment. ---
**Author:** ![straight\_man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/straight_man/32/3027_2.png) [@straight\_man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/straight_man)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 1:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/35 "2007-07-22T01:45:19Z")
[QUOTE=robardin] IANAC, but in a country where most invocations of “God” comes from Christians, I do find prayers for power and influence like this oddly hypocritical. I’d prefer something like _America The Beautiful_, which invokes “God’s grace” on the country, which to my ear implies forgiveness and understanding, whereas “blessing” implies permission and empowerment. [/QUOTE] Thanking God for Earthly riches is not the same as serving Earthly riches –indeed, being thankful for what one has is a counterbalance against materialistic selfishness, is it not? Anyway, I suspect that “God bless America” is as much a prayer for guidance and protection as anything – “God bless America with more ethical leadership” would be a perfectly valid prayer, donchaknow. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/36 "2007-07-22T02:19:19Z")
[QUOTE=Qadgop the Mercotan] Could be. This is the same church, that every year puts out its annual message for the **Kids Krusade** on its sign outside. [/QUOTE] The Kristian Kids Krusade? ---
**Author:** ![monavis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e0b2c6/32.png) [@monavis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/monavis)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 11:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/37 "2007-07-22T11:28:32Z")
To me God Bless America( Or any thing, or one) implies that America is not yet Blessed and as was stated in an earlier thread with out the Comma it is meaningless. If one says,"God,please bless America(etc.) one is asking God to do something that he has already done. Like a person that says to a Parent,“feed your child”. when the child already has been fed a good meal.Why should anyone tell God what to do? And one could ask,"why hasn’t God blessed America (etc.) the saying has been out for many, many years,by many ,many people. I would think if America isn’t blessed by now it never will be. Even the word Bless could have many meanings. Monavis ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 11:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/38 "2007-07-22T11:29:53Z")
[QUOTE=Indistinguishable] It is (or was) a plea for God to bless America, expressed in the subjunctive mood in an archaic syntax, analogous to phrases such as “Long live the Queen”. [/QUOTE] Technically speaking it’s the optative subjunctive, which is used to express a wish for something the speaker has no control over: a more modern equivalent would be “May God bless America.” **Balthisar** ’s “May The Force Be With You” is an excellent analogue. It’s not the imperative, since one presumably cannot give God orders {and in any case that would require a comma and possibly an exclamation mark: “God, bless America!”}. It isn’t a declarative statement either, since that would need the subject and verb to agree: “God blesses America”. It’s a fairly outdated construction, but the optative subjuctive does tend to be found in older national anthems which contain divine exhortations: “God Save The Queen” and “God Defend New Zealand” spring to mind. ---
**Author:** ![Scissorjack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c67d28/32.png) [@Scissorjack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scissorjack)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/39 "2007-07-22T11:38:54Z")
[QUOTE=Scissorjack] **Balthisar** ’s “May The Force Be With You” is an excellent analogue. [/QUOTE] Timed out on the edit: “Live long and prosper” is another good contemporary example of this construction. ---
**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\ **Post date:** [July 22, 2007, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590/40 "2007-07-22T15:41:00Z")
[QUOTE=monavis] To me God Bless America( Or any thing, or one) implies that America is not yet Blessed and as was stated in an earlier thread with out the Comma it is meaningless. If one says,"God,please bless America(etc.) one is asking God to do something that he has already done. [/QUOTE] Whazzahoozit? Why does blessing America have to be a one-time, all-or-nothing deal? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-does-god-bless-america-mean/412590.md?page=3)