Gott Mit Uns

Everybody's talkin' about Bagism, Shagism,
dragism, Madism, Ragism, Tagism,
This-ism, That-ism
--Give Peace a Chance, John Lennon

We guard our world with locks and guns
And we guard our fine possessions
And once a year when Christmas comes
We give to our relations
--Rebel Jesus, Jackson Browne
__________________

Ranger hangs out at a coffee shop adjacent to the American Legion Post 13, and recently noticed a sign on the Legion's bulletin board: "For God and Country".

This concept is in their constitution and some of their goals are the furtherance of Judeo-Christian values like family, daily prayer and attendance at weekly church services. This post has monthly in-house church services.

The Legion's position dovetails nicely with a House of Representatives that recently paused from attending to issues like the budget deficit, soaring unemployment and myriad other Gordian Knot problems to reaffirm in a 396-9 vote that the U.S. national motto is "In God We Trust" (reminiscent of the motto on every German soldier's belt buckle in World War II.) Our Founders de facto motto, E Pluribus Unum, got ditched around the time of the McCarthy era Commie scares.

The American Legion is also devoted to 100% Americanism, a volatile cocktail of God-isms and patriotisms. As a former Army man, why do I not remember taking an oath to any God when I joined the military? This prompted the following thoughts:

[1] Ranger is a full patriot, but resents the Legion forcing a god upon me. While I do not believe in god, this does not make me any less of an American.

[2] If there were a God, why would we think He or his Son would particularly favor the U.S.? Is God political? The basis of Christianity is love thy neighbor as thyself, and the U.S. has flubbed that up on numerous occasions. Furthermore, shouldn't that neighborly love be extended to nasty Islamic hadji terrorists? How does the Legion's faith in doctrine -- turn the other cheek, for instance -- comport with modern warfare?

[3] Did God or His Son tell us to preemptively kill, or to torture and kidnap? How do we deify a tortured guy hanging on a cross and not feel empathy for those we torture?

[4] How did my country get hijacked by the God crowd? What do they do with a person like me?

[5] Godliness and patriotism are not synonymous. If one were godly, patriotism would be a foreign concept.

[6] Why do we struggle with aborting a fetus and ramp up the faithful by ascribing personhood to non-people, but have no problem dropping bombs on real people? Is the fetus sacred and actual life, not?

[7] Why would a God of a nomadic, Semitic tribe relocate to America and favor white-skinned people?

Before devolving into absurdity: Why is our nation great because it recognized the need to separate church and state, yet our congressionally-established fraternal organizations force the concept of god down our throats?

That just feels unAmerican.