America, nationalism, the Chicago World's Fair, and other similarly weird things

Today I learned something. Perhaps I should have known it before.

The 1893 World's Fair was held in Chicago. Previous to a class I'm taking right now on World's Fairs and spectacles, the only thing I knew about this particular fair was that Frederick Jackson Turner delivered a paper/speech about the ending of the American frontier.

Some additional things I have learned:
Context: America was determined to outdo France in this exposition - the Paris exposition of 1889 (which resulted in the Eiffel Tower) had been a really big deal, and Chicago was determined to outdo them. Go America! This fair was in 1893, and the fairgrounds were dedicated in October of 1892 - the 400 year anniversary of Columbus' discovery of America. So there was clearly some American nationalism going on here. Go us!

In the fall of 1892, the Pledge of Allegiance was written in its earliest form. It read "I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the Republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all." No "under God."

"Under God" was added in the late 1940s.

I find it really interesting that the Pledge seems to have come about the same time as American nationalism became a really big deal here... Sometimes I was under the impression as a child that the pledge always existed, and that the "under God" was from the founding fathers and that to take it out was to go against all that this country holds dear.

Actually, "under God" was a reference to Lincoln's Gettysburg Address. In addition, not all of the manuscripts of his speech included it.

Sometimes I really wish that American Christianity wasn't so tied to nationalism. It bothers me a great deal, actually. We have this idea that our country was founded on "Christian principles" and that if this is somehow found to be not true, our whole reason for existence crumbles into nothingness. In the course of my time as a training historian, if there's one thing I've learned is that "Christian" cannot always be equated with "the good guys." Christians were slave-owners. Christians accused, tried, and executed "witches" in the name of justice. Christians were exceptionalist, racist, exclusionary pigs. I no longer can with good conscience ascribe to the myth that America is somehow a "Christian nation" that God has blessed because we're so awesome. I simply don't believe it. I'm sorry.

I don't mean to upset anyone, but I think that the time for living in fear of finding out the truth needs to be done. I used to be completely terrified of discovering that the founding fathers weren't actually so "good" as we'd like to believe. I used to be terrified that if horrible things were done in the name of Christianity, then maybe Christianity's a farce. And I think that it's possible that this same fear paralyzes many Christians today.

You know, the funny thing about the founding fathers? In many ways, it appears that Thomas Jefferson was one of the leading "let's abolish slavery" guys (at least the most outspoken). He was a deist.

Also, why do Christian hymn books include patriotic songs? Especially the ones that are like...prayers to America. "My Country Tis of Thee?" Really? I mean...how is that in any sense worshipful? They kinda creep me out a little. I understand that people love their country. I love my country. I live here - it's my home, my culture. However, I am not okay with furthering myths about the "land of the pilgrim's pride."

I do like this verse of My Country Tis of Thee (added by an abolitionist):

My country,' tis of thee,

Stronghold of slavery, of thee I sing;

Land where my fathers died,

Where men man’s rights deride,

From every mountainside thy deeds shall ring!

And this one speaks for itself:

Let wailing swell the breeze,

And ring from all the trees the black man’s wrong;

Let every tongue awake;

Let bond and free partake;

Let rocks their silence break, the sound prolong.

I think it's good to pray for our country. But I think, for me at least, it stops there. God has blessed me. For whatever reason he has "blessed" this country (at least to some extent...this in itself ignores the poor and hurting that we seem to want to forget about). However, I refuse to entertain any idea of American exceptionalism, or American superiority. Because it's simply not true. I don't want to ascribe to that mentality anymore. I don't like thinking of our country as "blessed by God" because I find the whole idea of ascribing God's blessing to arbitrary political borders an odd concept. Sure, there have been lots of great Christian people who have lived here. But there have also been people who have committed atrocities in the name of a Christianity of sorts. (ironically enough, Columbus is a good example of this, and the Pledge of Allegiance was written for his anniversary)

I'll be okay if I never sing a patriotic song in a church building again.