Goshen College, Goshen, Indiana, has gained some attention in the national media with its recent decision to play "America the Beautiful" at sporting events in place of the "Star Spangled Banner." Goshen is a small liberal arts college with a commitment to peace-making. The home page of its website (here) states, "We're passionate about making peace. If you believe in care of the earth and care of one another, if you put your faith and God before anything else, this is the college for you. We're for people who want to serve the world with joy in the name of peace."The playing of the national anthem at sports events evidently became a major issue at Goshen, which has a Mennonite pacifist heritage. Important enough to dedicate a separate web page (here) to the issue on its website. A statement by the college board (here) explaining why it voted to cease playing the national anthem reflects an intense debate between those for and against, one that seems to have pitted mostly Mennonite students against non-Mennonites. According to that statement, the supporters of the natioanl anthem believed that, "...playing the anthem does not displace higher allegiances, including an understanding of Jesus, the ultimate peacemaker, loving all people of the world. Playing the anthem also honors our country and improves community relations by welcoming and respecting the views of non-Mennonite students." Those opposed felt that, "...the College was sacrificing its peace focus and unique Mennonite identity and that allegiance should be to Christ rather than to country (and to all people rather than one nation/country). They also objected to the lyrics or said it was important to follow the College’s history and tradition and it was important to retain a position of non-conformity to the dominant culture or media influence." The board concluded that the national anthem had become seriously divisive, and their solution was to seek a replacement.
In a statement dated August 19, 2011 (here), President James E. Brenneman explained his choice of "America the Beautiful" as the song the school would play before sports events. It fits with the school's sporting tradition, honors America, reflects the school's values, and respects the views of the various factions on campus.
This is another case, like the one over the use of American Indian names for sports teams (see here) where the decision made is not as important as the debate it inspired. People with good intentions and a serious commitment to their faith can see this issue differently, which makes it sad that the issue was apparently so divisive. Both sides were imagining a more peaceful America and world and how best to express their images of peace in song. That's a worthy undertaking. The debate was a worthy undertaking and a credit to Goshen and its student body. We are fortunate to have places where such debates take place. Amen.
