Should "God keep our land glorious and free"?

[Canada 02]

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servl...daDay2008/home

as Canada becomes ever more multinational and pluralistic, are those words still appropriate?

Given Canada's history of intertwined politics and religion, and given Canada's increasing multicultural nature, should all references to "God" be removed from our national anthem, O Canada? What does the inclusion of "God" say about our country? What would its elimination say about our country?

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Put me down as a big no for chaning it.

I know all the angry persecuted Athiests are gonna say it has no place, and that it's another attempt for those evil christians to push their faith upon them, but in this case I think it's appropriate to live with a little bit of a historical bias for the sake of tradition.

[arloiginla]

^^^^ What he said.

People are way too sensitive sometimes.

[jayswin]

I don't think people should say or do anything, that would be a perfectly politically correct world. A utopia if you will.

[Resolute 14]

What does the inclusion of "God" say about our country? It says we were founded on Christian prinicples, and still operate on them in many respects.

People do not have the right not to be offended, nor do they have the right to "sanitize history" because this country is rooted in a religion not of their belief.

[Canada 02]

I think it was changed once from "O Canada, glorious and free" to the current version that includes God

[Matata]

Speaking as an angry, persecuted atheist, I don't think it should change. The inclusion of 'God' represents the ideals and traditions of the people who made this country such a wonderful place to live, nothing wrong with that.

I do feel a little awkward singing that line, but its not all about me.

Maybe they can change it to 'dude', that'd be 10 kinds of awesome.

[Igottago]

Well its not like "god" is a word particular to one religion. Its a term that many religions could use to describe their creator. It seems to me that God is a general enough term that it shouldn't really offend anyone...its not like we sing "jesus keep our land" or "allah keep our land", or "xenu keep our land".

[flip]

No for changing it for me as well.

I am about the biggest religion hater around as well as being an agnostic/atheist but there is no reason to change this. It's a damn song, you can't change the lyrics this many years after it has been written.

Now one thing they should change is the hand on the bible in the courtroom, if they haven't already I'm not sure.

[PowerPlayoffs06]

If you go by the original French lyrics, which the English version isn't a direct translation of for some reason, there's actually no mention of god, just faith.

Edit: After looking it up, it's true there's no mention of god, but it does mention carrying the cross, which may or may not be worse depending on how you look at it.

[J pold]

I’m in no way a religious person more an atheist if anything but you cannot change the anthem

[Bring_Back_Shantz]

Originally Posted by flip

No for changing it for me as well.

I am about the biggest religion hater around as well as being an agnostic/atheist but there is no reason to change this. It's a damn song, you can't change the lyrics this many years after it has been written.

Now one thing they should change is the hand on the bible in the courtroom, if they haven't already I'm not sure.

Yeah, you can swear on whatever you want, it doesn't have to be a bible.
I think the wording is that it has to be a morally binding oath.
I'm sure if you just said, I'm an athiest, I'd like to swear an oath on this picture of my mother they'd be just fine with that.

[Canada 02]

Originally Posted by J pold

I’m in no way a religious person more an atheist if anything but you cannot change the anthem

while i agree that the anthem should not be changed again, it has been changed several times

[llama64]

If they are going to remove the reference to God, might as well rework the whole dang thing.

And besides, if "atheists" find it offensive, they should really rethink the definition of atheism. The reference should strike them as merely trivial and meaningless, not offensive.

Now, other faiths I could understand being some what offended. But Canada was founded by a Christian culture and remains predominantly so. Doubt anything is changing soon.

[MelBridgeman]

changed it to Flying Spaghetti Monster

or hookers and blow

got it over with

[4X4]

If it gets changed they might as well eliminate 'sons' from the lyrics as well. We wouldn't want to offend the daughters.

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy inhabitants command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Yuck.

[PowerPlayoffs06]

Hmm, from Wikipedia:

The English version of the anthem has been criticized, by feminists such as Senator Vivienne Poy, as being sexist.[12] In 2002, she introduced a bill to change the phrase "in all thy sons command" to "in all of us command". In 2006, the anthem's religious references (to God in English, and to the Christian cross in French) were criticized by secularists.[13][14]

...


In June 1990, the city council of Toronto voted 12-7 to change the words of the Canadian national anthem, “O Canada”, because they thought the words were offensive to immigrants. They voted to change "our home and native land", to "our home and cherished land". It is not, however, within the power of Toronto city council to change the words of the national anthem.

[Fozzie_DeBear]

Put me down as a no...

And isn't a little Jesus-centric to think that God=Christian (Obviously it was a Christian god...but still)

I say keep it...Religious types can say God, Dyslexics can say Dog, and athetists can can just nothing

[jayswin]

Originally Posted by PowerPlayoffs06

If you go by the original French lyrics, which the English version isn't a direct translation of for some reason, there's actually no mention of god, just faith.

Edit: After looking it up, it's true there's no mention of god, but it does mention carrying the cross, which may or may not be worse depending on how you look at it.

The reason is that the English version would sound ######ed if it was directly translated. Is there anyone that wants to translate the French one to English?

[troutman]

Originally Posted by 4X4

If it gets changed they might as well eliminate 'sons' from the lyrics as well. We wouldn't want to offend the daughters.

O Canada!
Our home and native land!
True patriot love in all thy inhabitants command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide, O Canada,
We stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Yuck.

"native land" offends immigrants too

http://forum.calgarypuck.com/showthr...ically+correct

http://makepeace.ca/anthem.html

For all those who may object to singing the official words of
the national anthem because they weren’t born here (my home
and native land), aren’t male (in all thy sons command) or
value the separation of church and state (God keep our land)
I offer a more politically correct version:

O Canada!
Our home and cherished land!
True patriot love in all of us command.
With glowing hearts we see thee rise,
The True North strong and free!
From far and wide,
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
Come, keep our land glorious and free!
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.
O Canada, we stand on guard for thee.

Maybe "come" will offend those with E.D.?

Personally, I don't care, in fact, I could do without anthems before sporting events. But, shouldn't a national anthem represent all citizens, not just some of them?