What's Wrong with "God Bless America"

Notice this is a statement, not a question.

I've been thinking about this since last week's State of the Union address. This, and every president, (and every politician) ends every speech with the phrase "God bless America." Even politicians who don't call on God any other time of the week, call on God when finishing a speech.

If I were God, I might be asking the question, "Why should I bless the United States of America?"

• Why should God bless a nation where one of every two marriages end in divorce?
• Why should God bless a nation where an abortion is as attainable as a slurpee?
• Why should God bless a nation where only 1 of every 3 people make an effort to get up on Sunday and worship Him?
• Why should God bless a nation where "free speech" has resulted in every lewd and obscene expression imaginable being broadcast on television, the Internet, and radio?
• Why should God bless a nation that only gives token acknowledgement to Himself, and only when that's convenient?
• Why should God bless a nation where the name "Jesus Christ" is freely uttered in a workplace in a blasphemous way, but unallowed to be mentioned in a workplace Bible study?

Who are we, as Americans, to believe we are entitled to God's blessings? Does God not bless those who are faithful to Him, who put their lives in the hands of Jesus, and Jesus alone?

A man (or woman) who runs for political office today is unelectable if his faith is too front and center. If the next Democrat or Republican running for President spoke the gospel plainly, and his policy positions reflected his faith, he would be dismissed as a right wing radical lunatic. The platform speech "Jesus is good for America, and abortion will be abolished in my administration" wouldn't even play in the Iowa caucus (a relatively conservative state), let alone the New Hampshire primary (generally thought of as more "liberal").

I know, I know ... I am a right wing radical; a bigot; narrowminded; dangerous; intolerant; judgmental; unfeeling; racist; blemish on society. Go ahead and criticize. Go ahead and publish your editorials in the New York Times about how out of touch I am with the real world. It's OK. I can take it. God can take it. He has big shoulders.

But don't publish that column and then ask for His blessing. We're all just kidding ourselves.