God In Australia's National Anthem
Sam
'Advance Australia Fair' was written more than 100 years ago and
adopted as Australia's national anthem in 1984.
The Australian Constitution - like its US counterpart - states that
government should not establish a national religion. In Australia's
case, the logical conclusion is that the national anthem should NOT
mention 'God' - unlike countries like the US, the UK and New Zealand
(the NZ and UK anthems even include 'God' in their titles!).
However, some churches, such as St Paul's Cathedral in Melbourne use a
revised version of the national anthem that says:
O God, who made this ancient land,
And set it round with sea,
Sustain us all who dwell herin,
One people strong and free.
Some politicians argue that this 'Christian' version better reflects
Australia's historical roots and thus should be adopted instead of the
current anthem. Others question whether there should be any single and
formal national anthem at all. Should any flag-raising ceremony allow
for a number of alternative versions, just like one can choose to swear
an Oath or make a Pledge of Allegiance? Many people actually see
'Waltzing Mathilda' as more quintessentially Australian than 'Advance
Australia Fair'.
Should singing of anthems and gestures like salutes to the flag and a
hand held over one's heart be formalized and legislated in the first
place? Can any such ceremony be sufficiently inclusive? Doesn't it
effectivily ban people who feel differently, while prohibiting them to
take part in alternative ceremonies that better suit their background?
Should the whole idea of a national anthem be abandoned? That would
have huge consequences for all kinds of ceremonies, such as the Olympic
Games? Indeed, why not make the brave step to decide - as a country -
to stop encouraging people into such mass-psychosis? Why not grant
singing some artistic freedom and leave it up to people to make up
their own mind as to what songs and lyrics they prefer? Why not
dissociate ourselves from events such as the Olympic Games, as
misrepresenting what Australian values stand for?
What's your view?
Sam