← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Centinel
Thread ID: 12604 | Posts: 2 | Started: 2004-03-01
2004-03-01 23:17 | User Profile
From SCV Camp 469: [url]http://www.scvcamp469-nbf.com/battlehymnofrepublic.htm[/url]
The heritage, the very existence, of the Confederacy is now under attack by self-serving factions whose sole purpose is to rewrite history and discredit the South and the memory of the soldiers who fought for The Cause. As such, Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest SCV Camp 469 is determined to do our part to bring to light the truth about such issues as the flag, slavery and hate groups. Each month will feature a pertinent question with an answer based on fact, not twisted half-truths.
QUESTION: Is The Battle Hymn of The Republic a Christian Hymn, or is it Martial Music?
The name Dr. Samuel Howe is largely forgotten in the pages of today's history, but in his day he was well known with the radical Abolitionist movement. Among his actions, he was a financial supporter of the ill-fated raid on Harpers Ferry. However, his wife, Julia Ward Howe, is better remembered, earning her place in history for her literary contributions to the Abolitionists movement. In 1862, the second year of the Civil War, she visited Washington, DC. When she saw the campfires of the Federal troops encamped on the outskirts of the city, she was moved to pen the following poem, later put to music:
*Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord
He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored
He has loosed the fateful lightening of His terrible swift sword
His truth is marching on.
I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps
They have builded Him an alter in the evening dews and damps
I can read His righteous sentence by the dim and flaring lamps
His day is marching on.
I have read the fiery gospel writ in burnished rows of steel
As ye deal with My contempters, so with you My grace shall deal
Let the hero born of woman crush the serpent with his heel
Since God is marching on.
He has sounded forth the trumpet that shall never sound retreat
He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat
O be swift my soul to answer Him! Be jubilant, my feet!
Our God is marching on.
In the beauty of the lilies, Christ was born across the sea
With a glory in His bosom that transfigures you and me
As he did to make men holy, let us die to make men free
While God is marching on. *
Of course, everyone will recognize this as the Battle Hymn of the Republic, supposedly both a religious and a patriotic song taught in schools and sung in churches throughout the country.
While there is no denying Mrs. Howe's literary talent, and she used this talent extensively in her fight against slavery, a person who has sung this particular piece must eventually wonder whether they have understood the message. Do they realize what it is they are singing?
Firstly, it is certainly NOT a religious song; if it were, things being as they are, it couldn't be sung in the public schools. Thus, as is determined in the following analysis, while it certainly relies heavily on Biblical symbolism, it is clearly meant to be a call for war.
Perhaps at this point one should consider Mrs. Howe's own religious beliefs. She was a Unitarian and, as such, did not believe that the Bible was inspired, nor did she believe that Christ was the Son of God, nor did she believe in a judgment to come. Nevertheless, she was extremely well read and possessed a strong grasp of the Bible as literature. In this context, she freely used the powerful Biblical symbolism to present her beliefs in terms that implied God's sanction.
Anyone with a modest understanding of the Bible, particularly the Book of Revelation, will quickly grasp the significance of her words. Consider the verse, ;Let the hero born of woman crush the serpent with his heel. The first part of the line is obviously taken from Genesis 3:15, ;And I will put enminty between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; he shall bruise thy head and thou shalt bruise his heel.; To Howe, the seed of woman refers to the northern soldier; theologians have generally taken this seed of woman to be the Christ.; Secularists might consider this is a minor point, but from a religious perspective she grants to man a position that the Bible reserves for Christ. To her and her collaborators the end of slavery would be a key step in which the human race, not the Christ, would bring in the Millennium.
The second part of the line is also quite vivid in symbolism. ;Biblically, the serpent is taken as a symbolic representation of the literal Devil. To these abolitionists the Southern people were evil incarnate; they were beyond redemption, fit only to be bound and tossed into the pits of hell. The words call for something more than war. They speak of total war, of Armageddon. They call for no quarter and no mercy.; The war between the Federal and Confederate factions is not a contest between nations, between two peoples, but between God and the very forces of evil. To Mrs. Howe, the salvation of the world begins not with the vanishing of sin by the Savior, but as a result of the destruction of the South by the Northern armies.
"He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored". The vintage symbolizes the blood of the Southern people. The spilling of Southern blood is justified as God's judgment of this people. The loss of Northern blood also serves God's purpose.
"He is sifting out the hearts of men before His judgment seat. ; The war is a test of a man's commitment to God. One might pose the logical set of questions: "Is this the criteria that a minister would want to present in a message to his congregation? Can a man go to heaven through military service? Is this the criteria that a song leader would want to present to the congregation in song?
"As ye deal with My contemptors, so with you My grace shall deal. This verse suggests an alternate plan of salvation. Zealous service in this war is offered as a means of ensuring God's grace. A sort of "If you don't get to heaven through Christ's blood, Southern blood can substitute". Is this the plan of salvation that your Church would condone in a sermon? Should it be condoned in song?
It's unimaginable that this particular song has gained such wide usage within churches, especially when sung in Southern churches. A church might want to have some type of patriotic theme on particular holidays, but it would seem that something might be preferred more in tune with traditional Christian beliefs.
On both Memorial Day in May and Veterans Day (Armistice Day) in November, song leaders in churches everywhere must consider what music is appropriate for the occasion. In light of the above explanation, it would seem that they might wish to choose music that is not offensive to those with either Northern or Southern ancestry. More importantly, they might wish to choose something not offensive to Christians, such as the above ...
ANSWER: Martial Music
Note: Recently this site has received several inquiries pertaining to the veracity of the views expressed in reference to this particular link. Since it is obvious sacred ground is being trod upon, please refer to any or all of the three links listed below to help clear up any questions.
Thank you.
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[url=http://www.texasls.org/reading_room/history/battle_hymn_refuted.shtml]http://www.texasls.org/reading_room/history/battle_hymn_refuted.shtml[/url]
[url=http://www.texasls.org/reading_room/recent/twain.shtml]http://www.texasls.org/reading_room/recent/twain.shtml[/url]
[url=http://www.truthinhistory.org/battlehymn.htm]http://www.truthinhistory.org/battlehymn.htm[/url]
2004-03-02 00:34 | User Profile
I prefer Glory, Glory to Old Georgia, dixieland version. :thumbsup: