Christina Aguilera may want to consider visiting Goshen College to sing a patriotic song before sporting events, as there is no “Star-Spangled Banner” to flub. The private, Christian school has decided against renditions of the national anthem before all athletic contests:
The Mennonite campus is dropping the national anthem in favor of “America the Beautiful” before all sporting events, saying the latter song better represents the college’s religious values and pacifist tradition.
The rockets’ red glare and those bombs bursting in air are seemingly proved too violent for a college whose motto is “Healing the World, Peace by Peace.”
It will be interesting to see how this plays out over time. ROTC programs have already taken heat at Harvard and Stanford. While Goshen’s controversial decision is apparently rooted in faith, it’s not far-fetched to think that a more secular institution will try something similar.