ENID — Tiny Goshen College in Indiana recently sparked a controversy that seems worthy of pondering, particularly on a Sunday.

Goshen, with a student enrollment of 1,000, is an affiliate of Mennonite Church USA and its team, the Maple Leafs, competes in NAIA Division II athletics with basketball being the school’s largest sport. But it wasn’t its team that made news as much as itsdecision to cease playing “The Star-Spangled Banner” before its athletic events that made headlines. But it wasn’t like it was deviating from a long-standing tradition when it made the call that sparked howls of protest from those feeling Goshen was being disrespectful to the nation that has fought to guarantee religious freedoms.

A perusal of Goshen’s website makes it clear the school takes its Mennonite faith seriously, with an adherence to promoting peace throughout the world that includes a strong bent toward pacifism. The liberal arts college’s vision statement says its objective is to offer “every student a life-orienting story embedded in Christ centered core values: global citizenship, compassionate peacemaking, servant leadership and passionate learning.”

In keeping with its stated vision and beliefs, the school never played the national anthem before athletic events until 15 months ago when it began playing an instrumental version of “The Star-Spangled Banner” to be “more inviting” to visiting teams.

But the school’s board of directors, after complaints from students, faculty members and alumni, recently asked the school’s president, Jim Brenneman, to discontinue using “The Star-Spangled Banner” as the peace-oriented school felt Francis Scott Key’s composition glorified war, which runs counter to Mennonite beliefs.

The decision brought home the true dichotomy in the debate of freedom of religious expression and paying homage to the nation that enables such freedoms.

Clearly, the school has the right to play or not play any song it wants and it would run counter to everything our many valiant, brave citizens and soldiers have given in the fight for freedom.

It would be ironic if a school were forced to play a song that celebrates the birth of a nation born out of the desire for freedom.

“The Star-Spangled Banner” has become a staple at athletic events and many patriotic citizens understandably feel that we, as a nation, can surely give up three minutes or so (unless Christina Aguilera is performing the song) before an athletic event to honor our nation. But let’s be honest too, the playing of our national anthem also has become something people just go through the motions of standing up for before a game starts.

Fortunately, Goshen College came up with a solution in the face of the controversy that should put this matter to rest and please nearly all who have weighed in on the subject, and the school deserves credit for reacting and responding in a way befitting both its Mennonite heritage and our country’s pride.

The school announced Wednesday it will begin home athletic events with the playing of “America The Beautiful” and the displaying of the American flag. Many have argued over the years Katharine Lee Bates’ song, filled with emotion, should be our anthem. Who could seriously object to such a common-sense solution?

Goshen seems to have hit a home run after being down 0-2 in the count in public opinion and in the process and the ensuing debate, we saw that America, not just aesthetically, but inherently, is indeed beautiful.



Ruthenberg is sports editor at the News & Eagle. Contact him at daver@enidnews.com.