10.16.2005 | Satanic verses?

One of the best country songs, ever, by Charlie Daniels is "The Devil Went Down to Georgia." Well, Satan is most definitely afoot. At least insofar as one, count him, one, extremist in the suppression of any public expression of anything remotely related to the religion is able to suppress a harmless song.

The sad story is in today's Washington Post, and its essence is that a marching band was going to play that pesky Charlie Daniels song. The lyrics to the song are here, just in case any of y'all aren't familiar with it (if not, why not? I want a full report on my desk by 0700...).

In two paragraphs, here's what transpired (from the Post story):

But early this month, a local newspaper, the Potomac News, published a letter by a Woodbridge resident who, after having seen the C.D. Hylton Bulldawg Marching Band perform the country-western hit at a football game, wondered how a song about the devil could be played at school events, because of the separation of church and state.

Fearing bad public reaction, Hylton's longtime band director, Dennis Brown, pulled the song from the playlist. "I was just being protective of my students. I didn't want any negative publicity for C.D. Hylton High School," he said.

Well, I suppose that the letter-writer could have sincerely felt reasons. He's forgiven, and, in fact, according to the Post story, home-schools his children. Which may, or may not, say anything about his personal faith. But that's neither here nor there. The real problem is the band director, who lacked the simple fortitude to simply state the obvious: a song is just a song, and, yes, it mentions the Devil. Oooohhh. Scary.

Well, it wouldn't be the first time that a gutless school flunky fails the common sense test. It might be helpful, too, if everyone would know that the mention of God, of Satan, of Jesus, of Moses, of the Ten Commandments, of any and all of these things does not establish a state church. Not. Even. Close.

To those atheists or misguided believers who protest? Hard cheese. Start your owned damned (correct usage here) nation. Ours was founded by believers who were not afraid to appeal to Divine providence.

| technorati tag | Christianity|