Very inspiring!
That yankee song.
BTTT
To Julia Ward Howe the work of Christ was incomplete. It was up to men through civil government to bring about a utopian society. She was quoted in her biography, Not until the Civil War did I officially join the Unitarian church and accept the fact the Christ was merely a great teacher with no higher claim to preeminence in wisdom, goodness, and power than any other man. (emphasis added)
The Battle Hymn theme has nothing to do with Christianity or God. It is a political-patriotic song about the destruction of the South, written in religious terminology. It is a clever product. Howe deliberately created the idea that the North was doing Gods work. She paints a picture of a vengeful God destroying His enemiesthe South, and elevating the Norths cause to that of a holy war. Howe successfully portrayed the South and its people as evil and the enemy of God.
As a Unitarian, Julia Ward Howe believed the Unitarian doctrine that man is characteristically good and he can redeem himself by his own merits without any help from a saviour. She rejected basic biblical truths such as a literal hellI threw away, once and forever, the thought of the terrible hell which appears to me impossible.
Mrs. Howe also refuted the exclusive claim of Jesus, I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me. (John 14:6) by saying, Having rejected the exclusive doctrine that made Christianity and special forms of it the only way of spiritual redemption, I now accept the belief that not only Christians but all human beings, no matter what their religion, are capable of redemption. Christianity was but one of Gods plans for bringing all of humanity to a state of ultimate perfection.
Rev. David O. Jones
I wonder if a link would be helpful?
Never. An utterly revolting song.
Bless your heart...
Ain’t as good as Dixie.