why "God bless america" is problematic

so i apparently have to get a new driver's license and license plate since i live in alabama. i think this is pretty stupid. i mean what is the point of having "united states" if they aren't united concerning things like licenses? it's a total hassle to change when you move, and it serves no useful purpose other than supplying jobs for people who might not ordinarily have jobs. yet, i will render to caesar what is caesar's.

but i was at city hall the other day trying to turn in the paper work (i waited for half an hour to be told i didn't have the right stuff), and i saw the new alabama license plate with the "God bless america" slogan and the american flag backdrop. i'll leave off issues of church and state in this post, but i would like to speak to the problems with this slogan which are myriad. for the most part, i'm going to assume that i'm writing to a Christian audience because it seems Christians are usually advocating for this sort of stuff to be more in the mainstream.

first, who are we to be telling God what to do? we are the creature, not the creator. we have messed it all up. look at our lives and the amount of stuff on a daily basis we screw up. do we really think we have any business giving orders to God. maybe we should read the last few chapters of Job a few more times. now i have heard people talk about how "God bless america" is a prayer - but it sure sounds like an order, a command to me - and i don't think we're in any position to make it.

second, it doesn't seem to me that nations are things God should bless or even really care about. God loves and blesses created things like plants and animals (humans belonging to the latter category). but nations are entities we (humans) made up just like time zones and couches. why should God bless the things we make up - so that one time zone will have the perfect balance of light and quality tv programming? it just doesn't make sense. of course, it does make sense for God to bless the things God created (which it seems has already happened in their being created and receiving life). so i think what people are really saying is "God bless americans," and again, that's a problem because why americans and not everyone (see bumper sticker that says "God bless everyone, no exceptions")?

finally, let's assume i'm wrong about everything i've written. let's assume that God loves americans more than other people - that God doesn't really care for belarussians or botswanans all that much. and let's assume that we have all the things we have not because we murdered the native americans who were living here before us and stole their land and kept wealth to ourselves rather than distributing it justly, but because God blessed us with the things we have. here's the rub: haven't we been blessed enough? if we really believe that all the stuff we have came from God, shouldn't we have an ounce of compassion and say "thank you" instead of "gimme some more!"? shouldn't we recognize the people truly impoverished and starving - most of them children - and ask God to bless them and be willing to bless them in ways we can?

there is nothing Christian about a life of abundance and prosperity. Christians are called to a life of simplicity and possibly suffering. we are called to gratitude whatever our lot in life. but we are certainly called to the realization that we have been richly blessed because we have life and a shot at eternal life that we do not deserve at all. that should be enough. stop asking for more.