Easy Doyle, as I said I knew my post would draw fire but did not expect a full skirmish, LOL, Now here are my real feelings my rebel friend. I did a lot of research on this woman some years ago. And now I stand on the podium, if only for a brief moment:

The Battle Hymn of the Republic: Based on chapter 63 of the Old Testament’s Book of Isaiah. She was asked to write new lyrics but chose not to. To say her inspiration was based on faith and the word of God - not true.

To understand what the song is about learn about the character of its author. While the song uses religious and Christian elements, Julia Howe was no Christian and she openly rejected the fundamental beliefs of Christianity.

Her biography by Deborah Clifford clearly reveals what she believed. Ms. Howe did not believe that Jesus was the son of God. "Christ was merely a great teacher with no higher claim to pre-eminence in wisdom, goodness and power than many other men."

She did not believe in hell or that Christianity was the only pathway to God. "Christianity was but only one of God's plans for bringing all of humanity to a state of ultimate perfection."

Ms. Howe believed that man was characteristically good, and he could redeem himself by his own merits without any help from the savior.

The fact that she hated Southerners is well documented - as is her hero worship of John Brown, the Kansas murderer and terrorist. In short, she may have been religious, but hardly a Christian in the sense we understand the term.

I'm sorry, religious words do not make a godly song, even if it is in your hymnal with the proper capital letters. This anthem rallied Gen. William T. Sherman and his like to kill, no massacre Southerners.

If the Confederate Battle flag and Dixie are symbols of hate, Ms. Howe's song certainly qualifies as well.

You and yours can sing it with tears flowing if you choose, but I will not.

Can I get an amen!