College Bans National Anthem at Sporting Events

It's come to this:

Fifteen months after Goshen College began allowing “The Star-Spangled Banner” to be played at sporting events, the institution’s board of directors has suspended the practice in response to complaints from students, faculty members, and alumni. The board of the Mennonite liberal-arts college has asked its president to come up with a song “that fits with sports tradition, that honors country, and that resonates with Goshen College’s core values and respects the views of diverse constituencies,” according to a press release.

The Indiana college, which has a strong pacifist tradition, allowed the national anthem to be played at games starting last March in an effort to be more welcoming to opposing teams. But the decision sparked resistance from some who believe the hymn glorifies war and distracts from the college’s Christian values.

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