Who wrote this christian song?

Question

Onward, Christian soldiers! Duty's way is plain;
Slay your Christian neighbors, or by them be slain,
Pulpiteers are spouting effervescent swill,
God above is calling you to rob and rape and kill,
All your acts are sanctified by the Lamb on high;
If you love the Holy Ghost, go murder, pray and die.
Onward, Christian soldiers! Rip and tear and smite!
Let the gentle Jesus bless your dynamite.
Splinter skulls with shrapnel, fertilize the sod;
Folks who do not speak your tongue deserve the curse of God.
Smash the doors of every home, pretty maidens seize;
Use your might and sacred right to treat them as you please.

Onward, Christian soldiers! Eat and drink your fill;
Rob with bloody fingers, Christ okays the bill,
Steal the farmers' savings, take their grain and meat;
Even though the children starve, the Savior's bums must eat,
Burn the peasants' cottages, orphans leave bereft;
In Jehovah's holy name, wreak ruin right and left.

Onward, Christian soldiers! Drench the land with gore;
Mercy is a weakness all the gods abhor.
Bayonet the babies, jab the mothers, too;
Hoist the cross of Calvary to hallow all you do.
File your bullets' noses flat, poison every well;
God decrees your enemies must all go plumb to hell.

Onward, Christian soldiers! Blight all that you meet;
Trample human freedom under pious feet.
Praise the Lord whose dollar sign dupes his favored race!
Make the foreign trash respect your bullion brand of grace.
Trust in mock salvation, serve as tyrant's tools;
History will say of you: "That pack of Goddamn fools."

Answer 1

"Sunday, January 22, 2006
Onward, Christian soldiers!
I just found this old IWW (Industrial Workers of the World) song, made in response to World War I. I'm sure you will all understand why its irony is poetic even 100 years later (Note: I am a Christian, just not one who justifies murder with the Cross):

Christians at War (John F. Kendrick - 1916)"

Answer 2

Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.
Christ, the royal Master, leads against the foe;
Forward into battle see His banners go!

Refrain

Onward, Christian soldiers, marching as to war,
With the cross of Jesus going on before.

At the sign of triumph Satan’s host doth flee;
On then, Christian soldiers, on to victory!
Hell’s foundations quiver at the shout of praise;
Brothers lift your voices, loud your anthems raise.

Refrain

Like a mighty army moves the church of God;
Brothers, we are treading where the saints have trod.
We are not divided, all one body we,
One in hope and doctrine, one in charity.

Refrain

What the saints established that I hold for true.
What the saints believèd, that I believe too.
Long as earth endureth, men the faith will hold,
Kingdoms, nations, empires, in destruction rolled.

Refrain

Crowns and thrones may perish, kingdoms rise and wane,
But the church of Jesus constant will remain.
Gates of hell can never gainst that church prevail;
We have Christ’s own promise, and that cannot fail.

Refrain

Onward then, ye people, join our happy throng,
Blend with ours your voices in the triumph song.
Glory, laud and honor unto Christ the King,
This through countless ages men and angels sing.

Refrain


Baring-Gould wrote about this hymn:

Whit-Mon­day is a great day for school fes­tiv­als in York­shire. One Whit-Mon­day, thir­ty years ago, it was ar­ranged that our school should join forc­es with that of a neigh­bor­ing vil­lage. I want­ed the child­ren to sing when march­ing from one vil­lage to another, but couldn’t think of any­thing quite suit­a­ble; so I sat up at night, re­solved that I would write some­thing myself. “Onward, Christ­ian Sol­diers” was the re­sult. It was writ­ten in great haste, and I am afraid some of the rhymes are faulty. Cer­tain­ly no­thing has sur­prised me more than its pop­u­lar­i­ty. I don’t re­mem­ber how it got print­ed first, but I know that very soon it found its way into sev­er­al col­lect­ions. I have writ­ten a few other hymns since then, but only two or three have be­come at all well-known.

This hymn was sung at the fun­er­al of Amer­i­can pre­si­dent Dwight Ei­sen­how­er at the Na­tion­al Ca­thed­ral, Wash­ing­ton, DC, March 1969.

Answer 3

Social injustice.
Jesus hated it.
He called the arrogant Jewish elite out on it, which is the main reason why they hated Him.
To those who are listening, He calls the elite out on it today.
Should we blame Him, then, when His followers do things He did not command?
Are these "Christian soldiers" this song points at...or are they fighting for their own greed?
I think the last verse says it pretty well...

I'm not so worried what History will say of us, though.
What will God say?

Answer 4

Sorry that you have sch a slighted view Christians. Maybe if you met the right ones it would change your minds. Saying all Christians are alike or agree with the politics of the nation is a gross generalization. I understand your frustration, but wish you would not pick on those who choose to worship in peace.

Creative writing, but bad song choice...

Answer 5

It is sad that so many have besmirtched the name "Jehovah" along with true Christianity. In fact, Christendom today continues to teach a false religion that disagrees with bible truth.

For example, true Christianity is unique in that it has no provision for its adherents to engage in warfare. Those ostensible "Christians" who do so ignore the Scriptures and the teachings and example of Jesus Christ himself.

(Matthew 26:52) Jesus said to him: “Return your sword to its place, for all those who take the sword will perish by the sword

(Isaiah 2:4) They will have to beat their swords into plowshares and their spears into pruning shears. Nation will not lift up sword against nation, neither will they learn war anymore.

(2 Corinthians 10:3-4) We do not wage warfare according to what we are in the flesh. For the weapons of our warfare are not fleshly

(Luke 6:27-29) I [Jesus] say to you who are listening, Continue to love your enemies, to do good to those hating you, to bless those cursing you, to pray for those who are insulting you. To him that strikes you on the one cheek, offer the other also

Learn more:
http://watchtower.org/library/g/2002/4/8/article_01.htm
http://watchtower.org/library/t15/peaceful.htm

Answer 6

I think the original writers of Onward Christian Soldiers
(Sabine Baring-Gould and Arthur Sullivan) would turn
over in their graves if they'd had to read your version.
Whoever wrote this version should be ashamed.

Answer 7

And so on and so on it goes and goes. People always looking back at the past, and blaming present day people. The African Americans blame us for their slavery, even though the ones blaming weren't slaves, the others are blaming us Christians for past murders, destruction, and corruption even though we didn't commit it. The list is never ending, somebody always has to blame somebody for everything.

Answer 8

Bob Saget

Answer 9

A closed-minded individual with way too much time on his hands.

Oh ! And what a surprise that you're still single !

Answer 10

I'm guessing it was someone with a smug arrogant picture for an avatar.