Hoo boy. Brian Fischer of the evangelical American Family Association asserted yesterday that by singing “God Bless America” instead of “Take Me Out to the Ball Game” baseball has saved us from more 9/11-style tragedies.

“By God’s blessing, we have not been hit by a Muslim attack since 9/11,” Fischer said. “I suggest that in part, we have Major League Baseball to thank. You remember that the week after 9/11 Major League Baseball converted the seventh inning stretch from the singing of ‘Take Me Out To The Ballgame’ to the singing of ‘God Bless America.'”

“Now ‘God Bless America’ is not just a song, it is a prayer. When we sing that we are inviting God to bless America, to stand beside her and to guide her through the night with a light from above,” Fischer said.

“So for one brief, shining moment every night, Major League Baseball has converted our stadiums into cathedrals in which tens of thousands of ordinary Americans lift their hearts and voices as one and ask God to watch over and protect the United States,” Fischer said.

“Ladies and gentleman, I think that those prayers have been heard and they have been answered,” Fischer said.

You know, there’s so much wrong with this it’s silly. Start with the fact that only at Yankee Stadium and Dodger Stadium has “God Bless America” been regularly sung at the 7th-inning stretch in recent years. Most other stadiums stopped playing it years ago except on special occasions like playoff and World Series games.

Secondly, most Americans go to ball games to worship at the church of baseball, not Brian Fischer’s church. I’d venture to say that unless your team is behind in a close game in the 8th or 9th inning, there are very few prayers of any sort to any Supreme Being being offered up.

The man’s not only a bigot, he’s a fool.