Friday, September 09, 2005
I Pledge Allegiance
I have recently been convicted about pledging allegiance to the American flag. I don't think it is necessarily wrong/sinful for everyone, I just feel that I, personally, have been wrong to do this in the past. I have been too devoted to my earthly country and to my political opinions perhaps at the expense of my true country and biblical beliefs. Today, I commit to pledge my allegiance to God alone.
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13 comments:
Awsome. Personally (no offense anyone) I don't get how with Americans, patriotism, politics and religion/faith seem to get so mish-mashed together.
There was one time when I was in the states I was talking with a bunch of my people and we got onto pledging allegiance to the flag, and how as an american you're not suppose to or allowed to( one of the two) pledge allegiance to any other flag before the American flag. So I asked this question first, "If we're Christians before we're americans shouldn't we peldge allegiance to the Christian flag and the Bible before the American flag?"
They all looked at me with that deer in the head lights look and after a few moments of silence one pipped up, "Only a Yankee would think of that!"
Come visit me in TExas and listen to my kids pledge to the Bible and the Christian Flag! They put more feeling into that than pladging to the american flag and the texas flag... soooooo cute!
That WOULD be cool to listen to :) Thanks for the comments everyone. I'm not even sure of the last time I said the pledge...and I can't imagine when the next time I'll be asked to is...kinda an easy conviction to obey now that I think about it :) But I think the mindset change I've had over the past year is more important than the specific action.
Gwyn, I think it's cool the way your school does it. It seems like symantics, but I'm more comfortable pledging allegiance in the order of my allegiance.
i have a question for whitey: when has a country, its politics, and its religion not been mish-mashed together except before the French Revolution? if you want to see why society is going down the crapper in many ways, take a look at some of the political philosophy behind it--hobbes' "leviathon" and rousseau's "the social contract." all of the sudden you have a community whose basis is rationale with God excluded. i'll take the problems of mish-mash over the cruelty of atheism and arrogance of secularism.
that should say whose basis is REASON, not rationale.
AP, I think there is an even better 3rd option. A nation with a mixture of atheism, mish-mash, and fully devoted citizens of God's kingdom.
The problem with most countries today seems to be a lack of the third group.
But I may be wrong :)
God bless
i'm not convinced that "Christian nation" is a contradiction in terms. (does not mean that we see or have seen one, though.)
beyond this, my point is that you can't get away from the mish-mash--nor should you. you can't get away from it because even the most secular societies are combinations of politics/religion/patriotism to varying degrees.
second, nor should you get away from it because the gospel is culture dependent, meaning there is no gospel without culture--simply because there is no place where there is no culture and the gospel is everywhere; the gospel is not a philosophy or abstract thought--it can only be seen in a culture, else it is not the gospel that came through the Jews, to the world. this being said, it is necessarily the case that members of God's kingdom are also members of certain cultures. (while Church is a separate culture, it does not destroy culture.)
however you think about community after this is open for debate. i follow augustine that community is the sharing of common objects of love. if augustine is right, then common objects of love are not necessarily narrowed simply to 'Jesus' (all of creation was deemed good). the things shared in love by a community can be defended (add on the 'by whom' part and you have the beginning of the Just War Theory). what things are deemed worthy of defense, of course, is up for grabs--both good and bad things are loved and shared by communities which gives their form--and here, in my opinion, is where the proper theological discussion belongs. i don't think the defense (or the cultured-Christian) is ruled out of bounds immediately, though.
my apologies for a long post. you are right about the steelers. their defence will be good, but it may spend alot of time on the field if they cannot control the ball.
I have no expectation of getting away from the blending together of politics & religion on this side of eternity.
Nor do I have expect to experience the Gospel outside a culture. Actually, I happen to like North American culture for the most part (perhaps too much).
I, for one, intend to interact with my culture thoroughly throughout my lifetime. I intend to vote in my cuture. I intend to voice my opinion in my culture. I intend to raise a family in my culture. Etc.
In the past year, though, I have been reminded that we are called out one's. We are set apart. We have a different king. The applications of these realities are endless in my estimation and I intend to continue pursuit of them.
I doubt this has a ton to do with what you posted AP, but it has a lot to do with the conviction I have. I want to continue shaking off all layers of identity that aren't from Christ until I am only His.
Then, and only then, to me, can I understand my role as an American citizen in a north american culture from a proper perspective.
God bless
Adam has been having that feeling for a long time. He hates saying pledges because he thinks its border line idolatry. But I will agree with Gwyn, my class likes the Bible and Christian flag pledge.
hey matt...i completely agree with you post, except on part. i think culture will be preserved on the other side of eternity, too. the gospel doesn't destroy culture; it transforms it. i think what's good--and by being loved and shared to form communities!--will be "upgraded" in eternity and the nations will all stream to the city of God... beautiful picture Revelation gives in chs. 21-22!
I tend to agree with that actually. Thanks for commenting.
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