Outer Rim Territories

Musings, ramblings, and nonsense from the fringe of space and time
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Patriotism or Idolatry?

The Burr in the Burgh: Patriotism or Idolatry?

What is Patriotic Worship? Someone please tell me. Is it a Christian worship service with a special prayer or two for our nation, a chorus of God Bless Our Native Land, and a memorial for those who've given their lives in the armed forces? That could reasonably be done. But it is a serious problem when pious well-meaning Christians begin to confuse the two kingdoms, the kingdom of power and the kingdom of grace. We treat the flag with equal reverence (or more) as a cross. The sayings of the founding fathers become sacred texts. We start to think it is the role of the civil government to preach the gospel. Or the gospel of Jesus Christ is subtley, incrementally exchanged for the good news of being an American.Some well-meaning, pious American Christians who believe that God has a special plan for America, almost as if the US is the new Israel, God's chosen. This is a serious and potentially dangerous error.
How many of your sermons were "themed" to focus on our country rather than Christ and the cross? Read on for more.

Posted May 31, 2006 by Christopher Gillespie 
May 31, 2006
Jason Evans Groth said...
Finally a solid Christian position on this most disturbing chain of events. It's amazing how talk my arguments with folks about the "war" we are in usually turn into arguments about religion. And the bridge is always patriotism. It's impossible to argue with and it's good to see a Christian writing a smart critique about this problem.
May 31, 2006
Christopher Gillespie said...
Agreed. Indeed it is your duty as citizen to be mindful and active in your civil government. As well you could call it a calling. But a theocracy is not necessarily how God works. Perhaps in some cases... History has shown them go haywire too many times.

American does not equal Christian. American patriotism is not a Christian value.