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Commentary: Should U.S. flags fly in sanctuaries?
umcom.org ^ | June 1, 2007 | Rev. Clayton Childers

Posted on 06/03/2007 3:28:21 PM PDT by Condor 63

As a staff member at the United Methodist Board of Church and Society, I am frequently asked questions that require me to go where "angels fear to tread." Questions about displaying national flags in the church's sanctuary take us into that treacherous terrain.

Many United Methodist churches maintain a tradition of placing the United States flag in the sanctuary, by the altar, within the chancel, or at another prominent location on the church grounds. I heard of one case in which the U.S. flag actually covered the altar itself. So we must ask: Is this an appropriate use of the national flag from both a Christian and United Methodist perspective?

(Excerpt) Read more at umc.org ...


TOPICS: General Discusssion; Mainline Protestant; Religion & Culture; Religion & Politics
KEYWORDS: christianity; churchandstate; flags; methodist; patriotism; symbols; usflags

1 posted on 06/03/2007 3:28:22 PM PDT by Condor 63
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To: Condor 63

Heck Yes they should fly in sanctuaries. Flew in everyone I attended growing up.


2 posted on 06/03/2007 3:31:01 PM PDT by festus (The constitution may be flawed but its a whole lot better than what we have now.)
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To: festus
Commentary: Flag display affirms God’s blessings

By the Rev. Richard Stewart

June 1, 2007

Is it appropriate to display the United States flag in United Methodist churches during worship services?

As a life-long United Methodist, and as a former active-duty chaplain in the U.S. Army, I have no question as to its appropriateness. And, as a U.S. citizen, I find it hard to imagine why some people would not want to display the flag at their place of worship. In fact, I would be very concerned if the flag was banned from those times in which we come together corporately to worship God.

Since my childhood, throughout my years of wearing the military uniform of our country and in the years since, the U.S. flag has stood as the symbol of all that is good about this nation. I, along with countless others - both citizens and non-citizens - wore the uniform and served under the flag of this country, ready to give our lives for all it symbolizes. For those soldiers who fought our battles long ago and continue to fight them at this very moment, for those who died and continue to die in behalf of our nation, placing the flag in our sanctuaries demonstrates that the God who was with soldiers in those scary places is certainly with them now.

FULL STORY


3 posted on 06/03/2007 3:36:42 PM PDT by Condor 63
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To: Condor 63
Commentary: Should U.S. flags fly in sanctuaries?

This is an interesting topic.
When I took a decade-long "sabbatical" from my flyover-country homeland,
I lived in West Los Angeles.
A neighbor lady complained about how liberal her Presbyterian
congregation had become...because they no longer had Old Glory
and the California State Flag in their sanctuary.

Funny, it was something that I'd never thought of before...
because even though I grew up attending hard-right mainstream
Churches of Christ in Oklahoma...
We NEVER had a flag in church buildings.

And I dare say that if a real "Pearl Harbor" happened, the draft-eligible
males in those congregations would have "signed up for the duration"
at about the 80-90% level.

Given what HE said about "render unto Caesar", our conservative
congregation didn't have a flag.
But the values imparted in the sanctuary did inform us what to do
in the time of our country's crises!
4 posted on 06/03/2007 3:40:22 PM PDT by VOA
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To: Condor 63

In my Catholic parish church the former pastor took out both the USA and Vatican flags from the sanctuary years ago. They are now hanging from the choir loft which is never used by the choir anymore; the choir now crowds up into the sanctuary to sing.


5 posted on 06/03/2007 3:55:08 PM PDT by Macoraba
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To: Macoraba
In my Catholic parish church the former pastor took out both the USA and Vatican flags from the sanctuary

Interesting. I can understand the former although I don't agree with it, but not the latter...

For the record, my Church displays Old Glory. Our Pastor even sang a fine rendition of America the Beautiful and God Bless America from the pulpit the Sunday prior to Memorial Day in honor of our fallen Veterans. It was quite moving.

I suppose the fact of where I live allows him to do it without having to hear a bunch of grief. I wonder if he could elsewhere. Regardless, I know exactly where his heart it so I much appreciate the fact he does it.

6 posted on 06/03/2007 4:08:36 PM PDT by Condor 63
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To: Condor 63

**Commentary: Should U.S. flags fly in sanctuaries? 88

Why not?


7 posted on 06/03/2007 5:02:42 PM PDT by Salvation (†With God all things are possible.†)
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To: Condor 63
No.

Inappropriate to have it in the place for the worship of God or to pledge allegiance to it there, in my opinion.

8 posted on 06/03/2007 5:10:51 PM PDT by Lee N. Field
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To: VOA

This foreign concurs. The churches here in New Zealand normally don’t fly the flag as it is deemed the state. Only the Anglican and Presbyterian churches fly the English/Scottish “saints” flags on designated days, and at some major churches, the Southern Cross on flagpoles ouutside.


9 posted on 06/03/2007 5:37:38 PM PDT by NZerFromHK (The US Founding is what makes Britain and USA separated by much more than a common language.)
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To: Condor 63

My synagogue displays the American Flag and that of Israel.


10 posted on 06/03/2007 6:11:35 PM PDT by onedoug
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To: Condor 63

We never had them when I was growing up - it seemed to be something that you saw more in Yankee churches than in Southern churches.

I always wonder what message is intended by putting the flag in the sanctuary - is that church only for Americans? Should forigners worship somewhere else? Is the church showing loyalty to the state?


11 posted on 06/03/2007 8:33:00 PM PDT by PAR35
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To: PAR35

The Presbyterian church in New Zealand flies the colours of Scotland on St Andrew’s Day, while the Anglican church here always flies the St George’s Cross, the Southern Cross, and sometimes the Union Flag (and even all three).

But maybe it is because of the unwritten special privileges these two denominations enjoy in NZ’s constitutional arrangements.


12 posted on 06/03/2007 10:10:39 PM PDT by NZerFromHK (The US Founding is what makes Britain and USA separated by much more than a common language.)
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To: Condor 63

I don’t like it, and never have. But then the Lutheran churches in the US were required to put the flag on the altar pretty much by force during WWI.


13 posted on 06/04/2007 4:05:17 AM PDT by redgolum ("God is dead" -- Nietzsche. "Nietzsche is dead" -- God.)
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To: Condor 63
I would say that as long as we are a Country that aborts it's babies, no

That said - there should be an American flag flown for every soldier who has given thier life in service

14 posted on 06/07/2007 9:57:51 AM PDT by Revelation 911
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