Do Some Evangelicals Go too Far in Their Efforts to Bring Patriotism into the Church?

The 2016 presidential election brought politics and faith together in a way that excited some evangelical voters but made others uneasy. Then-candidate Donald Trump courted the evangelical vote in an astonishing and unprecedented way, and the melding of Christianity and nationalism created a most unusual marriage.

Trump's nationalism combined with the effort to win evangelical voters gave some Protestant leaders, like the Southern Baptist Convention's Russell Moore, pause. Other leaders, like Liberty University President Jerry Falwell, Jr. and Texas pastor Dr. Robert Jeffress, placed themselves firmly within the Trump camp, which paid off come Election Day.

Jeffress appears to have doubled down on this nationalistic take on Christianity. This past Sunday at his church, First Baptist Church of Dallas, the congregation celebrated Freedom Sunday.

Thankful to have American hero @JeffStruecker and our own Ensign Phillip Metcalfe with us this morning for Freedom Sunday at @firstdallas. pic.twitter.com/s3oNNoO2Hz— Dr. Robert Jeffress (@robertjeffress) June 25, 2017

The service took place, complete with church members waving little American flags, the choir and worship team leading the congregation in patriotic songs, and fireworks. You read that right — fireworks.

Professor and blogger John Fea chronicled the service and weighed in:

People waved American flags during the service.

The last time I checked, the waving of the American flag was a sign of support or loyalty to the nation. Jeffress had no problem allowing such an act to take place in a church sanctuary–the place where Christians worship God as a form of expressing their ultimate loyalty. Patriotism is fine. Flag-waving is fine. But I wonder if any of the congregation felt uncomfortable that all of this took place in the church sanctuary on a Sunday morning.

One of the songs that the congregation sang was Woody Guthrie's folk song, "This Land Is Your Land." For those who don't know, Guthrie wrote the song as a godless alternative to "God Bless America." The original verses will make your head explode, and even if you don't have a problem with patriotism in the church, the inclusion of "This Land Is Your Land" should make your blood boil.

All of this begs the question: what place does patriotism have during a church service? Granted, First Baptist of Dallas's service appears to be way over the top, but can a church service focus on nationalism or patriotism?

It's a tricky question, really. Mentioning holidays like Independence Day, Memorial Day, and Veterans Day during the service is fine. Praying for our country is wonderful — and vital. Talking about our freedom is great, especially if the sermon or discussion centers on our freedom in Christ. But an entire Sunday morning service turned into a festival of patriotism turns America into an idol.

A Sunday morning church service should serve as a reminder to believers that our true citizenship isn't in America or anywhere else on this planet. Our foremost allegiance is to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and our primary citizenship is in heaven. Our temporary, earthly American nationality doesn't even come close.

The always brilliant John Piper puts it this way:

When we are born again, we are united to Christ, our King, and we are delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred into the kingdom of the Son of God so that now it can be said with glorious and profound reality, “Our citizenship is in heaven” ( Philippians 3:20).

Therefore, wherever we live on earth, whatever country, whatever tribe, whatever family or clan, we are pilgrims, sojourners, refugees, exiles in all of those. Our first identity is with the King of the universe, not any country or nationality or political party or governmental regime.

America is emphatically not our primary home or primary identity. That should be spoken. It should be felt and it should be precious. We should never be ashamed of identifying, first and foremost, as citizens of the kingdom of Christ, the kingdom of heaven.

Therefore, Piper concludes, our worship services should reflect our place in God's kingdom. Thanking Him for our blessings and our freedom as Americans is wonderful, but anything else — whether it be the Pledge of Allegiance, a patriotic song, or any other element of a church service that turns the focus on America and away from the Gospel — emphasizes the wrong allegiances.

There's nothing wrong with loving your country, and being a good citizen is actually something the Bible commands of us. I love America, and I believe that patriotism is a wonderful thing. But it's a secondary thing, and our heavenly community towers infinitely above our national identity.

As we enter our churches this Sunday morning (or whatever part of the weekend your church service of choice happens to fall), may we focus primarily on our allegiance to the God who created us, redeemed us, and loves us more than anything else. May we never forget the primacy of our belonging to God and His kingdom. Let's save our unbridled excitement at being American for Independence Day — there's plenty of time that day to celebrate!

And the Pledge of Allegiance was written by a socialist who wanted children to do a Nazi-like salute while reciting it (to be fair, it was pre-Nazi, which is why we put our right hand over our heart instead), but was co-opted as a conservative statement of loyalty to the flag and the republic.

And the Christmas tree and wreath were co-opted from pagan religion, and All Saints Day was scheduled to co-opt Samhain. Christ is the Lord of the Universe, and deserves all praise, including and especially that which was meant to be scorn.

And when I pledge allegiance to the U.S. flag in the middle of a sanctuary in the middle of a worship service, I am pledging loyalty to my country as a subset of my loyalty to my Lord. When the country deviates from the Lord, we must obey God rather than man; otherwise, I love my country as part of my love for Christ, because it is by the blessing of God that I live in peace and prosperity in a peaceful, prosperous land.

“13 It was in faith that all these persons died. They did not receive the things God had promised, but from a long way off they saw them and welcomed them, and admitted openly that they were foreigners and refugees on earth. 14 Those who say such things make it clear that they are looking for a country of their own. 15 They did not keep thinking about the country they had left; if they had, they would have had the chance to return. 16 Instead, it was a better country they longed for, the heavenly country. And so God is not ashamed for them to call him their God, because he has prepared a city for them...” - Hebrews 11

I pray for America. I prayed for Trump’s election, and asked God to spare us President Hillary Clinton, and the appointment of “The Clinton Court”.

But when I go to church, I want to focus on the “better country they longed for, the heavenly country.”

The government is openly supporting homosexuality, transsexuals, rejoicing in men competing in sports as women, using tax payer dollars via NPR & PBS to support anti-Christians values, and has been prosecuting Christians who dare to exercise their freedom of religion. A national “Use Your Own Bathroom” law would never pass. I doubt it would get a majority of Republican votes, and it certainly would not pass.

“For a soldier to officially change gender requires only some paperwork. A military doctor or civilian medical professional must certify that the transgender person has achieved “stability in the preferred gender” and the soldier must change the gender designation on the soldier’s passport or birth certificate. From that point on, the transgender soldier is “expected to adhere to all military standards associated with their gender,” and “use the billeting, bathroom and shower facilities” of their new gender.”

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3566780/posts

America is STILL the most Christian nation I know of. My Dad spent 27 years in the military before dying in Vietnam. I spent 25 years in. My kids have served in Iraq and Afghanistan. But I see no need to put an American flag up in the church.

We flew the flag yesterday in our yard. But I don’t think it is needed in church. I’m in church as a citizen of another country, “And so God is not ashamed for them to call him their God, because he has prepared a city for them...”

As we have begun, of late, to react to the movement in the late 1800's then self-identifying as a "liberal" movement (though not of the classical liberal interpretation), which has become the driving force in American politics under its new and preferred moniker, "Progressive," we have been compelled to recognize it for what it always has been, a deliberate and contrived effort to undermine and overthrow the great principles underlying the philosophy of America's Declaration of Independence and Constitution.

Such a "Liberal/Progressive" undertaking was initiated and has been led by many in the so-called "academic" community from the start, as can be documented easily for any whose interest and concern for preservation of the Constitution and its protections for religious liberty motivates them.

Removing any vestiges of religion from the "public square," or any vestiges of so-called "political speech" from religious spaces seems to have been a pet cause for radical "progressives." Why?

Are such ideological cultists so threatened by ideas conveyed by Judeo/Christian communities that they would exclude them from participation in our Republic's matters of state?

This thread aims at another facet of the discussion. For more perspective on the topic of this thread, readers might wish to review Professor Ellis Sandoz's Volumes on Political Sermons of the American Founding Era . . . ." - here.

Query: if sermons from the pulpit are dangerous to the Constitution, and if they are to be excluded from appropriate political debate, then why were these Sermons which pre- and post-date the Constitution, as published by Professor Sandoz, not criticized by the Founders themselves and/or subsequent Supreme Court decisions?

Just asking.

Read the Revelation of Jesus Christ, Chapters 2 and 3 to get Jesus’ take on organized religion, and who constitutes the true “Body of Christ”. They are called “over comers” or “victors” in different translations.

Forget the Apostates! Be a VICTOR!

Revelation 17
7 The angel said to me, “Why are you amazed? I will explain to you the mystery of the woman and of the beast that carries her, the beast with the seven heads and the ten horns.
http://www.usccb.org/bible/revelation/17

Romans 10
8 But what does it say?
“The word is near you,
in your mouth and in your heart”
(that is, the word of faith that we preach),
9 for, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
10 For one believes with the heart and so is justified, and one confesses with the mouth and so is saved.
11 For the scripture says, “No one who believes in him will be put to shame.”
12 For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all, enriching all who call upon him.
13 For “everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved.”

http://www.usccb.org/bible/romans/10

Revelation 2
7 “’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To the victor I will give the right to eat from the tree of life that is in the garden of God.”’
- - - - -
11 “’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
The victor shall not be harmed by the second death.”’
- - - - -
17 “’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.
To the victor I shall give some of the hidden manna; I shall also give a white amulet upon which
is inscribed a new name, which no one knows except the one who receives it.”’
- - - - -
24 But I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, who do not uphold this teaching and
know nothing of the so-called deep secrets of Satan: on you I will place no further burden,
25 except that you must hold fast to what you have until I come.
26 “’”To the victor, who keeps to my ways until the end, I will give authority over the nations.
27 He will rule them with an iron rod. Like clay vessels will they be smashed,
28 just as I received authority from my Father. And to him I will give the morning star.
29 “’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
- - - - -
Revelation 3
4 However, you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their garments;
they will walk with me dressed in white, because they are worthy.
5 “’”The victor will thus be dressed in white, and I will never erase his name
from the book of life but will acknowledge his name in the presence of my
Father and of his angels.
6 “’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
- - - - -
7 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia, write this:
“‘The holy one, the true,
who holds the key of David,
who opens and no one shall close,
who closes and no one shall open,
says this:
8 “‘“I know your works (behold, I have left an open door before you, which no one can close).
You have limited strength, and yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name.
9 Behold, I will make those of the assembly of Satan who claim to be Jews and are not,
but are lying, behold I will make them come and fall prostrate at your feet,
and they will realize that I love you.
10 Because you have kept my message of endurance, I will keep you safe in the time of trial
that is going to come to the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
11 I am coming quickly. Hold fast to what you have, so that no one may take your crown.
12 “‘“The victor I will make into a pillar in the temple of my God, and he will never leave it again.
On him I will inscribe the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem,
which comes down out of heaven from my God, as well as my new name.
13 “‘“Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’
- - - - -
20 “’”Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and
opens the door, [then] I will enter his house and dine with him, and he with me.
21 I will give the victor the right to sit with me on my throne, as I myself
first won the victory and sit with my Father on his throne.

22 “’”Whoever has ears ought to hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”’”
- - - - -

* [2:7] Victor: referring to any Christian individual who holds fast to the faith
and does God’s will in the face of persecution. The tree of life that is in the
garden of God: this is a reference to the tree in the primeval paradise (Gn 2:9);
cf. Rev 22:2, 14, 19. The decree excluding humanity from the tree of life has
been revoked by Christ.

http://www.usccb.org/bible/revelation/2
http://www.usccb.org/bible/revelation/3

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