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Should Churches Display National Flags?

As a Christian I object to reciting the pledge of allegiance, "honoring" the flag, or any similar acts of nationalism for a couple reasons:

1.) It sends the message of devoting oneself to a government, even if that government's actions go against the teachings of Jesus Christ

2.) These patriotic rituals often cross the line of pride, arrogance, and self-righteousness, characteristics that the Bible speaks out against

I recently attended a church that had a US flag on display in the sanctuary but no cross (though there was one outside). While national flags certainly have their place in society, should it really be in a church? I would be especially curious to hear the opinion of anyone who works at a church or any other place of worship.

This is one of the reasons why I left the Jehovah's Witnesses. I'm not devoting myself to the government when I say the pledge, or let Ole Glory fly. I'm celebrating my nation, and what makes us as a People what we are. Do I have national pride? **** yes I do, but that's not the same as the sin of pride. The sin of pride is self-pride which places oneself above God.

Honestly, if the church focused more on the actual teachings of Christ than his death, I might still be a Christian today.
 
Your form of government. Not the executive branch or the legislative branch or the judicial branch which currently exists. But the notion that these 3 branches exist due to the fact that the US is a republic.

It specifically states THE republic. No the idea of republicanism. I don't buy that argument.


Like in Africa. There is nothing to be proud of if you are an African living in Nigeria or Sudan.

If most of Africa is your idea of "average success" then what is your idea "poor success"? :lol:


If you are an american, there is much to be proud of in your country.

True.

There is also much to be ashamed of... especially a lot of politicians and public discourse and the nutjobs that exist.

Also true.


But overall, when you add the good and substract the bad, it comes out as a big positive.

The point is not whether good outweighs the bad, but that there is bad in the first place. That is why I refuse to give any government/institution/individual besides God my unconditional support as the Pledge implies I should do.


Yes, it is a tricky thing. I grant you that, but pride of ones nation and good accomplishments is not tricky, it is right.

It is not right when the pride makes one devoted to that institution no matter what. That is idolatry.




Yes, it does. There is a saying: A fool is not a fool enough if he isn't full of pride.

That doesn't say anything about mediocrity. Sinful pride is sinful pride, whether or not it is born out of mediocrity.
 
america is a chrisitian country i know alot about this so you need to just understand that the consdtituion is inspired by god and bible based. why in thefirst part of the constituion does is say god gave us liberaty??? thats proof. idolatry is worshipping false gods a flag isnt god hahaha!!! what church do you go to???

America has never been a christian country ... not even close ... A Christian country wouldn't let 20% of its children wallow in poverty and go hungry, or restrict healthcare from people in order to keep it a for profit industry, no would it bomb other countries for control of oil, or go to war at all. But put all that aside, there cannot be a christian country because christians don't believe in national boarders, we are all children of God and put our trust in the Kingdom of God "we do not put our trust in Nobels" as it says in the scriptures.

But it is telling that you think the pledge of allegience is another way of worshiping God, shows who your God is, basically idolatry.

Also God hasn't blessed teh US with divine providence, that goes DIRECTLY against the christian scriptures where it says that there is no greek or jew and no slave or freeman and so on in the eyes of God.

You are a poor excuse for a Christian, your basically a modern example of the pharasees that said "We have no King but Ceaser."
 
I'm not devoting myself to the government when I say the pledge, or let Ole Glory fly. I'm celebrating my nation, and what makes us as a People what we are. Do I have national pride? **** yes I do, but that's not the same as the sin of pride. The sin of pride is self-pride which places oneself above God.

Nationalism is very much related to self-pride. Nationalism is the idea that one's own way of life, country or group is superior to all others. It is blind to the flaws or sins of the country or government.

Orwell had some excellent points on the dangers of nationalism here: George Orwell: Notes on Nationalism

That is not to say you should hate or country, government, or way of life. Patriotism is fine to a degree. For the most part, I love having a republican/democratic form of government. But do I believe that it is in serious need of reform? Of course I do. Do I feel a sense of secular allegiance to this country? Sure. But that does not mean I commit myself unconditionally to any institution/government whether its US government or any other.

Honestly, if the church focused more on the actual teachings of Christ than his death, I might still be a Christian today.

Well I agree. But that is really a separate issue from worldly pledges and nationalistic symbols, especially within the Church itself.
 
america is a chrisitian country i know alot about this so you need to just understand that the consdtituion is inspired by god and bible based. why in thefirst part of the constituion does is say god gave us liberaty??? thats proof. idolatry is worshipping false gods a flag isnt god hahaha!!! what church do you go to???

I'm just curious, how old are you?
 
america is a chrisitian country i know alot about this so you need to just understand that the consdtituion is inspired by god and bible based. why in thefirst part of the constituion does is say god gave us liberaty??? thats proof. idolatry is worshipping false gods a flag isnt god hahaha!!! what church do you go to???

Christianity is not the only religion that believes in a God, infact a lot of the founding fathers were Deist, also just because the constitution talks about God doesn't make the US a Christian country ... whatever that would mean. The constitution is not inspired by God, it was inspired by liberal enlightenment philosophy.

Also idolatry is worship of an Idol, the pledge of allegiance is idolatry by definition, and especially since you said it was part of worship ... You are basically doing an act of worship to a symbol of the United States, i.e. the State ... i.e. Idolatry.

What Church I go to is neither here nor there. I follow the scriptures and what Jesus taught.
 
christianity is the only religion with a living god theres no other religion like that god sent his son jesus christ to be sacrificed for peoples sins and we are all saved through his grace theres no religions that can promise salvation and the founding fathers were diest so that means they beleive in god so what does that mean

Christianity is not the only religion that believes in a God, infact a lot of the founding fathers were Deist, also just because the constitution talks about God doesn't make the US a Christian country ... whatever that would mean. The constitution is not inspired by God, it was inspired by liberal enlightenment philosophy.

Also idolatry is worship of an Idol, the pledge of allegiance is idolatry by definition, and especially since you said it was part of worship ... You are basically doing an act of worship to a symbol of the United States, i.e. the State ... i.e. Idolatry.

What Church I go to is neither here nor there. I follow the scriptures and what Jesus taught.
 
christianity is the only religion with a living god theres no other religion like that god sent his son jesus christ to be sacrificed for peoples sins and we are all saved through his grace theres no religions that can promise salvation and the founding fathers were diest so that means they beleive in god so what does that mean

What is that relevance to the constitution?

Deist means belief in a non personal God, not a christian God.
 
the constituion is divinely inspiered by the bible the constituion has to be becasue mans law is failable and gods law is not failable diest means god god is a dietey so the founding fathers beleived in god hahaha i dont think they wear islams!!!!! i dont think you now much about why america is christian have you read rj rushdooney we read alot of his books and he proves that america is christian because we cant be the best country in the world with out being faithful to god and having biblical standards

What is that relevance to the constitution?

Deist means belief in a non personal God, not a christian God.
 
Nationalism is very much related to self-pride. Nationalism is the idea that one's own way of life, country or group is superior to all others. It is blind to the flaws or sins of the country or government.

Orwell had some excellent points on the dangers of nationalism here: George Orwell: Notes on Nationalism

There are many different forms of nationalism. Orwell only makes note of the most extreme examples, and asserts his own definitions of nationalism and patriotism.

That is not to say you should hate or country, government, or way of life. Patriotism is fine to a degree. For the most part, I love having a republican/democratic form of government. But do I believe that it is in serious need of reform? Of course I do. Do I feel a sense of secular allegiance to this country? Sure. But that does not mean I commit myself unconditionally to any institution/government whether its US government or any other.

Nationalism isn't devotion to ones government, it's devotion to ones nation. In the United States there is a very distinctive line between the two.
 
As a Christian I object to reciting the pledge of allegiance, "honoring" the flag, or any similar acts of nationalism for a couple reasons:

1.) It sends the message of devoting oneself to a government, even if that government's actions go against the teachings of Jesus Christ

2.) These patriotic rituals often cross the line of pride, arrogance, and self-righteousness, characteristics that the Bible speaks out against

I recently attended a church that had a US flag on display in the sanctuary but no cross (though there was one outside). While national flags certainly have their place in society, should it really be in a church? I would be especially curious to hear the opinion of anyone who works at a church or any other place of worship.

Well that's one way to look at it and I guess it makes sense in a way.

I don't think it's necessarily wrong though especially since land and rulership over land has been so much intertwined in the bible and not always in a negative way. It all comes down to your own priorities and what it means to you.
 
the founding fathers were diest so that means they beleive in god so what does that mean

Well it doesn't mean they're Christian if they're deists. But at least you know that many of them were deists. Many people do not know this.
 
dont think you now much about why america is christian have you read rj rushdooney we read alot of his books and he proves that america is christian because we cant be the best country in the world with out being faithful to god and having biblical standards

You do realize Rushdooney supported laws against interracial marriage?
 
There are many different forms of nationalism. Orwell only makes note of the most extreme examples, and asserts his own definitions of nationalism and patriotism.

For someone who lived during the early 20th century, Orwell was very much exposed to what nationalism leads to. The extreme examples don't usually start off that way.


Nationalism isn't devotion to ones government, it's devotion to ones nation. In the United States there is a very distinctive line between the two.

The line becomes blurred with nationalists. For example, if you oppose the government's action to go to war that somehow makes you unpatriotic.
 
the constituion is divinely inspiered by the bible the constituion has to be becasue mans law is failable and gods law is not failable diest means god god is a dietey so the founding fathers beleived in god hahaha i dont think they wear islams!!!!! i dont think you now much about why america is christian have you read rj rushdooney we read alot of his books and he proves that america is christian because we cant be the best country in the world with out being faithful to god and having biblical standards

No the constitution was not inspired by the bible, not at all, it was inspired by the magna carta, this is historical fact.

Also just because something is BASED on the bible, doesn't make it Gods law, nor does it make it infaliable under any reasonable theology, but the constitution isn't even based on the bible.

Deism is a specific belief system that God is a totally transendant first cause that does not interact in anyway with creation, thus Deists do not believe Jesus was Divine, or even Divinely commissioned, or that YHWH is God.

Also Islams isn't a think, its Muslims.

As far as your last sentence I don't see anything of substance there to respond to ...
 
Nationalism isn't devotion to ones government, it's devotion to ones nation. In the United States there is a very distinctive line between the two.

What is the distinction, also how is devotion to ones nation compatible with Christianity given its universal nature and its world brotherhood message and its demand of exclusive devotion to God?
 
What is the distinction
The distinction is that we as a nation never associated a divine monarch as being the nation. The nation is the People as a whole. The President, Congress, and the Senate aren't the nation, they're just regular jack offs we hired to do a job.

also how is devotion to ones nation compatible with Christianity given its universal nature and its world brotherhood message and its demand of exclusive devotion to God?
"Render unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's, and unto God the things that are God's"
 
well i saw what youre lean says so i dont think you can ever know the truth but ill pray for you and hope you experience jesus christ

No the constitution was not inspired by the bible, not at all, it was inspired by the magna carta, this is historical fact.

Also just because something is BASED on the bible, doesn't make it Gods law, nor does it make it infaliable under any reasonable theology, but the constitution isn't even based on the bible.

Deism is a specific belief system that God is a totally transendant first cause that does not interact in anyway with creation, thus Deists do not believe Jesus was Divine, or even Divinely commissioned, or that YHWH is God.

Also Islams isn't a think, its Muslims.

As far as your last sentence I don't see anything of substance there to respond to ...
 
thats cool i dont think ill be that old becasue i think the world is going to end soon but ill be in heaven with jesus so its okay!!!!

What do you think of your church reciting words written by a socialist and reading literature written by a racist?
 
well i saw what youre lean says so i dont think you can ever know the truth but ill pray for you and hope you experience jesus christ

You knock on socialists yet you recite the words of a socialist every Sunday. Pot calling the kettle black?
 
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