Pensees: I Pledge Allegiance (sort of)

I don’t do the pledge either. Your entry cracked me up. :)

Bob, I share your uneasiness about pledging in general, but I wonder if you could explain how the qualification below fits in with your reading of Romans 13, which to me suggests a greater degree of commitment even to governments that might have objectionable policies.

I make this solemn binding promise (pledge) of loyalty insofar as I agree with its policies and it agrees with the Word of God. Insofar as it doesn’t interfere with my loyalties to my real Country and to my loyalty to other believers of other nationalities who are compatriots of mine in the Kingdom of Heaven. Insofar, as it is moral and upright in its government and just in its wars. (Lately getting more and more difficult to ascertain).

It would be better said, “Insofar as its policies agree with the Word of God.” Obviously, though I don’t agree with a 35 mph zone, I still obey! And I do concede that my line “moral and upright in its government” could be misread. An immoral government can and must be obeyed to an extent.

However, I think that there is a great deal of confusion between nationalism, patriotism, and citizenship. Three different things. Biblically, I am duty bound to obey government to the degree that obedience to it does not require disobedience to God. (Which is basically what I was trying to say in my caveat.) If I live in Nero’s Rome, I live the life of a good citizen. I can’t say that I am a good patriot. The patriot is a die-hard loyalist to the patrimony and, in this case, the patrimony is killing Christians. So, while I am a good citizen I am neither nationalistic or patriotic (as a Roman anyway).

The Apostle Paul certainly didn’t mind using his Roman citizenship to the max. He clearly was grateful for it. I doubt he had gooey feelings of patriotism and nationalism as the Roman sword swung toward his neck. I doubt he felt any particular allegiance to Rome.

There is no law, however, that says I have to pledge or sing the national anthem for that matter. In fact, the great thing about America is that I don’t have to. I do, by the way, because I am sincerely grateful and I don’t want to cause a scene at events where other sincere patriots are present.

The sad fact is that if more Americans would actually live godly in Christ Jesus the Pauline maxim would prove true in their lives and they would be persecuted — in America. Thank God it won’t be death by government. At least not now. But the same card that Paul played to spare himself from a beating in Philippi failed to deliver him from the beheading. I think Americans need to realize that the “liberty and justice for all” card is effective temporarily (and should be used even as Paul used his citizenship), but the same nation that they pledge to is inherently hostile to Christ.

Said another way: the Roman government that Paul was speaking of in Romans 13 was the same one that killed him. Paul’s loyalty to Rome was clearly conditional. Otherwise, he had the smarts to lay low, save his skin, run for Senate, and change things politically even as too many Americans wistfully hope for today.

Everything I just wrote may be clear as mud because I am currently euphoric about France’s defeat of Portugal. Nationalism is completely legit in soccer.

Call me inconsistent.

Amen

(I hope that my weighing in with agreement doesn’t hinder your message.)

I previously have been able to say the pledge, and have taught my students that it’s ok to say the pledge because of the “under God” line. I’ve used my own loose interpretation skills to understand it to mean, “As long as I am pledging to America’s authority as secondary to God’s, then great.”

Lately, however, I’ve been struggling with the “indivisible” bit. Sure, I don’t have any desire, at the moment, to see America actually divide into more than one nation-state. And, like you, I’ll pray that God protects us from civil war. But indivisible doesn’t mean “undivided” or “hopefully undivided”. It means “can’t be divided.”

Of course, it can be divided, no matter what we pledge. And, in fact, if it was impossible or wrong for states that are united to be divided then there wouldn’t be a United States of America. We would or should still be united to Great Britain.

Keith

Those who feel this way should not participate in the pledging of the flag. Make it known. To act like you are would be hypocritical if that is your conviction. Just stay seated during the pledge.

Derek, my friend, you really do need a sense of humor.

I have found that it helps one capture the real gist of what others are saying.

I am not angry, but it seems like since you posted this article all of the sudden people are coming out and saying, “Oh yeah, I have felt that way too…” and yet they all most likely still stand up and do it. All I am saying is that if you really have a problem with it and feel it is wrong, then why are you doing it? Not trying to disrupt the spirit here.

…but it blows my mind that many Christians who would have heart seizures if I raised my hands to the Transcendent God of the Universe in worship get vexed if I don’t put my hand on my heart while making a pledge to a country of mere mortals./

[Sorry, it separated these entries]

I love that line. I’ll have to use it sometime.
Once again, you have made a lot of people think. Those of us who have lived in other countries are, on the one hand, more grateful for America (for example, I think of those who think we should socialize medicine — they obviously have never spent a day in a socialist hospital). On the other hand, however, it has helped us to realize that people are people, and it is individuals, not countries, that God is in the business of bringing to Himself.

I am a strong American and Christian; I love deeply both God and my country. It is not because I am being “touchy” that I am responding to your Fourth of July post on the pledge, but because for the sake of friendly discussion I wish to respond to the reasons we pledge allegiance to our flag. Also perhaps you may see the value of the pledge and defend your country or adopted country not for her weaknesses but what she stands for, an emblem of liberty and justice founded on Christian roots (though you might debate that that is what I believe).

First just because Washington or Lincoln did not pledge allegiance to our flag is sort of a unusual way to judge whether or not to do certain things. Washington and Lincoln did not sing our national anthem as we know it (the current anthem “the Star Spangled Banner” was adopted by Congress in 1931) and they did not sing most patriotic songs we sing today. Also we do not generally sing the songs or say the things they said; so to be consistent we could not pick and choose when to follow their footsteps or not.

Second I do not see reason for your qualms about pledging to our country, really as others have commented you are fulfilling your Christian duty to your country by supporting its government. If your country was to command you to do wrong in our form of government, unique from all governments, you could appeal it or suffer and change peoples mind democratically as Martin Luther King Jr. did in the 60’s. Really, I think Christians in America are partly responsible for America’s moral decline because of their hypocrisy, run and hide syndrome, and suspicious government is out to get us mentality. The “children of the world” are wiser in this way than we are, because they keep boldly ramming down their anti-American agenda down peoples throats and proclaiming it. Christians ought to be the bolder while being “wise as serpents and harmless as doves”.
Consider the examples of our Revolutionary pastors who diligently cultivated a spirit of individual responsibility and liberty and were leaders in the fight against oppression. These men such as John Peter Muhlenburg and Reverend James Caldwell were willing to leave their comforts for God and country. It was the pastors of America that stirred the flames of liberty under God and God is the author of all true freedom because as the Scripture says, “where the Spirit of the Lord is there is liberty” (II Cor. 3:17).

As far as being divided, I love Washington’s Farwell Address where he cautions America against focusing on those things that divide us and urges us to instead concentrate on those things, love for God, country, and fellow man, which would unify us as in the War for Independence. President Ronald Reagan also unified Americans behind a similar goal and it can be done again.

I probably could say a lot more but I think I said enough. Suffice it to say I enjoy our pledge as it embodies the American Spirit. :)