A MEASURE OF PATRIOTISM
There appear to be many, perhaps most, calling themselves Americans, even Christians, who are of the opinion that it is unpatriotic to give less than unconditional support to those wielding the power of government and its military arm, whenever military operations commence. George W. Bush, invoking God’s own declaration in the Bible that either we are for him, or against him, has applied this mantra to himself and his administration. In other words, if we do not render unquestioning obedience to whatever actions or policies he and his “handlers” deem necessary, we are somehow in league with the perpetrators of 9-ll-01 or the current incarnation of Hitler, Saddam Hussein.
That so many people, especially Christians, buy into this tripe is a shocking indictment of our historical ignorance and the level of our people’s idolatrous worship of the all-powerful State. Their denials notwithstanding, the fact that our own history is replete with instances of government and media conspiring to mislead, lie, or deliberately cover up the truth to control public opinion does not augur well for an absolute faith in public pronouncements or our growing pattern of military adventurism. Perhaps the ubiquitous presence of the American flag within nearly every house of worship across the land is suggestive of the church’s slow descent into idolatry. As we are repeatedly reminded today, the old American Republic avoided at its creation the establishment of any particular sect of Christianity. However, in pursuance of this broad toleration for Christianity’s many different forms, it was nevertheless understood by virtually all of the founding fathers that it was Christianity, the acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Savior of the world, that formed the very foundation upon which our law and government rested. Americans are not taught this all important truth in the government schools, as instead, we are led to believe that government, as it boasts today, was meant to be entirely secular (read non-Christian). Thus, when government passes laws, or behaves in a way that violates God’s laws, the Christian church acquiesces, often in absolute silence.
The history of the Presidency, at least since Lincoln, reveals a growing propensity to expand the executive office’s prerogatives, often at the expense of Constitutional limitations. This is especially true during times of war or national crisis. The present “War on Terrorism” offers a chilling testimony, in the form of passage of the so-called “Patriot Act”, to this phenomenon. The fact that the Bush administration is waiting for just the right moment to usher in Patriot Act II, sweeping away perhaps the last vestiges of Constitutional protections in the name of homeland security, should be enough by itself to cause grave concern, except among those deluded advocates of world hegemony under U.S., or U.N. control.
True patriotism, correctly understood, is not mindless nationalism and blind obedience. It does not demand that we follow government wherever it leads. If this were its true essence, then let us ponder the example of Germany under the Nazis, or Russia under Stalin. No, as Christians in a once avowedly Christian nation, we must remember who has first claim over us. Where the laws of the State violate the laws of God, it should be obvious which laws we must follow. After the creator, our loyalty must be to the welfare of our family and our kinsmen. From there, like expanding concentric circles, our loyalty lies with those who share our common culture and with those that represent no harm to the interests of our people, State, or nation. When we fail to heed this natural, God-ordained hierarchy of loyalties and fail to measure the edicts of government against their impact upon us, we depart from true patriotism.
If we believe that the actions of the State violate God’s law, or violate the principles on which our government was established, or imperil the peace and safety of home, hearth, and country, we are duty bound to speak out and seek redress. If these freedoms are forfeit at home then the government can hardly claim that our troops are overseas fighting for their preservation. The nature of the claims made by government over those serving in the military precludes them from exercising these rights for themselves. They cannot speak out. I think we owe it to them to insure that their government is not risking their lives for the wrong reasons, don’t you? I welcome comments at simplysouthern@i-plus.net
There appear to be many, perhaps most, calling themselves Americans, even Christians, who are of the opinion that it is unpatriotic to give less than unconditional support to those wielding the power of government and its military arm, whenever military operations commence. George W. Bush, invoking God’s own declaration in the Bible that either we are for him, or against him, has applied this mantra to himself and his administration. In other words, if we do not render unquestioning obedience to whatever actions or policies he and his “handlers” deem necessary, we are somehow in league with the perpetrators of 9-ll-01 or the current incarnation of Hitler, Saddam Hussein.
That so many people, especially Christians, buy into this tripe is a shocking indictment of our historical ignorance and the level of our people’s idolatrous worship of the all-powerful State. Their denials notwithstanding, the fact that our own history is replete with instances of government and media conspiring to mislead, lie, or deliberately cover up the truth to control public opinion does not augur well for an absolute faith in public pronouncements or our growing pattern of military adventurism. Perhaps the ubiquitous presence of the American flag within nearly every house of worship across the land is suggestive of the church’s slow descent into idolatry. As we are repeatedly reminded today, the old American Republic avoided at its creation the establishment of any particular sect of Christianity. However, in pursuance of this broad toleration for Christianity’s many different forms, it was nevertheless understood by virtually all of the founding fathers that it was Christianity, the acknowledgement of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and the Savior of the world, that formed the very foundation upon which our law and government rested. Americans are not taught this all important truth in the government schools, as instead, we are led to believe that government, as it boasts today, was meant to be entirely secular (read non-Christian). Thus, when government passes laws, or behaves in a way that violates God’s laws, the Christian church acquiesces, often in absolute silence.
The history of the Presidency, at least since Lincoln, reveals a growing propensity to expand the executive office’s prerogatives, often at the expense of Constitutional limitations. This is especially true during times of war or national crisis. The present “War on Terrorism” offers a chilling testimony, in the form of passage of the so-called “Patriot Act”, to this phenomenon. The fact that the Bush administration is waiting for just the right moment to usher in Patriot Act II, sweeping away perhaps the last vestiges of Constitutional protections in the name of homeland security, should be enough by itself to cause grave concern, except among those deluded advocates of world hegemony under U.S., or U.N. control.
True patriotism, correctly understood, is not mindless nationalism and blind obedience. It does not demand that we follow government wherever it leads. If this were its true essence, then let us ponder the example of Germany under the Nazis, or Russia under Stalin. No, as Christians in a once avowedly Christian nation, we must remember who has first claim over us. Where the laws of the State violate the laws of God, it should be obvious which laws we must follow. After the creator, our loyalty must be to the welfare of our family and our kinsmen. From there, like expanding concentric circles, our loyalty lies with those who share our common culture and with those that represent no harm to the interests of our people, State, or nation. When we fail to heed this natural, God-ordained hierarchy of loyalties and fail to measure the edicts of government against their impact upon us, we depart from true patriotism.
If we believe that the actions of the State violate God’s law, or violate the principles on which our government was established, or imperil the peace and safety of home, hearth, and country, we are duty bound to speak out and seek redress. If these freedoms are forfeit at home then the government can hardly claim that our troops are overseas fighting for their preservation. The nature of the claims made by government over those serving in the military precludes them from exercising these rights for themselves. They cannot speak out. I think we owe it to them to insure that their government is not risking their lives for the wrong reasons, don’t you? I welcome comments at simplysouthern@i-plus.net
