Why flags @ church?

Yes, it was quite a shock. How did I handle it? I got used to it over time. Emotions are temporary. </font>[/QUOTE]If you can "get used to" the music, that's vibrant and in your ears, you can get used to the presence of an inanimate object such as the flag being present. Just ignore it. It's not going to jump out at you or anything.......

 

Just curious, as well as your nations flag, do any churches here have the flag of Israel also?

 

I did.

 

You said:
I don't think the Church is the place to "remember" the history of a country. The church is a holy place. Totally separated from the worldly stuff.

==The church is a place to give thanks to God. Scripture commands us to give thanks to God for everything. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 tells us:

"pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."

I don't know about your country, but this country is great. We have total freedom to worship God, to share the Gospel, and to do it without federal restrictions. That is called religious freedom, and yes we thank God for it. We thank God for our soilders who, through many wars, have given us these rights. These rights were not given to us by a judge, a politician, or anyone else. They were given to us by our soilders who defeated those who would deny freedom to Americans. That is something to give thanks to God for anyplace (home, church, work, walking down the street, etc). This is, in fact, obeying Scripture. We are to thank God for everything.
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You said:
Church is not the place to remember political issues, or soldier sacrificies, or Militar efforts.

==Wrong. Read the Old Testament. Secondly the Bible says to give thanks in all things. How can one obey that while ignoring one of the biggest gifts God has given to those who live in America? One can't. I realize that this is not popular around the world, that does not affect me. I don't worry about what other people thing I just try to obey the Scriptures. Thirdly how can one ignore the sacrifices of soilders that brought religious (Christian) freedom to this country? How can one not give thanks to God for those people? Ignoring that would be selfish, greedy, and sinful.

One cannot read/believe the Bible and think that God has no hand in political/military affairs of nations (including modern nations).
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You said:
Is the place to recognize and give pure worship to the Holy Holy Holy Lord.

==Part of worship is giving thanks to God.

Martin.

 

==I think I am being much more serious about this then you are. Comparing Walmart and care tires to people giving their lives so that people can have freedom is, at best, disrespectful. If you don't want to put up a flag in a church that is your opinion, fine. However there is no Biblical command that we are not to put up flags and there is a Biblical command to give thanks for everything, mainly blessings. I don't know what your flag stands for, ours stands for freedom and liberty. That I will thank God for.

Martin.

 

The IFB church of which I am a member not only displays the US flag and the Christian flag, but also draped along the sides of our auditorium are the flags of all of the other nations of which we have missionaries to those countries.

I suppose someone could possibly conclude that my IFB church is therefore pagan because a couple of these flags have symbols that are pagan in their origin.

Of course that is no more true than to conclude that the presence of the US flag with its 50 stars makes us practicians of astrology.

I have yet to find any passage that condemns either the presence or absence of flags at a place of worship.

In fact, where does the Bible even state that we must have separate public buildings in which to conduct public worship?

 

I did. </font>[/QUOTE]You did???

That's not what you said in your first post. What you said was that you couldn't get used to it.

The object of the "cultural thing" is the flag in the assembly. If you got used to it you should have said so in the beginning and I wouldn't have already presumed that you hadn't gotten used to it.

 

Earlier today I spent an hour and a half on our Town Common, attending the annual Memorial Day service/celebration/remembrance. There was a liberal mixture of God and Country in all aspects of the service. The Chaplain prayed to God at the beginning and at the end for our Armed Forces, our Country and the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy (for a good discussion of those freedoms read the US Constitution and its amendments). The keynote speaker (retired USN carrier based fighter pilot) spoke about God and Country - his prayers to God then and now for himself, his family and his country. The two (God and Country) are entwined in this country and have been since the beginning; we still proclaim ourselves "one nation, under God". I think it entirely appropriate that a church should display an American flag, if they choose, as it is merely symbolic of the obvious - without a Constitution that requires it, we would not have the freedom to worship - or to worship in the denomination of our choice. I have been a Soldier now for over 32 years and have never confused my Country or flag with my God; I know Him who I serve, but I also know that I can serve my country without violating my faith or my service to God. Bruce

 

Amen, BruceB!
--from a retired USAF/Air National Guardsman

 

In our church, we thank God for the freedom to worship. The flag represents freedom not a political statement.

 

I apologize. I misspoke earlier. I guess I should have said, in order to be complete, that I am used to it but I still don't like the idea of having flags in the assembly.

 

Joman, I agree with you.

I don't think it's necessarily wrong to have a flag in a church, but I do think it's distracting and can send a subtle message that ties patriotism or politics to Christianity, which I think can be a dangerous view.

I am all for appreciating one's country -- and I do appreciate the USA -- but while I'm at church, I want to be focused on Christ and God's word.

 

Is repeating the pledge an oath?

 

All countries on earth with anything resembling a Christian tradition have a denomination (sometimes more than one) that stresses the tie between God and Country. The Baptists (ironically for a denomination that stresses the seperation between church and state) fill that role in the USA.

 

Good question. The U.S. Flag in our churches is a reminder of the freedoms we enjoy and we are thankful to God that He has allowed us to live in a country where we do not have to worship in secret. Romans 13 reminds us that God places us under the laws of the civil authorities for the purpose of maintaining order and peace and punishing those that commit evil.

Displaying of the flag is optional and only violates scripture if it is worshipped as a graven image. We must always guard against worshipping our country in place of God who created our country and holds it together. God can dismantle our country as quickly as He put it together.