“I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."
A hot topic in our country, though dying, is the idea of patriotism. Though many don't understand what it really means, people claim to be patriotic with going to parades, flying the flag, celebrating Independence Day. In fact, being patriotic has become a controversial issue. The past 2 presidencies have drawn the patriotism from our country. With liberals trying to ban the Pledge of Allegiance in schools, controversy in the wars we are involved in, and people no longer caring about the direction our country is headed, we are in deep trouble.
This post may rub some people the wrong way, but I want to propose an idea that our country is no longer patriotic, that people no longer know what patriotism is, and that some "patriotic" things we have been doing should really be brought to an end. In fact, I may catch a lot of guff for this, but I feel that it needs sharing.
I want to first say that our country is no longer patriotic. Let me ask a question. What does it mean to be patriotic? Dictionary.com defines it as "devoted love, support, and defense of one's country; national loyalty." Though this is accurate, what does it mean? What does patriotism look like? Is it simply flying an American flag and saying that you are in favor of our military? I believe that patriotism goes beyond this. It goes beyond the military, flags, bald eagles, and other cliches.
Patriotism in the 1770's looked a lot different that what we have today. George Washington, Samuel Adams, John Hancock, and Nathan Hale understood what it really meant. These men put their lives on the line for our country. We have many men who put their lives on the line today, but what's the difference? Most people don't realise that the signing of the Declaration of Independence was the riskiest thing those men ever did. By signing their name, they became wanted for treason to the crown of England. But what drove these people to such patriotism? What was their drive and motivation?
Our country was once great and was actually founded by people who wanted the liberty to worship God without being regulated by the government. Many textbooks nowadays won't tell you that, but it is the truth. And in the 1770's, when those men were willing to give up their lives for their country, it was because of the love of their God. They were defending the right to worship God the way he deserves to be worshipped. There is nothing wrong with the love of your country, but why do you love it and why are you patriotic? Is it simply because we live here or because of tradition? Or is it because we are willing to defend our freedom to worship God without persecution?
This is where we have to draw that fine line. The line between being "patriotic", and sticking to our moral standards. Being patriotic does not being enslaved to a country, but the willingness to defend our rights. And when the time comes to choose to remain "patriotic" or doing what's right, we must choose. Do we support gay marriage because we are told "it's the right thing to do" and that everyone needs "equal rights" (even though Christians don't have equal rights)? Do we turn our heads away from abortion and ignore it because "women have the right to do what they want to their bodies?" Do we vote for a certain candidate because the press states he is patriotic?
Patriotism may include petitioning against a bill that promotes sinful behaviour (i.e. abortion). It may include boycotting a certain business or organisation because they are starting a "progressive revolution" that is sinful. It may include writing to your congressman when a bill is being voted on to legalise a certain drug. Yes, it will be looked down on by most people, but what is true patriotism? If it is a love for a country, why would we just sit around and watch our country burn to the ground? Why would we watch others fall into sin? It cannot be denied that our country is in trouble and the reason is because of a lack of love for God. When we start to remove the name of Jesus from moral teachings, who says killing unborn babies is wrong, who says gay marriage is sinful? What's true for you may not be true for me, right? We can't offend anyone and must be tolerant, right? Do you see where this is going? The Bible tells us that a country that turns from God will surely fall. Look at the story of Noah and the flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, Israel rebelling. Every nation that turned from God, suffered for it and was judged heavily. Joshua 23:12-13 is clear when it says "Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you: Know for a certainty that the Lord your God will no more drive out any of these nations from before you; but they shall be snares and traps unto you, and scourges in your sides, and thorns in your eyes, until ye perish from off this good land which the Lord your God hath given you." God warns of judgment on the nation that turns from him. And we see that Proverbs 14:12 says "There is a way which seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof [are] the ways of death." Even more severely, we are told in Amos 9:8, "Behold, the eyes of the Lord God are upon the sinful kingdom, and I will destroy it from off the face of the earth..."
Our country was founded on the basis of worshipping God and living for him. Now that our country has decided to turn from God, we are seeing the fruits of it. We are never out of a war, millions of unborn babies are slaughtered, people are wrongfully imprisoned while criminals walk free, suicide rates are astronomical, and the number abandoned children are even higher. And we are considered anti-patriotic if we speak against this?
True patriotism is doing what's right for our country and the right thing to do is instill godly leadership. This may be controversial, but many of the things we do that are "patriotic" are not really patriotic. One of the biggest signs of "patriotism" in our country is kids saying the Pledge of Allegiance in school. But let me ask something. Do those kindergarten kids really understand what the words of the pledge mean? We expect kids to pledge themselves to a country that is so deep in sin, judgment is inevitable. We are not longer "one nation, under God". Our country is so deep in sin and people wonder why our country is becoming a living disaster.
Indivisible? Far from it! Since the civil war, this is the most divided our country has been. Republican verses Democrat. Liberal verses conservative. We are at war with ourselves as a country and as Abraham Lincoln said, "A house divided cannot stand".This is evident with how far our country has fallen. And is there really liberty for all? Every religion is "tolerated" except Christianity. Bibles and praying are no longer allowed in schools. What about justice for all? Hard working people have their money taken to be given to those who are too lazy to work. Rapists and pedophiles walk the street while a police officer is tried for defending himself. Our country is no longer what it once was and it's unpatriotic to speak up against what is happening in our country (again, losing that liberty).
True patriotism is standing up for what is really best for our country. We need revival in our country and it all starts with us. SO many people are caught up in voting for the "right president" this election season, but the reality is that the president cannot do anything to turn our country around. Yes, a godly president may keep sinful bills from being passed, but he cannot bring our country back to God. There is a separation of church and state for a reason. It is the Government's job to lead the country judiciously, legislatively, and executively, but it is the churches job to lead the country spiritually. Law after law can be passed requiring people to "act morally" but until the peoples' hearts change and desire to follow God, we will continue to go downhill. Drugs, murder, and theft are illegal but it's not stopping anyone. It's in the hearts of the people.
We as Christians and the church are to blame for not outreaching like we should. A president cannot change the moral status of our country but you can. I can. It starts with witnessing to your neighbor, family, friends, coworkers, and colleagues. It starts with one person at a time. There are so many people that are hurting and looking for something more and it only takes a smile, a kind word, an invitation to dinner, to maybe change that persons life. This is what we are called to do: raise up our country spiritually. Don't get me wrong, I am not against our military or against our country. I am against the immoral direction we are headed.
Yes, our country can be great again, but it starts with us. It starts with praying for our country, witnessing, and spreading Gods word. It may be hard, but in 1774, when those men signed the Declaration of Independence, they were committing the worst crime according to England. We have our dependence because of godly men who stood up for what is right. Can we at least work up the courage to spread the gospel to those we know to maybe make a small difference in our country? This is true patriotism!
