Consider this a gripe post. I was reading something and it posed the following questions.
"Do you believe patriotism and belief in God are synonymous? If not, why not?
Do you believe the phrase “Under God” should be removed from the Pledge of Allegiance?
Does the phrase “Under God” make it appear that the USA only welcomes people who believe in God?
I wish to answer the questions. Patriotism and God are not synonymous. When asked about a tax, Jesus held up a coin and asked whose picture was on the coin. They answered that it was of Caesar. Jesus replied, give unto Caesar that which is Caesars and give unto God that which is Gods. That does not sound synonymous. Jesus told us to be good slaves, he did not tell us to love the state.
Should the phrase "under God" be removed from the pledge of allegiance? No, the pledge should be abolished. We are told not to swear to anything or by anything. I will not take an oath to this or any other nation. My allegiance is to God.
The question of whether or not having a pledge that includes the phrase "under God" and to whether or not it makes non-religious people feel unwelcome is silly. Plenty of them come her who are not spiritual or are of non-Christian religions. Muslims, Hindus, atheists and just about anyone else coming to America already knows it is primarily a Christian believing nation. Still I wouldn't make anyone take a pledge.
I attended a church that once a year would honor our soldiers. I stopped attending. I did not care for them having military uniformed people parade inside the church. This may sound strange coming from someone in a military family. I honor all of our military that go into it with the belief that they are protecting their country; but, Christ was against war. He said he who lives by the sword will die by the sword. I am not for using the church to promote militarism.
I believe it is the state's place, if it so chooses, to give military parades, not the churches. God let Israel be overtaken in war and put into subjugation more than once. I do not respect the statement during war that "God is on our side", we need to not blame him when we do what we want. He is not to blame for our choices.
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A tangent if you don't mind.
Is the spirit in the breath.
As the life is in the blood.
My Grandfather fought in world war one, he was gassed in the trenches and given six months to live, he lived a full live into his late sixties and gave his life for this country. We are all better off because of him and ones like him who did pledge aligance to their country as did my dad who fought in world war two and had both his ships hit by kamakaze's, he raised 3 sons and a daughter to love this country and serve it as it may. Some where some how the people of this country have stood up to the wicked ways of the world and have shown they have strong aligence to the flag...is that so bad ?
My family has fought in all the wars since coming to America. My great uncle is a war hero and a book was written about him. He led his men to victory in World War I and saved many lives. The battle he died in was after the war had ended but the people in the trenches did not find out for a couple of days. Aside from that my family has multiple bronze stars, purple hearts and other honors.
The post was not about soldiers, it about church and patriotism. I do not believe, my opinion, that our commitment is to a piece of fabric, it is to protecting one another. I will post to further explain.
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