Capitol Hill Blue Forums Life and Moral Issues Religion and Philosophy Does the American flag belong in church?

Well written essay on the subject in the Christian Science Monitor:

Does the American flag belong in church?

I agree with the author. How about you?

I knew a professor once who left his church because they displayed the American flag. It was a fairly liberal (Unitarian) congregation, he was raised as a Quaker, and the war in Iraq had just begun.

I admired his principle. I also admired the fact that he made people aware of his reasons, but did not tear apart the congregation by insisting they all see things his way - he made his statement, and he acted on it.

The American flag no more belongs in a church than a crucifix or star of David belongs on the Capitol building.

It's when both Caesar's and God's end up in the same rendering pot that the trouble begins. Politics and religion do not mix well...both end up rancid and spoiled.

I stopped reading at this point:

It became obvious to me that the writer was about to pontificate about how people should practice their religion.

IMHO the person who leaves his or her church because s/he finds a certain practice untenable is doing the right thing. I once left a congregation because (among other things) the Elders decided to install a carpet in the sanctuary. OK, and because the new minister described the color of his necktie as "N*GG*R brown".

And while I personally agree with Larry's point, I recognize that many modern American Christians very much do mix their politics with their religion. That, IMHO, is their right. What our Constitution dictates is that Congress shall pass no laws regarding the establishment of religion. It does not say that religious practices shall be prohibited from the establishment of politics.

I think it's deplorable, for example, that the federal government should step in and tell a Unitarian Church in California that their minister cannot petition his congregants to vote for the "peace candidate". By the same token, it's wrong for the feds to step in when a minister threatens the membership of a congregant who votes for the "godless candidate".

From the essay:
What the author is saying here is that most people are wrong about their perception of the flag and the Pledge. The nerve! Parsing "tokens of affection" and "infatuation" as if one is sweet and harmless and the other loathsome.

It's a non-issue, IMHO, or worse, counterproductive to argue that people "shouldn't" worship the flag or any other graven image. Much better, I think, to remind people of the validity of what they're saying when they worship the flag:
I cannot fathom what could possibly be wrong with exhorting true believers to pledge allegiance to that!

Steve - just checking - you said

Did the government tell the minister that s/he could not petition for a vote, or did the government tell the minister that s/he could not petition for a vote and retain tax-exempt status?

To me, the first would be deplorable, the second, far less so.

--Are we required to interpret "render unto Caesar" in this way and if so how do we reconcile it against other Biblical admonitions that warn against trying to serve both God and Mammon?

And, at what point does government cease being government and begin to simply become a servant of Mammon?

Does "render unto Caesar" make both God and government equal?
Does this not make any institution of man equal to the Kingdom of Heaven?

I, therefore, shall pledge my allegiance to the local government of Nye County, Nevada, where prostitution and bordellos are legal. How do I reconcile this with my belief that woman is sacred and should not be defiled?

Sorry but it seems to me that Jesus was pretty clear in "render unto Caesar" by illustrating that the institutions of man were
not equal to the Kingdom of Heaven and that while one does well to try and abide by the laws and governance where one lives, never shall the twain be joined.
One does not serve two masters.

When the American Flag is displayed in a house of worship as loving symbol it's one thing but it is another thing entirely to place it on equal footing with the cross.
Separation of church and state is there as much for the protection of the church as it is for the state.

I also don't prefer to see God's tender name displayed on the filthy lucre which is used to trade arms, buy drugs, counted out in the gambling casinos and plied upon hookers.
Putting national flags in a church is often done for honorable reasons and I normally don't see it as an affront, but waving it around and pledging to it during a service just seems to be another route to confusion as the faithful are there to worship The Lord, not "The American Jesus Superhero".

Putting God's name on money, no different than selling Jesus toilet paper.

I see no reason why an American or any other flag does not belong in a church.

Seems to me the way to deal with all this is to remove all tax exemptions for religious organizations.