Issue link: http://cp.revolio.com/i/1006607
Page 2 | www.BlackSheepHDFC.org Marty Edwards/Pres Black Sheep HDFC I know my readers pre y well and I can almost hear them saying, "Of course I can be a Chris an and a Patriot!" Then let me restate the ques on: "When does being a patriot infringe upon one's faith?" Again, the protest, "This is a Chris an na on!" and I will reply, "It certainly is not." Now, before you start plucking the chickens and boiling the tar, let me con nue. I do believe RELIGIOUS men, many of who were devout Chris ans, founded our country upon Chris an PRINCIPLES. Our American founders were certainly brave and courageous, but the slaughter of indigenous people and then later the jus fica on of slavery, witnesses to the fact that they were something far different from what we understand Chris anity to be today. Shortly a er the pilgrims landed, human nature (aka sin) took over. Fear and ignorance (on both sides) led to suspicion, greed and then a full scale invasion which was later called "Manifest Des ny." America may have started with the best of inten ons, but today America has become the personifica on of New Testament prophecy. Timothy writes: "There will be terrible mes in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boas ul, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God— having a form of godliness but denying its power. Have nothing to do with such people." (2Tim 3) Note that included in this rabble are the religious; those who even have "a form of godliness." The current polariza on of America in the news networks and social media exacerbates our problem. People have foolishly labeled one side, one idea, one party "all wrong" or "all right." Complicated issues have received the same treatment. In every people group (economical, racial, religion, gender) there are people who do good and people who do evil. If we want to discuss good and evil, right and wrong, we cannot debate in Can a Christian Be a Patriot? terms of white against black, rich against poor or Democrat against Republican. We live in a world where an evangelical pastor commits adultery and abuses his power while a "dirty old biker" gives his life saving a busload of children in a fiery bus crash. To listen to some, EVERY Republican is a saint and every DEMOCRAT a sinner; everything about "us" is right and everything about "them" is wrong. People have stopped listening to one another because "they" are not "us." "You can safely assume you've created God in your own image when it turns out that God hates all of the same people you do." Ann Lamo Returning to our ques on: "Can a Chris an be a Patriot?" Yes. I believe I can, but only with the convic on that I am FIRST a disciple of Jesus Christ and crusader of His truth and His righteousness (as best as I can discern). When I salute the flag or sing the na onal anthem, I do not presume that everything about my country is good or right. I know my government (all par es) is full of evil power grabbing trolls who will do anything to fill their pockets and promote their agenda, but to me, my patrio sm celebrates the freedom, the opportuni es and the responsibili es I have been entrusted with! Jesus said, "To him who has been given, much will be required." (Luke 12:48) I can love my country the same way I can love my family and closest friends. I can love someone without condoning every thing they believe or do. I can love them without partaking in their bad decisions and behavior. In fact, real love dictates that we speak the truth – with compassion. (Ephesians 4:15) We discipline our children BECAUSE we love them. We challenge our friends BECAUSE we care. Do not misunderstand my love for America as a blind approval and do not presume my patrio sm is without sober discernment and at me judgment. Aren't we fortunate that God almighty con nues to love us in spite of our gross imperfec ons? I am a patriot because God has entrusted me with great wealth and opportunity as well as great responsibility. I love and respect our flag because it represents that ideal of responsibility and opportunity. I respect it because it represents two hundred and forty-two years of an ideal of freedom, democracy, foreign aide and many a empts to protect "the li le guy." Have our mo ves always been sincere? No. Have our efforts always succeeded? No. Our na on is not perfect because people are not perfect. If people are not perfect then governments will not be perfect. Our world is infected by original sin that gives birth to every kind of evil: anger, hatred, murder, jealousy, envy, strife,