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 Patriotism: An Anabaptist Perspective


By Frank L. Reed

The United States of America is the greatest nation in the world. It is likely the greatest nation that will ever be in the world. The United States of America has provided more freedom and more opportunity for more people--than any nation ever has. Untold millions of people of all races and religions have found refuge at these "golden shores." America has fulfilled the dreams of millions of individuals. In America, as nowhere else, opportunity, prosperity, and happiness have been offered and have been realized.

America has shared its wealth with the world. Every year billions of hard earned United States dollars are given to the needy nations. Every year millions of bushels of American grain are given to hungry peoples of the world. Israel receives nearly two billion American dollars per year. Egypt receives more than one billion. Many more countries are also beneficiaries of American largess. Even the United Nations receives a large share of its budget from the USA. The former USSR would have starved without the heavily subsidized grain shipments from the United States of America.

America has not only shared its currency and food but also its wealth of knowledge and expertise. Many countries of the world send their brightest and best minds to American universities for education and training. America sends many teams of experts to foreign countries for assistance in agriculture, medicine, and many other areas. American scientists have developed treatment and cures for a multitude of diseases. The whole world benefits from these medications. American engineers have built the biggest and best aircraft used all over the world.

As we have noted, America is the greatest nation in the world. But we must not forget that America is a nation in the world. America is not a Christian nation. It never was and it never will be. This is not to say that America was not founded on some biblical principles. It was established on some Bible truths. And certainly William Penn's "Holy Experiment" was an attempt to use biblical principles to order relationships between peoples. But America is a nation in the world and it behaves like a nation in the world. The United States Constitution does not contain the words "Christian" or "Jesus" or "Bible." Many of the founding fathers were deists. The power of the United States government rests in the 11 consent of the governed," not in the Word of God.

How can America justify having displaced and destroyed the native peoples when this continent was "discovered"? How can America defend her own revolution against England with massive loss of life and property just to save some taxes? Is taxation without representation really a reason to shed blood? Canada received its independence without a war. They generally don't tell you that in American history classes. What about the reparations against Germany after World War I? Were they really necessary? Those reparations were the real cause of World War 11. Germany was so oppressed that her people fell for the lines and lies of a nationalistic socialistic dictator---and the rest, as they say, is history. On the subject of World War 11, why did the allies bomb the defenseless German City of Dresden, Germany after Germany was essentially defeated? And why did America spend eleven years and 55,000 American lives in Vietnam? Nobody still seems to know.

America is a nation in the world and it behaves like a nation in the world. It uses the worldly policy which says, "The enemy of my enemy is my friend." And so it arms and feeds one country to control another, only to find a few years later that the tables are turned and America faces its own guns. America sets up and puts down leaders in smaller countries just to protect American interests in the world. American businesses exploit peoples in the poor nations so they can profit from sales of products at home. Does this sound like genuine Christianity? It is not, as all of us well know.

Do all these facts mean that we should be anti-American? The answer is "No, not at all." What it does mean is that we, as Bible practicing Anabaptist believers, need to recognize that America is a nation of the world and act accordingly. Egypt, Assyria, Babylon, Greece, Rome (and others), each in turn, ruled the world. Where are they now? Empires rise and empires fall. There is only one Kingdom that stands forever.

Christian allegiance can only be to that one kingdom--the Kingdom of God. The second chapter of Daniel illustrates the kingdoms of the world and the final one kingdom that will rule the world in righteousness-the Kingdom of God. True disciples of Christ respect the flags of all nations but give allegiance to the flag of no nation. Our allegiance is to a kingdom that will never fall (Daniel 2:44).

As Christian believers, we are not first and finally citizens of the USA. We are citizens of Heaven. It is best not to speak of America as ,.our" country. It is not our country. It is the country in which we happen to have been born. None of us had a choice about where we should be born. What if you had been born in Pakistan or North Korea or Cuba? Would you be patriotic there? Probably not. Then why should you be patriotic here in the USA?

During World War 11, Lutherans fought for Germany and Lutherans fought for America. They killed each other. Why? For patriotism and for the glory of God. Does that make sense to you? They were, each in turn, patriotic for their own country. Mennonites fought in the German army and Mennonites fought in the American army. Does that make sense to you? Do you think that such conduct can be the will of God? Fifty percent of the Mennonite boys who were drafted entered the United States military. Ninety percent of the Church of the Brethren young men chose military service in World War II (page 474, Durnbaugh, Fruit of the Vine).

Those who are sincere Anabaptist believers should not speak of national events by saying that "our country did this or that." Japan did not attack the Mennonite Church at Pearl Harbor, and Germany was not at war with the Brethren. Thus "we" (Anabaptists) were not attacked by the Japanese, and we were not at war with Germans. We are citizens of a different country and we are not at war with anyone except the powers of darkness. The weapons of our warfare are not carnal (2 Corinthians 10:4).

Many of us believe that we should not fly the flag of this or of any country. A flag is the representation of the political interests of a political area. We should not pledge our allegiance to the flag of the United States of America. Instead, we should stand respectfully for the recognition of any flag (or any dignitary) of any country, because God has established human government. Our lives and allegiance belong only to God and His kingdom, and not to any earthly realm.

Many of us believe that we should not vote in political elections. In a republican democracy a vote is not a simple choice. A vote consists of a citizen's placing authority in a representative to act for the citizen. So, if we vote, we are selecting a representative to act for us as individuals. When that representative makes choices and decisions, we are then obligated to support them. This could include going to war. If they declare war, that blood could well be on our hands. Those citizens who participate in the process of selecting civil officials (governors and presidents)--are then obligated to support the decisions of the officers when they are in office.

We are also concerned about the influence of evangelicalism upon the Anabaptist community. Modern evangelicalism supports many good projects, but what they do is challenged by their lack of making Jesus Lord in all areas of life. We are not saying that evangelicals do not have anything good to offer, but we are saying that when they support military action, that does not exemplify the spirit of Jesus Christ.

Another concern in the Anabaptist community is the influence of pacifism. Modern pacifism is an unrealistic idealism that attempts to force Christian ideals upon the civil government and upon an unregenerate society. The commands of Jesus and the Bible cannot be generalized to include directives to the state. It is not wrong to bring the claims of God upon the lives of individuals, but to expect a worldly nation to follow the Son of God is unrealistic. The Sermon on the Mount is the outline for behaviors and attitudes in the Kingdom of God, not the kingdoms of the world.

All of this has been discussed recently in the Evangelical press. With names like James Dobson and D. James Kennedy on one side, and names like Jerry Falwell and Cal Thomas on the other--a very warm debate has been raging. Dobson and Kennedy are pressing for more evangelical participation in all levels of government. Falwell, once a political activist, in his book, Strength for the Journey (1987), details his return to his first call-preaching the Bible. In Falwell's words, "The local church is the front line in the war that God is waging with the Enemy. The real action does not take place in the Supreme Court chambers or the marble halls of Congress or even in the Oval Office." Cal Thomas wrote his own book titled Blinded by Might. His famous line is that "the Kingdom of God will not arrive on Air Force One."

Dobson, in particular, has taken issue with the approach of Falwell and Thomas. The issue resulted in a publicized debate between Cal Thomas and a representative of Dobson's Family in Focus. So, even in evangelicalism this issue is far from resolved. What is a Biblical perspective on this situation?

When Abraham and Lot lived in the environs of Sodom and Gomorrah, it was Lot who sat in the gate. "Sitting in the gate" is thought to have been a position of political significance. Abraham, on the other hand, lived away from the city life. When the time came for the judgment of God to fall, who was it that had power relative to the disposition of the city? Was it the politically active Lot or the spiritually active Abraham? All of us know the answer. The prayers of Abraham were all that stood between the people of Sodom and the judgment of the Almighty God.

What is patriotism as understood from an Anabaptist world view? It was Elder John Kline who said, My highest conception of patriotism is found in the man who loves the Lord his God with all his heart and his neighbor as himself. Out of these affections spring the subordinate love for one's country- love truly virtuous for one's companion and children, relatives and friends; and in its most comprehensive sense takes in the whole human family. Were this love universal, the word "patriotism" and its specific sense, meaning such a love for one's country as makes its possessors ready and willing to take up arms in its defense, might be appropriately expunged from every national vocabulary (Page 311, The Brethren Encyclopedia).

Even Abraham Lincoln lent his support to our nonresistant lifestyle. He said that Brethren and Mennonite people should not be required to participate in the military. His reason was that 'These people do not believe in war. People who do not believe in war make poor soldiers. Besides, the attitude of these people has always been against slavery. If all our people had held the same views about slavery as these people hold, there would be no war" (page 129, Rufus Bowman, The Church of the Brethren and War).

What if "good men do nothing"? Good men (or women) never "do nothing." Elder John Kline prayed and preached and wrote letters. Abraham lived an exemplary life and prayed. No one can do more than that.

We are responsible to live as citizens of the world, and not of any one country. The Kingdom of God has no geographic boundaries. How then can members of the Church defend geographic boundaries with military power? Believers in all political areas are citizens of the Kingdom of God, and are all members of the Body of Christ.

What does the Bible say about our citizenship? Philippians 3:20 clearly tells us that our citizenship is in Heaven. Hebrews 13:14 says that God's people are looking for a country because they have no continuing city here. The Bible further says that we are ambassadors (2 Corinthians 5:20). An ambassador is a person representing a foreign country. An ambassador does not participate in the politics of the country of residence. He or she represents the home country.

What is a biblical perspective on the question of good citizenship? Our responsibility can be easily summed up with three words. We should pray, pay, and obey. We are exhorted in the Bible to pray for those who have the authority over us, knowing that "The king's heart is in the hand of the Lord, like the rivers of water; He turns it wherever He wishes" (Proverbs 21:1). We are also to pay our taxes. Most of us do not like to pay taxes but it is a biblical command. Jesus said, "Render to Caesar that which bears his inscription and image." The Bible clearly says that we are to pay taxes (Romans 13:6-7). We are also to obey. We are to be "subject to the governing authorities" (Romans 13:1). This command is mitigated, of course, by Acts 5:29 which instructs us to "obey God rather than men." So we obey unless the commands of God conflict with the commands of the government, in which case we obey the commands of God. The classic illustration of this is military service. Our money is printed with the image of Caesar so we render money to Caesar. Human beings, on the other hand, are made in the image of God so we are not at liberty to place our bodies at Caesar's disposal. Our bodies belong only to God.

Does our worldly citizenship in the United States mean anything? Yes, it does. Our citizenship in the USA makes us responsible. We can make a living in a very short time. What do we do with the balance of our time and money? Believers all over the globe need the assistance that we can easily provide just by lowering our standard of living a little bit. We have much and we need to share. We do not demand rights but we can use privileges to be responsible in heavenly stewardship by wisely distributing what God has given us.

Does our citizenship in the Heavenly Kingdom mean anything? It should be important to us. We should be so busy being the church that we have little time to involve ourselves in the politics, sports, fashions, etc. of this world. Our song should drown the siren song of the world's music. We should be so committed to God that we scarcely notice the events of politics or worldly affairs. Our discipleship should be continually increasing the kingdom of God. Our churches should be places reverberating with the worship of the King. Our affection for God's Word should be the controlling factor in our lives.

If America falls it will not be the result of too small an army or too little patriotism. It will be the result of godlessness--the movie and entertainment industry gone to wasteland; the sins of abortion and homosexuality accepted as normal; professional sports mania gone wild; business corruption becoming more commonplace; infidelity to family and marriage vows more and more accepted as the norm. The Christian community is becoming as worldly as the world. The Bible says (Psalms 33:16-17) that "no king is saved by the multitude of an army." Proverbs 14:34 says that "Righteousness exalts a nation but sin is a reproach to any people." Bible reading and prayer were neglected at home a long time before they were taken out of schools. If America falls it will not be too little patriotism. It will be the result of godlessness.

We must remember who we are, and that Christians have what this nation and the world need, and they need what we have. We should be the best citizens this country (or any country) have. We should be the examples of all that is right and godly. Our lives should give evidence that we are not looking at that which is temporal but at that which is eternal. We should keep in mind John Kline's concept of patriotism. We need to continue in Abraham's practice of prayer and intercession for all who are in authority.

The New Testament makes it clear that believers are to think of themselves as aliens and ambassadors. Paul says that we are looked upon as "the offscouring and filth of this world" (1 Corinthians 4:13) as we live here. That is because we are citizens of a different country. Hebrews 11:13-16 says that God's people desire a better country. Let us live so that the desire for a better country is obvious to all who know us. Our lives should evidence that we are from a different country.

We are blessed to live in a country with many freedoms. We are blessed to be able to share our blessings with believers all over the world. But we are more blessed to be members of the kingdom of God and to anticipate living with Him in that kingdom forever.


_________________
CHRISTIAN

 2008/5/15 18:03Profile









 Re: Patriotism: An Anabaptist Perspective

One American's opinion, some truth, some spin. That's the beauty of America. right now you can talk about the farmer with your mouth full. Just hope this freedom holds, with opinions like this it may not, if it don't this guy won't have a valid grip.

 2008/5/15 19:04
Compton
Member



Joined: 2005/2/24
Posts: 2732


 Re: Patriotism: An Anabaptist Perspective

Quote:
The Christian community is becoming as worldly as the world.... If America falls it will not be too little patriotism. It will be the result of godlessness.



Yes, the question for our religious nation is this: what people makes a land more wicked? Those wicked people who continue to behave wickedly, or those who were given righteousness and choose instead wickedness?

This article really said some things to me. (Not the political opinions on the past, but the spiritual perspective on the present.)

If every evangelical in this nation were truly born again how could these things be?

Quote:
...the sins of abortion and homosexuality accepted as normal; professional sports mania gone wild; business corruption becoming more commonplace; infidelity to family and marriage vows more and more accepted as the norm. The Christian community is becoming as worldly as the world. Bible reading and prayer were neglected at home...



One of the greatest shams in church history is "cultural relevancy": justifying worldliness under the pretense of using culturally accepted methods to bring the gospel to the "culture war".

Culture is nothing but a word. It does not exist in reality but in our collective minds. It is the things we meditate on and worship. The more we give our numbers to it's cultivation and practice, regardless of our pretense, the more it grows. If God hates Baal worship (he does) then using aspects of Baal worship to present his words are a double abomination. Involving Baal increases Baal, not our God. By becoming worldly, Christians in this country did not become relevant or progressive...they became useless tasteless salt. By participating in these things we have englarged the kingdoms of this world and once more, have blissfully deluded ourselves in the process.

This year I've been in churches where the women dress more seductively then what would be tolerated even in the secular workplace! They would've provoked a formal rebuke from corporate HR, but in church they are free to frolic as they please. They make the sunday morning service unfit for children. These are places where confessions of sin to one another is completely extinct, and confrontation is taboo. Everyone is so loathsome of legalism that they embrace lawlessness! Oh, this is because the Spirit of God is not governing them... they can see only a zig zag of legalism or lawlessness before them, but where is the love of God that makes straight the path?

How can we not throw up in our own church climate? Jesus once said that if the people were not allowed to worship him, then the very rocks would cry out! Likewise, if our churches do not repent and eject the lawless, the very land will do it for us. (Lev. 18)

Yet by and large, the spongy religious enterprises in America are so absorbed with the world that they lack sufficient power to meet our desire to repent with models of practical patterns of spiritual fervor and moral character. Many are too afraid to lead spiritually and morally, because in recent decades they have grown weak under the embrace of popular culture and have forgotten what it feels like to draw drink from Christ daily for strength. They have fallen into a deep pit and narrow well. (Prov 23:27)

Let's clean up our own domestic churches, our homes brethren, and see if the Lord does not rescue our public churches from their narrow wells.

MC


_________________
Mike Compton

 2008/5/15 20:08Profile









 Re:

In America it would be very difficult to categorize all Americans. Many have honored the King since the nation was born and have been blessed. Many have serve the devil. America as a whole and as a nation has been treated in the manner of Joseph by his brothers and was thrown in the cistern. It is pure jealousy by many nations that America is hated. The main truth that I could amen in this article and I'll use my own words. America would be much better off militarily and defensively if they destroyed all their weapons than to turn their back on God.
When you go to the big dance you dance with the one that brung ye.

 2008/5/16 1:11
Compton
Member



Joined: 2005/2/24
Posts: 2732


 Re:

Brother Moe I certainly agree with you that America is too broad to simply categorize with mere anecdotal stories. Indeed our country is perhaps the most culturally diverse nation in the world, a diversity which by it's very nature eludes simple descriptions of her character.

I would also agree that even many Christians around the world, and at home, critique American patriotism with thinly veiled anti-americanism. Where Jesus would invert the evil hierarchy of the world, these critics succumb to their passions and outright subvert our government with half-truths and conspiracy hysteria. I believe they sin by doing so. We cannot look down upon politics with angry political rhetoric without becoming hypocrites. If our kingdom is not of this world then our politics should also not be of this world.

Yet, my grief expressed is not over the sins committed by the vast population of the United States of America, but by the evangelical church here. The unrighteous have their darkness to plead their case with. We are without even that pitiful excuse. Besides an abundance of bibles, we have Whitefield, Edwards, Weslely, Asbury, Otterbien, Finney, Moody, Sunday, Ryle, Chaefer. Shaeffer, and many many others. In-spite of our sins which are now becoming weary public statistics, we seek revivals to see signs and wonders instead of seeking an obedient character that sees Christ. We are as Jerusalem of old that broke Jesus' heart, to which he told the story. “And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ “But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Many of us no longer listen to our evangelical forefathers proclamation of the scriptures, and instead make our own proclamations. The rejection of God's light will be held against us I believe.

Therefore, to my little pea-brain, the challenge before us is not whether we are pro or anti American, but whether we follow the Gospel given to us by the forefathers of our namesake. These days, there is a secular patriotism whose spine may be stiff and firm, but it is stiff as a weathervane...always turning around. Our forefathers patriotism came before America was a 'great nation', while we were still effectively a third world people.

I want the kind of patriotism that loves country, but is fiercely deferential to true worship, unwilling to give to Caesar that which is due God...this is the patriotism of our Christian forefathers my dear brother: Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?""Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?"The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy."

And Joshua did so.

Joshua 5: 13-15

Conservative churches may salute the flag, and liberal churches may spit on it, but it seems to me both have forgotten what it is to remove their sandals in the presence of the Lord. Red white and blue patriotism, or yellow idealism is but chaff in the wind because all self-righteously act as if God is their dupe. (sic) Let the heathen serve their Gods with wanton pleasure and violent wrath, but who we serve dear brother deserves more fear and trembling. (I know I am speaking rhetorically to one who already knows this!)

This is where my heart is these days. I am so thankful for precious brothers like you Moe to share this with.

MC


_________________
Mike Compton

 2008/5/16 8:36Profile









 Re:

Quote:

Compton wrote:
Brother Moe I certainly agree with you that America is too broad to simply categorize with mere anecdotal stories. Indeed our country is perhaps the most culturally diverse nation in the world, a diversity which by it's very nature eludes simple descriptions of her character.

I would also agree that even many Christians around the world, and at home, critique American patriotism with thinly veiled anti-americanism. Where Jesus would invert the evil hierarchy of the world, these critics succumb to their passions and outright subvert our government with half-truths and conspiracy hysteria. I believe they sin by doing so. We cannot look down upon politics with angry political rhetoric without becoming hypocrites. If our kingdom is not of this world then our politics should also not be of this world.

Yet, my grief expressed is not over the sins committed by the vast population of the United States of America, but by the evangelical church here. The unrighteous have their darkness to plead their case with. We are without even that pitiful excuse. Besides an abundance of bibles, we have Whitefield, Edwards, Weslely, Asbury, Otterbien, Finney, Moody, Sunday, Ryle, Chaefer. Shaeffer, and many many others. In-spite of our sins which are now becoming weary public statistics, we seek revivals to see signs and wonders instead of seeking an obedient character that sees Christ. We are as Jerusalem of old that broke Jesus' heart, to which he told the story. “And he said, ‘Then I beg you, father, that you send him to my father’s house— for I have five brothers—in order that he may warn them, so that they will not also come to this place of torment.’ “But Abraham said, ‘They have Moses and the Prophets; let them hear them.’ “But he said, ‘No, father Abraham, but if someone goes to them from the dead, they will repent!’ “But he said to him, ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets, they will not be persuaded even if someone rises from the dead.’”

Many of us no longer listen to our evangelical forefathers proclamation of the scriptures, and instead make our own proclamations. The rejection of God's light will be held against us I believe.

Therefore, to my little pea-brain, the challenge before us is not whether we are pro or anti American, but whether we follow the Gospel given to us by the forefathers of our namesake. These days, there is a secular patriotism whose spine may be stiff and firm, but it is stiff as a weathervane...always turning around. Our forefathers patriotism came before America was a 'great nation', while we were still effectively a third world people.

I want the kind of patriotism that loves country, but is fiercely deferential to true worship, unwilling to give to Caesar that which is due God...this is the patriotism of our Christian forefathers my dear brother: Now when Joshua was near Jericho, he looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, "Are you for us or for our enemies?""Neither," he replied, "but as commander of the army of the LORD I have now come." Then Joshua fell facedown to the ground in reverence, and asked him, "What message does my Lord have for his servant?"The commander of the LORD's army replied, "Take off your sandals, for the place where you are standing is holy."

And Joshua did so.

Joshua 5: 13-15

Conservative churches may salute the flag, and liberal churches may spit on it, but it seems to me both have forgotten what it is to remove their sandals in the presence of the Lord. Red white and blue patriotism, or yellow idealism is but chaff in the wind because all self-righteously act as if God is their dupe. (sic) Let the heathen serve their Gods with wanton pleasure and violent wrath, but who we serve dear brother deserves more fear and trembling. (I know I am speaking rhetorically to one who already knows this!)

This is where my heart is these days. I am so thankful for precious brothers like you Moe to share this with.

MC



I am also very thankful to have you and others as well my brother to share my heart with. I noticed you used the term pea-brain. At our local church we have a latino ministry. Many latinos are learning presently English, but most are not there yet. During our services the only English speaking Latino we have in the congregation wears headphones and translates to about other Latinos during the Pastor's sermon. I think Pablo has the liberty to add any Word that the Holy Spirit gives HIM in the sermon as well. Our Pastor uses some off colored phrases such as pea-brain. Pablo is having some difficulty translating pea-brain and discussed this with the Pastor. I thought it was humorous and it came to my mind when I saw you use it.
God Bless Brother.
Moe

 2008/5/16 9:10





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