Serve God and Country: Biblical Patriotism

Coming on the eve of the fourth of July has put believers in a moral quandary as it pertains to the question of is patriotism appropriate, or acceptable, within the body of Christ. “After all,” people say “is patriotism not simply nationalism, and patriotism is insulting to every believer on earth that is not American?” The failure to contextualize is to fallaciously equate patriotism with nationalism, in spite of the that fact that there is a concrete world of difference between the two, and treating any affection towards the ideals and beliefs of a nation as putting those of others down. Some would call the pursuit of happiness a apathetic pursuit of self-interest at others expense, and at the expense of the gospel. What if, however, the pursuit of happiness through proclaiming the good news involved producing the means to provide for the needs of those in need of the gospel? Whoooa, say that three times fast. Then the argument falls apart by the gospel preserving the American dream, but flipping the end goal on its head. Theocentric enrichment of means to provide for others and proclaim the gospel, in contrast to gross anthropocentric advancement (the Good News of Christ be darned in this view). Anyway, now that the author has opened the topic with probably excessive snark, onward with the topic.

To answer the problem of what is the proper road in the path of patriotism for the believer, one must first consult Scripture on what government’s role actually is.

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. There whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those that resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For the same reason you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers God, attending to this very thing. Pay all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to who revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed. (Romans 13:1-7 ESV Bible)

So, for all intents and purposes, honor, respect, and revenue are due to the government, as to the extent the law of man does not contradict the ordinance of God himself. So in most respects, patriotism is not only aspirational, it is mandated for the believer. The point where devotion to the state ceases and desists is when the government tramples on the image of God, through things like murder and rape, and demands the believer's, and/or churches, complicity in the act. Dietrich Bonhoeffer expressed the true meaning of biblical patriotism by actively resisting a state that openly, and shamelessly, decreed the abuse and murder of multiple ethnic groups in the power fantasy of German racial supremacy. The Founding Fathers are an up in the air case of “were they justified in resisting the British state over taxation with only virtual representation (the British parliament members speaking on the colonists behalf, not the colonists having their own ambassador to speak their concerns of how the Seven years tax debt was heavily squared on their shoulders). While the question is up in the air about the level of justification the American colonists, much like any other colony group, had in the past of the question of national sovereignty and self-determination, one must deal with the present day country the decision forged.

An important delineation that must be explored is the line of patriotism vs. nationalism. To elaborate, the difference is not only in what they represent, but the extent of the devotion to one’s nation in question. A patriot will defend their nations liberties, freedoms, virtues, principles, and, at the same time, possessing no myopia to its faults. A nationalist, by contrast, does not desire to defend a nations virtue, but hammer on people’s heads its alleged supremacy in respect to other nations. The Nazi party of Germany, the Marxist party of Russia, the imperialist government of 1940’s Japan, all an expression of the true sense of nationalism. The might of their nations expressed by conquest of others in the name of national supremacy. This is the true color of nationalism. Vicious adherence to self-identity to the extent of disdain for other nations. This is especially the case where Merriam Websters online dictionary is concerned with the following paragraph.

A somewhat subtler difference between the two words may be found in their modifiers and the ideas to which each is connected. When we examine large bodies of recent text we see that patriotism is more often used in a general sense, often in conjunction with such words as bravery, valor, duty, and devotion. Nationalism, however, tends to find itself modified by specific movements, most frequently of a political bent. (1.)

So nationalism is more obsessed with a unilateral national identity of conformity to a national political philosophy, making it clearly at odds with the patriotic devotion to virtue through bravery and strength of character.

What causes the biggest issue in the church as it pertains to its relationship to government? Primarily, the dual citizenship the believer possesses, being both a citizen of Earth and the Kingdom of God. The following excerpt from The Interpreters Bible Commentary brings the gravity of the issue to the forefront.

The problem was complicated by the fact that the Christian always belongs to two communities, and has loyalties to both. Sometimes the one, sometimes the other, claims to be predominant, and to declare their separation certainly does not settle all the problems involved. The intense and eager discussion which has centered around Paul’s treatment here in ch.13 merely illustrates the perennial interest in this subject throughout Christian history. (2.)

The issue is particularly magnified in the United States where patriotism, particularly in the fourth of July season of Independence day. Being proud of being an American does not mean conceit and hubris to third world countries, nor apologizing to Japan, Germany, Korea, and Vietnam for conducting war against the factions that viewed anyone who disagreed with their ideology as a stain on a geopolitical sheet to be washed out. These conflicts were justifiable concerning the nature of the threat America was in conflict with. America is not, however, God’s gift to the world to bring it hope, liberty, and good fortune. It is a nation of finite and fallible human beings, all with personal faults, quirks, and points of moral failure, like every nation on this earth. The question is, what does a nation champion in terms of freedom and virtue? That matters because it is indicative how badly that nation needs the gospel of Jesus Christ, and in the case of Europe and America, the need is very acute. Nations that bar the good news from discussion by threatening with fines and imprisonment anything that constitutes hate speech according to the humanist community is a sign of spiritual disparity on national levels. Sexual license is appraised while religious preaching declaring it under the judgment of God is legally reprimanded. So a Christian nationalist movement in Europe or America better examine its heart, and the moral character of their nation, before declaring its supremacy.

Will the issue find resignation to a satisfactory conclusion? This issue, to answer the question, will unfortunately perpetuate to the end of days. However, the issue is not a reason to tell people not to celebrate the fourth of July. Yes, the worship service and pulpit could be seen as alienating, but outside venues from church sermons and worship are neutral ground. The proper Christian patriot will realize that America is in spiritual decline, and the liberty it cherishes is becoming licentiousness that inebriates the culture from registering sin in the negative. The mission field of the North American continent is becoming increasingly critical, spiritually dying more and more each day. This fourth of July needs to be a day of preaching that the nation of liberty in word will be free in word only if it continues to slouch towards Sodom and Gomorrah. Preaching the good news of the gospel is the most patriotic thing you can do at this point. The Bill of Rights can only matter when God’s divine imprint on man is recognized to uphold freedom, and not destroy it, for the purpose of pursuing life in any manner God and man approves. For until the love of God pours out in the hearts of believers from the Holy Spirit who has been given to us, liberty will be traded for license, patriotism will be traded for nationalism, and freedom will be traded for slavery.

(1.) The Difference Between Patriotism and Nationalism (accessed at https://www.merriam-webster.com/words-at-play/patriotism-vs-nationalism on June 25, 2018)

(2.) Buttrick, George Arthur The Interpreters Bible: Acts, Romans (Nashville, Tennessee: Abingdon Press, 1954) p.598