God Is Not An American Patriot

Many professing Christians in America are hypocrites, plain and simple. They honor Christ with their lips, but their god is America. Americanism is an attachment or allegiance to the traditions, institutions, and ideals of the United States. When professional sports players began kneeling during the national anthem at sporting events to protest against perceived injustices, it caused a lot of teeth gnashing among political conservatives. They said it was disrespectful to the flag, and to the military, and to those who died in previous wars, and it was called un-American. The political rhetoric that ensued went through the roof, and what could have been an opportunity for goodwill, instead became a political volcano. Both sides probably had good points to make, and both sides were probably wrong in ways. The point is, rather than people seeking to “be a neighbor” to each other, ideological boats were rocked, and politicians capitalized on the situation.

People want to spout the idea that America is “under God” and there is “liberty and justice for all”, but none of this is true. Patriotic pride has blinded more professing Christians to the needs of society and the world than we will ever realize. What is more important to God? – souls being won to Christ, or killing foreigners for the sake of American interests? America has a materialistic, antinomian, lukewarm, complacent kind of “Christianity” that has done much harm to the cause of Christ because it has reared a lot of make-believers instead of real believers. Women abandoned their place in the home, men that went to war were broken in body and mind, those who objected to war were shamed, and families began to be indoctrinated by a “God and country” ideology instead of a Kingdom of God theology. Christianity does not need America, and it is blasphemous to say otherwise. Christianity needs Christ and his Kingdom principles, not the precepts of American evangelical conservatism. When someone pledges allegiance to the US flag, to what/whom are they pledging their allegiance to? Those that slaughtered Native Americans? Those that practiced slavery and treated people like animals, separating families in the process? Maybe they are praising God that he helped them kill Japanese, Chinese, Vietnamese, or Soviet civilians, some of them Christians, to spare the more worthy Americans. Maybe they are glad they live in a country that is so "righteous" it has killed millions of babies in the womb. Other nations have policies in place that are more "righteous" than some of the policies in America. Yet American "Christians" have and would celebrate killing them. Not defensively, but in the name of another unjust war. What a shame. Professing Christians pledge allegiance to Americanism, then they "worship" with churches that glorify the U.S. War Machine.

Military members have almost been deified in world history, and the same has been true in America. But why? To safeguard freedom? To thank them for killing, torturing, and causing suffering for other human beings in places they have no business being in? The majority of people that were killed in World War II were civilians. The Lord Jesus would not promote the political agendas of the Jews, a nation explicitly selected by God for a purpose, he only promoted the principles of the Kingdom of God, yet Americans have had the audacity to claim the Lord’s support for their wars and injustices. Christians, try as they may, cannot justify going to foreign nations and killing people. Not morally. If people really knew what happens during wartime, and the atrocities that have been committed by US military personnel, even against one another at times, perhaps they would see things differently. Or maybe they would not. They have been brainwashed to think that American patriotism and Christianity are synonymous. Sexual assault is common in the military, as is drug use and other vices. Yet “veterans” are treated like heroes for killing citizens of other countries, and God’s name is invoked to rally patriotic support. Serving in the U.S. military is not a virtue. Singing patriotic hymns in the church service is not Christ-like. It is not honoring to Christ who died for people from every nation. As for the myth that US military service is about defending our freedom, please read the following from Laurence Vance:

"Joining the military does not mean that you will be defending the country. The purpose of the US military should be to defend the United States. Period. Yet, one of the greatest myths ever invented is that the current US military somehow defends our freedoms. First of all, our freedoms are not in danger of being taken away by foreign countries; if they are taken away it will be by our own government. It is not a country making war on us that we need to fear, it is our government making war on the Bill of Rights. And second, how is stationing troops in 150 different regions in the world on hundreds of US military bases defending our freedoms? It is not the purpose of the US military to change regimes, secure the borders of other countries, or spread democracy at gunpoint."

Imagine the person from another country, whose loved ones were killed in the name of American patriotism, hearing an American church celebrating the suffering and death of foreigners. Is he now to equate God’s will with the suffering of other nations because the people of America are so special and favored? He looks around in America and sees immodesty and pornography everywhere, sexual sins occur with regularity, the slaughter of American babies is commonplace, the marriage bed is defiled, millions of Americans are locked up in cages for non-violent offenses, and the poor are marginalized. No wonder American “Christianity” does not work. American “Christians” resemble the fictional character of John Wayne more than they do the Lord Jesus Christ. American exceptionalism is an idol and is antithetical to the principles of the Kingdom of God. No man can serve two masters.