If military people wish to have their own parades to mark their fallen comrades, they are welcome to do so. But please can they do so well away from the churches, whose fundamental attitudes are, or should be, completely at odds with theirs. And please can churches stop pandering to the expectations of those in the world outside, and of those among their own numbers, who hold anti-Christian militaristic views and expect the church to hold ceremonies for them, and disrupt its own regular programmes to do so.
<idle musing>
Amen! Preach it! The church should be working for peace among all, not promoting a nationalistic agenda.
By the way, I saw a wonderful bumper sticker the other day: Real Patriots Question Their Government. Nationalism and patriotism have gotten confused lately, as has civil religion and true Christianity.
OK, go ahead and fire away. [as I put on my flame suit and duck]
</idle musing>
2 comments:
A few years ago we had a re-enactment of the flag-raising at Iwo Jima during the service!
Thanks, James. I'm glad you brought into this nationalism as well as militarism, as I also see that as having no place in church. As Christians we should be one family irrespective of our nationalities, without national divisions except for purely pragmatic ones. All of this is threatened by nationalism.
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