via Jesus Politics (Buy a flag and declare war on Satan and his lies of liberalism and secularism)
The site also carries a pledge to the new flag: “I pledge allegiance, to the Christian Flag of the United States of America, and to the Lord, who made us great and free. I purpose, to band together, with all believers, to protect the truth and liberty of God.â€
The traditional Christian flag was conceived in 1897 at Brighton Chapel in Coney Island, N.Y. Today is one of the oldest unchanged flags in the world and is displayed in sanctuaries and classrooms in an estimated 244,000 churches.
The first pledge to the Christian flag was written by Methodist pastor Lynn Harold Hough in 1908: “I pledge allegiance to the Christian Flag and to the Savior for whose kingdom it stands. One brotherhood, uniting all mankind, in service and love.â€
Unlike the Christian flag, which belongs to all Christians regardless of nationality or denomination, Eldreth’s National Christian Flag is unapologetically American.
emphasis mine, and lots of other Christians who serve first not the kingdoms of this world, but THE KINGDOM. Leave it to a Southern Baptist. Sheesh.
Charlie,
Thanks for posting that (and writing it , too). Really excellent. I couldn’t agree more. I find it a bit disgusting that churches haven’t put up an obstinate fight against that one. On the other hand, I suppose the best response is just to put all in its proper place (ie.
the Christian flag prominent, and all others secondary or subservient,
or another option might be to not have an American flag in a church at all)
Dale
Concerning flags, I took a few snippets from an article I wrote a few years ago…
US Flag Code that says (paraphrasing); no flag should be flown higher or in a more honorable position than the American flag. There are some exceptions here and there, but most of them are unimportant for our conversation, with the exception of one: “No other flag or pennant should be placed above or, if on the same level, to the right of the flag of the United States of America, except during church services conducted by naval chaplains at sea.” So there is an exception made for the Christian flag to be flown higher; and of all places, it is on a military boat. If the navy does it during chapel services, why don”™t [christian institutions] practice it all the time?
Now we can understand why the Californian flag is flown lower than the American one- California is a part of the United States. But since when does the Church belong to America? Why shouldn”™t the flag of the church fly higher than the US flag, especially on a Christian campus? If the navy does it during chapel services, why don”™t we practice it all the time?
Some might say that we owe a lot to the American flag and shouldn”™t fuss about it being flown higher. After all, they might say, we probably wouldn”™t even have the freedom to be Christians if it weren”™t for America. We would respond by saying that our freedom comes from one source and one only- Jesus Christ in His death and resurrection. We have no illusions that the Church and America hold the same concept of freedom. Freedom, as the Church understands it is not the consumerist freedom to “obey our thirst” whenever and however we want. It isn”™t the freedom from taxation without representation, or even the right to worship without persecution. Instead, Christian freedom is the freedom to live faithfully in obedience to the One who made, and redeemed us through Jesus. So the Church, or the Body of Christ as some call it, does not owe its “freedom” to America. We find freedom at the cross; Jesus calls us to lose our lives in order to gain them and that”™s where our freedom lies, not in the US constitution.
Author Stanley Hauerwas accuses Christians living in America of being “more American than Christian.” We fear that his words are all too true. God and not nations, rule this world. We want to be mindful of the messages we are sending to the world in the way we display our symbols of allegiance.