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TheAmazingGrace
Guest
Just curious - not sure myself.
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Kanade
Guest
I suppose it would be when you put patriotism or your own country before God in some way. Did you have something in mind?
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In_Hoc_Signo312
Guest
It becomes idolatry when you turn the state into your own god. It’s part of why freedom of religion was practically non-existent in communist countries.
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Mary_Estelle
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mikekle
Guest
If this is true, wouldnt the american revolution have been wrong in Gods eyes? Many people were willing to fight, kill others, and die just so an independent nation could be formed, and mainly due to issues regarding taxation (something Im assuming God is indifferent about).
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TK421
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Depending on your definition of patriotism, it is good in so far as it is a natural extension of the 2nd part of the Great Commandment: to love your neighbor as yourself. It is no longer a good thing if it manifests unjust distrust towards outsiders, or if a nation - a creation of mere creatures - takes precedence over God.
I’m not sure how just the American Revolution would be. Britain was treating its colonial citizens differently from how it treated its mainlanders, but they weren’t being threatened in any grave way, so I’m not sure how good it was to push the issue to war. There was a system of honor in Anglo culture (and other cultures) that would have made the people at the time more deeply offended than how we might see it as contemporary people. My instincts tell me that Gandhi’s treatment of British rule in India was morally superior to the response of the American colonies, but then it was both a very different time period & culture & political order in the 18th century world compared to the 20th, and there are worse things to go to war over. Unfortunately there were many wars in the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s between Christian Western powers that were avoidable, and the two wars in which the US and Britain fought against each other are among a great many others that didn’t need to happen, but did.
I’m not sure how just the American Revolution would be. Britain was treating its colonial citizens differently from how it treated its mainlanders, but they weren’t being threatened in any grave way, so I’m not sure how good it was to push the issue to war. There was a system of honor in Anglo culture (and other cultures) that would have made the people at the time more deeply offended than how we might see it as contemporary people. My instincts tell me that Gandhi’s treatment of British rule in India was morally superior to the response of the American colonies, but then it was both a very different time period & culture & political order in the 18th century world compared to the 20th, and there are worse things to go to war over. Unfortunately there were many wars in the 1600s, 1700s, and 1800s between Christian Western powers that were avoidable, and the two wars in which the US and Britain fought against each other are among a great many others that didn’t need to happen, but did.
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petra22
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What about illegal search and seizure? What about housing red-coats in your house without your consent? Weren’t these personal affronts? And I bet there were more personal affronts that weren’t brought to the forefront… There was a societal war raging against personal freedom… that’s why the Revolutionary war started…
God wants us to be free or he wouldn’t have given us free will… IMHO!
God wants us to be free or he wouldn’t have given us free will… IMHO!
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e_c
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Why would God not care about justice?
OP - You might try looking around for condemnations of “Americanism” by the Holy See. Here’s one (starts at #1967):
patristica.net/denzinger/
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mikekle
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Well the colonists had free will, even before any of the revolutions happened, it was mostly taxation that caused the uproar, and keep in mind, there were PLENTY of loyal Tories in the colonies,that had no problem submitting to the crowns rules and regulations.
No matter how you look at it, England was a monarchy back then, the colonies were linked to England, monarchies have their own rules, but there were plenty of kings during the time Jesus walked the earth, I do not recall Jesus ever encouraging towns to revolt over these kinds of things though.
What about ‘give unto Caesar what is Caesars’, does this only apply to some?
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JimR-OCDS
Guest
Not sure if it’s idolatry by definition, but “Disordered Patriotism.”
It becomes disordered when love of one’s nation is put before God and other human beings, regardless of their nationality.
It also becomes disordered when patriotism trump’s caring for nature and a reckless and self-centered use of natural resources.
Jim
It becomes disordered when love of one’s nation is put before God and other human beings, regardless of their nationality.
It also becomes disordered when patriotism trump’s caring for nature and a reckless and self-centered use of natural resources.
Jim
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Wesrock
Guest
When you toss aside Christian values in favor of your nation or political ideals.
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