I recognize that this post is a little past the publication
date of our 10th episode (and that I missed the 9th episode),
but better late than never. If you aren’t happy with this timeline, you can write
into the studio and send a s.a.s.e. in order to get your money back.
I am fascinated how emotional people get when discussing the
place of the flag in the church and how often the argument refers to the idea
that this nation was founded on “Christian values.” If this argument stands,
then what would people say of flags in synagogues, or mosques, or Hindu
temples, or Buddhist temples? Should the flag not be in those places of worship
because the country is not founded on the same values? What of humanists,
rationalists, and atheists? If they were to have temples (and some of them do)
should those places of worship have the American flag in them?
My fear with the emotional demand for the flag in the
sanctuary is that it carries a strong weight of antidisestablishmentarianism (and
I love having the opportunity to use that word in a blog post). It moves
towards the belief that Christianity and the United States are one and should
always be considered such. Such a stance lowers other religions and is
dangerous to any hope that Christianity stays true to the essence of its faith.
We discussed this on the podcast, and I just wanted to offer a little more to
chew on.
The podcast featured Darin Collins whose church website can
be found here. We also mentioned the following books:
The Subversion of Christianity, by Jacques Ellul
The Peaceable Kingdom, by Stanley Hauerwas
And as you are all waiting for, the selections from Whatca’ Reading:
The Nature and Purpose of the Church
(The updated publication) The Nature and Mission of the Church
Bird by Bird, by Anne Lamott
