Skip to content
Search

Latest Stories

Top Stories

Is patriotism Christian?

Is patriotism Christian?
Getty Images

Swearengin is an author, emotional & spiritual well-being coach, podcaster and content creator through his social media presence as Unconventional Pastor Paul. He talks religion and politics at times joined by his wife Ashley, a former elected official and community leader. Find him at Pastor-Paul.com.

American Christian churches celebrate each July with patriotic songs and pledges of allegiance - not allegiance to Almighty God - but to our country's flag and its symbolism of "freedom" secured through military might. Since Christians like to ask WWJD (What Would Jesus Do?), I do wonder if an incarnate Jesus in America today would celebrate the 4th of July weekend as do so many of our patriotic churches?


“Those who live by the sword, die by it,” Jesus is quoted in the Christian Bible. He didn't seem to be in alignment with the Zealots who were stirring chaos in attempt to force the despotic Roman government out of Palestine, nor with the "overturn-the-government" focus of those in his religious community who felt the major goal of their god was to... well... make their country great again.

In my past role as leader of a brick-and-mortar American Evangelical church, I refused even to display an American flag in our church building, much to the chagrin of some of our parishioners. Do I hate our country? Of course not. I do believe, however, in the teachings of Jesus that spirituality and faith should be rooted in a “kingdom” (or people group) that is above national boundaries, divisive echo chambers and petty squabbles.

Sign up for The Fulcrum newsletter

“There is neither slave nor free, Jew nor Greek,” the Christian Bible says. This was a RADICAL statement for the first century Jewish Christian. They all had been taught that inclusion in their community gave them identity and met their basic human needs of safety, value and purpose. Now they were being told to forgo those exclusive benefits in order to bring their message of abundant life to foreigners and people of other religions - people with whom they'd been forbidden to share a meal in the past?

The Hebrew story of Jonah tells of his belief that hatred of foreign people was a God-given right. The story shows Jonah scolding God and stating he'd rather be dead than live in a world where that God would have mercy on "those people." Is not calling America a “city on a hill,” or declaring God's blessing on our military conquests any different than Jonah's attitude towards the Ninevites? Maybe God would say to us, as he did to Jonah, "Do you do well to feel this way" when we celebrate a belief that our country has special favor over others?

The first century religious leaders, who Jesus called “hypocrites” and “white washed tombs,” believed their job was to use political skill and religious piety to restore godly order and hierarchy in the world.

“If people follow Jesus, we will lose our temple (i.e. religious practice) and our country,” they said. Likewise, today's American Christians act as if heaven's top priority is for the U.S. to dominate the world economically and militarily, and that the Christian's job is to make that happen through the installation of Christian law into civil systems and even our legal code.

The story of Jesus demonstrates that we gain influence with people through service and a willingness to die for those around us - or at least die to self for the benefit of others. He preached of loving one's neighbor and then defined "neighbor" as that person of another race, religion or creed that a religious community feels is worthy of divine love and mercy. Nothing I see in the gospel story would give the slightest hint that Jesus would approve of militaristic and patriotic songs in a church when he once turned over temple tables and demanded it be restored as a "a house of prayer."

Therefore, does it not seem a disconnect to celebrate our ability, past and present, to preserve ourselves through violent acts and to declare "America First" as a useful motto for a follower of Jesus' teaching?

What if Christians celebrated the times we didn't go to war as vociferously as we celebrate military victory? Could there be a space where our sense of safety was more rooted in our spiritual faith, than in our faith in America's military power? And, if so, could we use even a small portion of the annual $557 billion military budget (larger than the budget of the world's next ten largest militaries combined) to follow the 2,000 commands of the Bible to seek justice for the poor, foreigner, marginalized and economically disadvantaged of our country and the world?

It seems Jesus believed this mindset shift could lessen our need for bombs, guns, jets and drones. And wouldn't that idea truly be something worth pledging allegiance to in our Sunday morning gatherings?

Read More

Business professional watching stocks go down.
Getty Images, Bartolome Ozonas

The White House Is Booming, the Boardroom Is Panicking

The Confidence Collapse

Consumer confidence is plummeting—and that was before the latest Wall Street selloffs.

Keep ReadingShow less
Drain—More Than Fight—Authoritarianism and Censorship
Getty Images, Mykyta Ivanov

Drain—More Than Fight—Authoritarianism and Censorship

The current approaches to proactively counteracting authoritarianism and censorship fall into two main categories, which we call “fighting” and “Constitution-defending.” While Constitution-defending in particular has some value, this article advocates for a third major method: draining interest in authoritarianism and censorship.

“Draining” refers to sapping interest in these extreme possibilities of authoritarianism and censorship. In practical terms, it comes from reducing an overblown sense of threat of fellow Americans across the political spectrum. When there is less to fear about each other, there is less desire for authoritarianism or censorship.

Keep ReadingShow less
"Vote" pin.
Getty Images, William Whitehurst

Most Americans’ Votes Don’t Matter in Deciding Elections

New research from the Unite America Institute confirms a stark reality: Most ballots cast in American elections don’t matter in deciding the outcome. In 2024, just 14% of eligible voters cast a meaningful vote that actually influenced the outcome of a U.S. House race. For state house races, on average across all 50 states, just 13% cast meaningful votes.

“Too many Americans have no real say in their democracy,” said Unite America Executive Director Nick Troiano. “Every voter deserves a ballot that not only counts, but that truly matters. We should demand better than ‘elections in name only.’”

Keep ReadingShow less
Hands outside of bars.
Getty Images, stevanovicigor

Double Standard: Investing in Animal Redemption While Ignoring Human Rehabilitation

America and countries abroad have mastered the art of taming wild animals—training the most vicious killers, honing killer instincts, and even domesticating animals born for the hunt. Wild animals in this country receive extensive resources to facilitate their reintegration into society.

Americans spent more than $150 billion on their pets in 2024, with an estimated spending projection of $200 million by 2030. Millions of dollars are poured into shelters, rehabilitation programs, and veterinary care, as shown by industry statistics on animal welfare spending. Television ads and commercials plead for their adoption. Stray animal hotlines operate 24/7, ensuring immediate rescue services. Pet parks, relief stations in airports, and pageant shows showcase animals as celebrities.

Keep ReadingShow less