by Dave Roberts » Tue Nov 24, 2015 10:21 am
As I sat in worship Sunday morning, something struck me that never had before. The American flag and Christian flag were displayed in their traditional places with the American flag too the left of the congregation and the Christian flag to the congregation's right and (in keeping with the US Flag Code) to the American flag's left. The question that struck me in this display was, "Does this send the subtle message that all things Christian are placed in a subservient position to the national flag? Therefore, does this send a nationalistic message subtly above a Christian message?
As I understand the flag customs in churches, very few displayed the national flag before World War II when it was done to show support of those from the congregation serving in the military at that time. (Of course, flags were used in VBS before that time.) During the 1950's, it was our way of showing the superiority of our way of life above the way of life of "godless Communism, as was the addition of the words, "Under God," to the Pledge of Allegiance. Is our common display sending the wrong message about the nature of our worship?