Hate asking this question but I got to. Should Christians pledge their allegiance to any thing other than God?

Question

I recently was in a crowd of people and the pledge of allegiance was being said.I was reminded of what are Nation is and has become lately.I am sorry but I could not say the words.I started praying for our Nation, pledging my allegiance to God.I asked Him to protect our soldiers and to keep them safe.To watch over and bless their families here at home.To guide our leaders, and those who are abroad that we all might come to some means of peace.I asked Him to bless our Nation with a Revival, with new and restored morals and respect for all.I am sorry if you think that I don't love our country, rest assured I do,but my allegiance belongs to God alone.Please feel free to express yourselves in a mature and respectful way even if you disagree.

RELLA- I too took the same vows you did, but if my wife becomes a harlot does that mean I should still hold my vows true to her?

Today our flag represents freedom for abortion, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, how can I pledge my allegiance to something that supports these abominable sins?

No matter what country we are in we still have the same God over us all. If you were living in Iraq or one of these countries that hate our God, would you pledge allegiance to that flag as well?

LET ME ADD THIS TO THE FIRE.HONEST ANSWERS ONLY PLEASE.







1.WHAT DOES THE STARS AND STRIPS STAND FOR ON OUR FLAG?
2.NOW TELL ME WHATS ON THE CHRISTIAN FLAG,AND WHAT DOES THE SYMBOLS REPRESENT?

Answer 1

It's not what it use to be.

I have wondered this myself. It upsets me when I am at different people's homes who are Christians. They read their Bible and when they are finished they lay it on the floor. But then their kids will come through with a small flag and get done playing with it and toss it on the same floor. The parents scold them for doing it. Is the word of God less important that it is ok to be on the floor? I don't believe so at all.


allegiance - devotion or loyalty to a person, group, or cause

I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible with liberty and justice for all.

I was recently at a theme park in southwest Missouri.
http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index;_ylt=AhdD9fPtrBt5TbFOcpDsmXDsy6IX;_ylv=3?qid=20070912105842AAbw5eN
At the beginnig of the day they say the Pledge of Allegiance and play yhe National Anthem. They pull all the veterans aside out of the guests and let them march carrying the flag. Many are disabled. They salute as the flag is being raised and the National Anthem is played. It is hard to hold back the tears looking at their faces as "Old Glory" is being raised. These men have fought and served our country. Many were injured and have had friends who died on the battle field. Many are Christians that are saluteing the flag.

Our flag is the symbol of the United States of America, the good and the bad. It represents our freedom to change the bad and keep the good.
In my opinion when or if we say the Pledge of Allegiance we need to remember the words we are saying. Especially "ONE NATION UNDER GOD". It is our duty as Christians to do all we can to keep this nation under God.

I dont see a problem with devotion or loyalty to a person, group, or cause (allegiance) as long as it is not before God. But under God. I do not worship the flag but I remember what it stands for. It represents the nation that God has given me. I am not proud of the sins that are committed in it and believe God will judge this very nation because of it. In many other countries around the world they do not have the freedom to do what we are doing here.Expessing our beliefs. I always look at the flag and thank God for our freedoms especially the religious freedom to serve God as I choose. Many, many men have died from the beginning to keep that freedom. Every time I say the Pledge of Allegiance I always stress "one nation under God" in doing this the flag and nation falls second to our Almighty God. For me it is not as much of devoteing myself to cloth or fabric but more another way of me offering up thanksgiving to the Lord that I am in this free nation and not in Iraq or somewhere like it.

IN GOD WE TRUST

I have done like you have done before. What I believe you and I are seeing is some people do not put God before anything and still will put the flag on a very high level above all else. That is idolatry.

As terrible as it is to say I don't feel this nation as a whole will be blessed by God anymore unless "we the people" turn back to him. I still feel it is the best nation in the world and would not want to live any where else. That is not saying much for the rest of the world.

Answer 2

Two points of views on this:

Yes. It is like pledging or vowing one's loyalty, allegiance, or faithfulness to a spouse to love, honor, cherish, obey, until death do us part. You make up your own phrases or repeat what the legal advocate or pastor says for you to say. I read on a website somewhere once when I asked this question about how in the old days the nations carried around banners with their nations on it. And what does the Bible say about slaves and masters, or bosses. Read all those verses too. When we work underneath others we are to work for God, not for man. If you are in an environment where you have to sign a promise or pledge of patient confidentiality or lawyer client priveleges, instead of a letting your yay be yay and nay be nay, then you are also making a pledge or promise on paper.
And didn't the Bible mention something about Tamar and her father-in-law and pledges?

No. Pledging allegiance is a form of idolatry, as is idolizing the holy inerrant word of G d, the holy Bible. I was introduced to this concept of Bible worship in a church group and when people have made pledges of allegiances even in a church setting I have felt rather hesitant. Also we are not to have the form of anything or the likeness of anything on anything, and yet there are pictures, paintings, and yes stars and strips on the flag. Even in the olden days of the Bible, the Jewish were instructed by our Creator how to build and design things, and there was also the serpent Moses had that they had to look at.

Maybe or Maybe not. But at what point or where do you draw the line? And at what point does it become a system of "No"s and legalism instead of a real true relationship with Christ and letting your works follow supernaturally through the power of Christ while the relationship develops.
But I am glad you asked this question, thank you. Because I have wondered about this and the pledge of allegiance to the Bible and other things that even churches and Christian schools do that I feel uncomfortable with.

Answer 3

I too stopped standing and reciting the pledge while I was still in High School. It proves nothing to be able to parrot something without having any true idea of what such a pledge means. Anyone can stand and say the revised Pledge of Allegiance, foreign spies and terrorists included, so the ability to say it proves nothing.. My allegiance is to my country and to the principals it was intended to be based around; Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness, as well as freedom and democracy. As the bumper sticker on my car says "Waving a flag doesn't make you a patriot any more than carrying a bat makes you a baseball player" It's not about what you show off, it's about what you do.

Answer 4

Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's. (Sounds like it's okay to have patriotism to me) -- and I don't even buy into the whole bible thing.

That's a lot better than that somewhat self-righteous attitude that comes across in your prayer, which sounds a tad like the Pharisee standing up and praying: Luke 18:11 with the rest of us poor ol' Americans being the publicans.

Addendum: "Today our flag represents freedom for abortion, homosexuality, same-sex marriage, how can I pledge my allegiance to something that supports these abominable sins?"

Actually, what the flag represents is the freedom for the individual to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Try checking out the Constitution of the United States, the law. No where in there does it say that YOUR definition of religion must be mine or anyone else's. In fact, I find it amazing even you have the freedom to post your inanities and have them read by hundreds of thousands. Guess what, many gay and non-gay men and women in uniform have fought and died so that you have the right to insult them - and most would die again because they firmly believe in that same Constitution.

I've got an idea - you have the absolute right not to Pledge. However, I most definitely suggest, (again using my own right of free speech) that you might want to seriously consider moving someplace where they live under a theocracy. I've a hunch in about six months, you will come screaming back --assuming you haven't fallen afoul of THEIR brand of religion -- and looking desperately for a Stars & Stripes.

Answer 5

I am a born-again Christian and I absolutely do pledge allegiance to my wonderful country, the U.S.A.

This is not idolatry as long as God is still first. I do not pledge allegiance to both equally, but that doesn't mean I can't pledge allegiance at all.

Likewise, when I got married I said vows to my husband. Was that idolatry? Of course not. I pledged my allegiance to my beloved husband whole-heartedly, but that does not mean he comes before Jesus in my heart.

I formally joined a local church as a member. This particular church does not by any means have an exclusive on God, but I think it is a good, well-balanced church. I pledged my allegiance to my church when I became a member. This does not mean that the church is higher in my regard than the God I serve.

My country isn't perfect; neither is my husband; neither is my church. But I love them anyway and have made a commitment to all of them. Pledging allegiance is a pledge of commitment. I'm not going to renounce my citizenship and I'm not going to get divorced. I'll always be a member of the Body of Christ.

This is why I have no problem giving my allegiance to my admittedly imperfect country. I have no loyalty higher than Christ, but that doesn't mean I can't have other loyalties at all. How else can we have lasting relationships?

It is best that you do what comes truly from your convictions, for "Whatever does not proceed from faith is sin." Read Romans 14; the excerpt is from verse 23.

http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=52&chapter=14&version=31&context=chapter

Answer 6

You absolutely can pledge allegiance to other things besides God, just not in a spritual sense.

Pledging allegiance to the flag is just saying that you are patriotic and your allegiance goes to America vs. some other country.

Here is the definition:
allegiance n. Loyalty or the obligation of loyalty, as to a nation, sovereign, or cause.

Answer 7

there is the line, "give onto casaer what is casaer's and give onto god what is god's"...DUH

Though the question also comes down to what a person has vowed to their god(s) to uphold. Some personal covanents would bar any other vows of affiliation, while others it would depend on the nature of the other vows.

Many of the Christian sects have forgotten this. Instead relying upon 'modern' defintions of covanent and sinning. hehehee "modern' in this case coming from the 7th century AD.

A person should NEVER do anything that they are not comfortable doing, but I am sorry that you think you have to be THAT controlling over OTHERS. The whole 'enslaver' mentality of christians continually astounds me.

I would say re-read Matthew 6, "jesus' defines prayer. Basically, a person is ONLY to offer up the 'Lord's Prayer' which is a prayer of acceptence, since god provides all.

I am really sorry that you cannot truly embrace the SPIRIT, instead limiting IT to your petty whims.

Isa 45:7 I form Light and create darkness, I make weal(well-being) and create woe(misery/sin), I am the Lord, who do all these things.

EXO 4:11 The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD ?

Deut 32:39 "See now that I myself am He! There is no god besides me. I put to death and I bring to life, I have wounded and I will heal, and no one can deliver out of my hand.

Ecc 8:17 then I saw all that God has done. No one can comprehend what goes on under the sun. Despite all his efforts to search it out, man cannot discover its meaning. Even if a wise man claims he knows, he cannot really comprehend it.

It really sounds like you REALLY need to read your bible more, so what God say and follow the teachings of 'Jesus', and a good 'get OVER yourself' is also in order.

Answer 8

I say that was pretty deep what you did. Pledging allegiance to the flag is fine too. You are not worshiping the flag it's just patriotism.
There's no sin in pledging allegiance to the flag it's a good thing to do.
If that were the case we wouldn't have military chaplains delivering Gods message to the troops.

Answer 9

The founding fathers gave us the right to bear arms against the government if that government becomes too corrupt. That's why the government never gets too corrupt. I think most people can live with that. A country of moral leaders will, most likely, be leaders that believe in God.

Answer 10

As co-citizens of what is purported to be a free country, I think we all have a point of possible agreement in that the idea of pledging unconditional allegiance, is incompatible with the freedom the flag represents. It has nothing to do with religion.