American Christians
Why is it that American Christians associate nationalism with Christianity? This why they some of them are having such problems coming to terms with the abuses meted out by their troops in Iraq. The thinking seems to go like this; "My country is Christian and therefore morally right. So therefore the representatives of my country abroad can be expected to act in a way that is morally right". Why? Everyone is subject to human nature and if someone is not saved they are captive to sin, and will behave in such a way when pressed.
Where did this idea of a 'Christian country' come from anyway? Christianity is about our PERSONAL salvation and our PERSONAL relationship with God. Then we are part of the Church, not a country. 'Strangers in a strange land' as it says. Our country can no more be Christian than our car or our refrigerator can.
1 Comments:
Hi- I'd like to introduce myself: an American who doesn't associate nationalism with Christianity. If you're referring to nominial Christians or the liberal left, then you're probably correct about their hypocritical reactions to the "abuse." Believers of all races and nationalities know (or should know) that being a liberal or conservative or a facist or a communist or vegetarian won't save you: It's faith alone in Christ alone through grace alone.
Some Americans believe the U.S. is a Christian nation. Far from it. I took John Kerry to task a few months ago on my blog for calling Bush a Christian hypocrite (in so many words) because he was not demonstrating "good works" as referenced in James 2. Kerry thinks that if Bush really were a Christian, he'd stop cutting taxes and give more of our tax dollars to "the poor", thereby showing his "good works."
I pointed out that "good works" are an outworking of salvation, personal salvation. "Good works" are done by saved individuals, not the government.
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