Yes, it was quite a shock. How did I handle it? I got used to it over time. Emotions are temporary. </font>[/QUOTE]If you can "get used to" the music, that's vibrant and in your ears, you can get used to the presence of an inanimate object such as the flag being present. Just ignore it. It's not going to jump out at you or anything.......
Why flags @ church?
Discussion in '2005 Archive' started by Joman, May 29, 2005.
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Just curious, as well as your nations flag, do any churches here have the flag of Israel also?
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Sorry for my "temple" term.
English is not my native language, so i just translated literally from my language.
In our language "Church" is the group of persons.
Temple is the physical buidling structure. -
I don't think the Church is the place to "remember" the history of a country. The church is a holy place. Totally separated from the worldly stuff.
Church is not the place to remember political issues, or soldier sacrificies, or Militar efforts.
Is the place to recognize and give pure worship to the Holy Holy Holy Lord. -
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You said:
I don't think the Church is the place to "remember" the history of a country. The church is a holy place. Totally separated from the worldly stuff.
==The church is a place to give thanks to God. Scripture commands us to give thanks to God for everything. 1 Thessalonians 5:17-18 tells us:
"pray without ceasing; in everything give thanks; for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus."
I don't know about your country, but this country is great. We have total freedom to worship God, to share the Gospel, and to do it without federal restrictions. That is called religious freedom, and yes we thank God for it. We thank God for our soilders who, through many wars, have given us these rights. These rights were not given to us by a judge, a politician, or anyone else. They were given to us by our soilders who defeated those who would deny freedom to Americans. That is something to give thanks to God for anyplace (home, church, work, walking down the street, etc). This is, in fact, obeying Scripture. We are to thank God for everything.
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You said:
Church is not the place to remember political issues, or soldier sacrificies, or Militar efforts.
==Wrong. Read the Old Testament. Secondly the Bible says to give thanks in all things. How can one obey that while ignoring one of the biggest gifts God has given to those who live in America? One can't. I realize that this is not popular around the world, that does not affect me. I don't worry about what other people thing I just try to obey the Scriptures. Thirdly how can one ignore the sacrifices of soilders that brought religious (Christian) freedom to this country? How can one not give thanks to God for those people? Ignoring that would be selfish, greedy, and sinful.
One cannot read/believe the Bible and think that God has no hand in political/military affairs of nations (including modern nations).
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You said:
Is the place to recognize and give pure worship to the Holy Holy Holy Lord.
==Part of worship is giving thanks to God.
Martin. -
So, if i want to be thankful at church i have to put a walmart bag to remember his food provision?
So i'll put the Bus tires to remember that God protected us from accident?
I don't have to put an object to be thankfull. -
Martin. -
The IFB church of which I am a member not only displays the US flag and the Christian flag, but also draped along the sides of our auditorium are the flags of all of the other nations of which we have missionaries to those countries.
I suppose someone could possibly conclude that my IFB church is therefore pagan because a couple of these flags have symbols that are pagan in their origin.
Of course that is no more true than to conclude that the presence of the US flag with its 50 stars makes us practicians of astrology.
I have yet to find any passage that condemns either the presence or absence of flags at a place of worship.
In fact, where does the Bible even state that we must have separate public buildings in which to conduct public worship? -
That's not what you said in your first post. What you said was that you couldn't get used to it.
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Earlier today I spent an hour and a half on our Town Common, attending the annual Memorial Day service/celebration/remembrance. There was a liberal mixture of God and Country in all aspects of the service. The Chaplain prayed to God at the beginning and at the end for our Armed Forces, our Country and the families of those who have made the ultimate sacrifice for the freedoms we enjoy (for a good discussion of those freedoms read the US Constitution and its amendments). The keynote speaker (retired USN carrier based fighter pilot) spoke about God and Country - his prayers to God then and now for himself, his family and his country. The two (God and Country) are entwined in this country and have been since the beginning; we still proclaim ourselves "one nation, under God". I think it entirely appropriate that a church should display an American flag, if they choose, as it is merely symbolic of the obvious - without a Constitution that requires it, we would not have the freedom to worship - or to worship in the denomination of our choice. I have been a Soldier now for over 32 years and have never confused my Country or flag with my God; I know Him who I serve, but I also know that I can serve my country without violating my faith or my service to God. Bruce
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Amen, BruceB!
--from a retired USAF/Air National Guardsman -
In our church, we thank God for the freedom to worship. The flag represents freedom not a political statement.
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I don't think it's necessarily wrong to have a flag in a church, but I do think it's distracting and can send a subtle message that ties patriotism or politics to Christianity, which I think can be a dangerous view.
I am all for appreciating one's country -- and I do appreciate the USA -- but while I'm at church, I want to be focused on Christ and God's word. -
Marcia,
That's exactly my point. I appreciate my country too, and the relative freedom in my country. But church is totally separated. The Creator of heaven and earth orders us to worship him in his church in the beauty of holiness.
Sorry for my english. -
Is repeating the pledge an oath?
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All countries on earth with anything resembling a Christian tradition have a denomination (sometimes more than one) that stresses the tie between God and Country. The Baptists (ironically for a denomination that stresses the seperation between church and state) fill that role in the USA.
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Displaying of the flag is optional and only violates scripture if it is worshipped as a graven image. We must always guard against worshipping our country in place of God who created our country and holds it together. God can dismantle our country as quickly as He put it together.
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