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About Expat Teacher
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A teacher that spent 5 years in Europe, but I've been back in DC for the last few months. I lean left and generally support Democrats, but I like a good conversation. I've been known to change my mind.
Questions About Patriotism
Over at my blog, my co-blogger, CK, has asked the following questions. My readers aren't commenting, but I think these questions deserve a bigger audience. What do you think?
What is patriotism? What is nationalism? How are the two the same? How are they different? Is it possible for a Christian to be a patriot? How much of what is called patriotism in the United States in the current age is actually nationalism? Dictionary definitions will get you no points unless you use them as a jumping off point for your own exploration and thought of the aforementioned questions!
Comments
Christian Patriotism
I learned a lot from an article in FIRST THINGS, published a few years ago.
Here's a snippet:
Like parents called to love the children they have not chosen, we are all called to love those around us, for whom God has made us at least partially responsible. He has given us, so to speak, a charge, and if we refuse our stations, it suggests that we think Him mistaken to have placed us here. In its own way, an unwillingness to occupy those stations reflects that desire to be the Author of the play, and not a mere character in it, that under other circumstances we would not hesitate to call the sin of pride. Accepting with love and gratitude our context, the place and people whom God has given us, is one way of recognizing that we are creatures who, unlike our Creator, must live in a particular place at a particular time.
There's more worth pondering in the article, "Christians as Patriots," written by Peter Meilaender, who happens to have a rather prominent dad.
Joe Knippenberg
The difference between patriots and citizens?
Simply. We all want to do what's best, but patriots have tacky clothing and drink bad beer.
Nationalists: same as patriots, but have a well-worn, dogeared copy of The Turner Diaries on the nightstand.
Was that supposed to be a
Was that supposed to be a meaningful comment?
Adequate to the topic, IMHO
More to the point, the parameters of the question are themselves open to question. I see so much hand-wringing and grappling over "patriotism," and it all strikes me as counter-productive. We shouldn't have to prove that we're people of good faith; it should be an operating assumption.
The term "patriot" is rarely used in anything other than a context of ad him disagreement. When the word is used, it's usually time to duck.
It is used in the same way as "democracy" is used: we know only that it's a good thing, and the content of the term itself is filled by the speaker (I use "democracy" because that was the favored example of C.L. Stevenson in exemplifying his concept of the "persuasive definition."
Patriotic Nationalism
I had to look at definitions. Patria seems to be about the land of one's birth, while nation is more complicated, but relates to the people or government of which one is a part. Both have to do with natality. Strictly speaking a patriot can just love the area he is from. A nationalist, by definition, must love the whole country compassed by his government, of which he is a part from birth. In these definitions, you can both a patriot and a nationalist at the same time. Perhaps you can even be one and not the other.
A Christian can certainly be a patriot. That is an earthly love and loyalty. We have spiritual love and loyalty as well, but as we are expected to love both God and man, the one does not obviate the other. Love of spirit does not negate love of the natural.
It ought to be easier to be a Christian in our nation than in many other nations, because of the presumed freedom of conscience. This might tend to make Christians nationalistic, as they would prefer to be ruled by a government in which their spiritual patrimony is respected. To seek to preserve that freedom is a duty, and we are surely called to pray for our government. As Christians, if we see fellow Christians who do not have that same freedom to worship God as we do, we might need to do something about that, if we love our fellow Christians as we are instructed. We have prayer, at the least. Some people are called to do more.
Kate Pitrone
Idolatry
Patriotism is the emotionally indulgent sentiment that prompts people to believe that the accidental circumstance of their place of birth warrants feelings of pride and prominence. Patriotism is getting all warm and fuzzy and wrapped up in a big flag.
Nationalism is the calculated belief that drawing a line between two chunks of global real estate somehow creates a reality in which we on one side of that line are actually better, holier, more special, even chosen, human beings in relation to those on the other side. Nationalism is ramming that warm and fuzzy flag down other folks’ throats.
I have found over the last 38 years that the most successful way to keep one's identity in Christ clearly ahead of one's identification as an American is to keep a very vital and active suspicion about the wisdom of any nationalistic impulses or patriotic sentiments. Nations come and go, life in Christ is ultimately all that matters.
ANYTHING that gets in the way of living and sharing the gospel is to be kept in its place - including the patriotism and nationalism that confuse and distract so many people (here and in many other countries) from true and uncompromised obedience to Christ.
TheOldMan
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