Is Patriotism a violation of the First Commandment?

I had no idea you had dog crap in you to begin with. I guess that would explain why you have to douce yourself with Aqua Velva every day.

 

Amen... :grin:

 

I don't get it. I thought the first commandment was if its free, I'll take three.

 

You have to consider the context of the First Commandment. It was written for a tribal people who were fleeing enslavement from under a ruler who was also considered a deity. At that time there was no difference between church and state and putting the First Commandment in that context it is both a dictate to faith and patriotism as rejection of other gods, such as the Pharaoh and the gods of Egypt, was also embracing the nation of Abraham.

 

Absolutely, just as it is a violation of the very same Islamic and Jewish principles. All those religions were established to rebel against ideological domination by authorities. A principle which they held up for brief periods following their inception.

 

They were written to provide a pretext for political dissent and rebellion at a time when birthright and hereditary, militaristic governments were considered morally infallible. But they were established by and for single ethnic or regional cultures, and very much in reverence of them over others.

 

In true biblical context, yes, it is as plan as day, because having faith in your nation or country is having faith in something other than God. It's more or less a man-made entity. It's weird how people often think its not, when it is as clear as day. Governments are not direct vessels of God in Abrahamic faiths.

 

Patriotism is not exclusively or explicitly faith in your government, it's faith in your country and any coterminous ethnic and cultural identities. Judaism was written from the perspective and moral interest of ethnic Jews to the detriment of competing groups of the time.

 

Are you allowed to have faith in the car you drive? In a brand you trust? Or even your family and loved ones?

These things sure sound like Faith at times.

 

It's not a question of whether it's allowed as much as it is a question of which takes precedence.

Christianity has an incredibly clear perspective, for example, on poverty. You can have faith in America and faith in Christianity of course, however, somtimes it will come down to: if/when these two things conflict, are you going to side with Jesus or Uncle Sam? If your political position on poverty is particularly harsh within the spectrum of political positions that can possibly be had, then I think you are more likely to be siding with Uncle Sam than Jesus.