Given to Corruption

moral relativism comes from patriots in any country. The patriot usually accepts whatever action his/her country takes against another country but constantly finds fault with other countries that do his or her own country do.

Thanks, C5, for maligning patriots and patriotism. It is immoral, says he, for us to be patriotic.

The Word says that in the last days there will be those who allure throught the lusts of the flesh speaking vanity (2 Pet 2:18). These of the flesh, in the last day, are seditionists (Gal 5:20), traitors (2 Tim 3:3,4), and those without natural affection, promising liberty but instead they are the servants of corruption.
What affection is more natural, than a love for one's own country?

I view patriotism as an appreciation of our way of life, and a recognition that God's ways are far above our own. On the surface of things, any other people in the world could have done what we have done here- if they had embraced the same Christian philosophies of liberty and culture, but they haven't.
The American way is best, and has been proven to be for over 200 years. Why else do we have the might to do as we please? Because, for His own reasons, God has blessed us. We were founded on His principles, and by and large we recognized Him as God for many years.

Therefore, I view patriotism as glorifing God; C5 would have the reader to believe this is VAINglory, because of the "sins" of America. It is, though, the appreciation of what God has wrought.

I am glad I am American. Is there any other place in this world, one would like to be a citizen of? I doubt it.

Are we anything, but what God has made us?

I will answer some questions.

First, choosing to be unpatriotic does not imply sedition unless you live in a bipolar world.

Second, since when does might prove right? Rome thought that and they persecuted Christians. Nazi Germany thought that and they hated everyone but themselves. We think that and we ethnically cleansed the land of the Indians, enslaved Blacks, and conducted foreign policies that are responsible for the deaths of millions of people and for replacing many democracies with dictatorships. Those who do not question the civil authorities are in danger of implying that such authorities are secular popes.

Third, many destructive empires provided good lives for their own people. But the quality of life they provided for their own did not imply righteous actions. See the empires mentioned and think of the Southern economy before the Civil War and how it grew because of slavery.

Finally, if our country is not anything that God has made us to be then it appears that God wants our country to continue to allow elective abortions because that is what we do today.

Claiming to be special is normal. Unfortunately for us, the proof is not in the pudding. We haven't embraced CHristians philosophies; rather, we have embraced the same old philosophies of self-proclaimed exceptionalism and empire.

"...for out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh." Matthew 12:34

I speak praise for my God who has blessed me with citizenship in the best country in the world.

Philippians 3:
13Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

14I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.

praising God for what we have. But does God get the credit or our country? The answer to that question tells us who to worship.

As for you claim about America, again, that is more of a self-proclamation and shows that claiming to be special is normal. Many people, enamored by their own country, from many countries have made that claim. So while many fellow Americans pound their chest with patriotic pride and say we are the best and we are the leader of the free world, Jesus says to us that those who would be first should be last and serve rather than rule. And God's Word tells us that it is better, when sitting at a banquet, to sit at the place of least honor and then be moved up by the guest than to assume to be the best and moved down.

Certainly there are things to be grateful for. We have a degree of freedom here that many do not have. But that freedom calls us to be responsible to preach the Gospel and to speak out for the oppressed. So what do we do when it is our own country, or one of its allies, that is the oppressor?

Our significance is not in being an American but in being made in the image of God and being saved by Christ. Being made in the image of God is a much more important connection with others than being an American. And being saved by Christ means there is no earthly qualification that gives us any special standing above others; the only qualification that gives us a special standing is Christ's righteousness being credited to us. That is why Paul forsook all of the qualifications that his practice of Judaism provided to cling to the qualifications that Christ provided.