By Jeremy Myers Filed Under Discipleship Written on May 30, 2011

Is the Pledge of Allegiance Idolatry?

Every year on Memorial Day, people remember the men and women of our country who have given their lives to defend our freedoms, many people will be displaying a flag, both to commemorate the sacrifice of these soldiers, and to display a sense of patriotism.

United States Flag

There are many Christians, however, who choose not to fly a flag. Also, if you were to ask them, they will refuse to say the Pledge of Allegiance.

Why do some Christians refuse to say the Pledge of Allegiance?

It is because they believe that the flag, and particularly, the Pledge of Allegiance, is idolatrous. And they have a case.

In the early centuries of the church, the Roman Empire also had it’s banners and seals, and Roman Citizens were required by law to swear fealty to Caesar by stating some sort of Pledge of Allegiance to one of his banners or seals. Many Christians believed that since Jesus Christ alone is our Lord, and it is to Him alone that we must swear fealty, then any such oath to a flag, or a human ruler, is idolatry (cf. similar concerns raised by Greg Boyd in The Myth of a Christian Religion). Those Christians who refused to swear, often paid for this decision with their lives.

So, can we say the Pledge of Allegiance today? Can we fly a flag?

I think we can.

First, in the first centuries of the church, the Caesars believed that they were divine, and therefore required people to worship and honor them as a Son of God. The Roman banners and seals were symbolic of this Caesar worship, and so the early Christians were right to reject it. Today, however, in flying a flag or saying the Pledge, nobody is stating that they believe the flag, the President of the United States, or even the United States itself, is divine. So flying a flag and saying the pledge are not, in my opinion, idolatrous.

Second, and more importantly, refusing to fly a flag or say the Pledge of Allegiance today is not going to get anyone killed. At most, you might be considered unpatriotic. If we really wanted to find some idolatrous practice that was equivalent to what the early Christians faced, it would have to be something that might result in our persecution and death if we did it (or refused to do it).

When society forces you to do something or face rejection, it is then that we have possibly encountered an idolatrous practice. Like what? There are numerous possibilities, but the one that comes to mind first is the head-long plunge into materialism and greed. If you live in a way contrary to the materialistic goals of our society, people will shun and avoid you, and think you are insane. As I stated yesterday, we need more Christians who are “suicidal” in this way.

How ironic it is then, that those who refuse to fly a flag out of loyalty to Jesus, turn around and buy thousands of dollars of clothes, a brand new car every other year, go on vacations and trips around the world, and build multi-million dollar stadiums which are then stamped with the name of Christ.

So I say wave a flag. Honor our fallen soldiers. And then, make some decisions about how you are going to honor Jesus with you money and possessions this year.

Check out these related posts on Scripture, Theology, and Church:

Assembly Not Required

Fighting for our Rights

Christian Jihad

Arguments Against Inerrancy

I Want More Suicidal Christians

Want to read more about Bible and Theology? Try one of these:

http://goinswriter.com/ Jeff Goins

Good point. What do you think about saying the pledge of allegiance in church or having an American flag up on stage/atar next to the cross? That’s always made me a bit uneasy.

http://rochow.ca Will Rochow

Jeff, that would bother me too.
http://www.tillhecomes.org Jeremy Myers

Jeff,
Yes, this makes me uncomfortable as well.

I also don’t like it when churches allow themselves to be caught up in defending and furthering certain goals of the nation when these goals are contrary to Scripture and the will of God. For example, I “tweeted” this yesterday: “When preachers terrorized us with Satan and then spoke favorably of South African apartheid, we should have sensed something wrong.”

http://rochow.ca Will Rochow

Hi Jeremy,

Not being American myself, I’ve never really thought much about a “Pledge of Allegiance” to a flag. I think Canadians perhaps view the flag a little different than our US friends. I don’t mean that our view is better or worse; it’s just different.

Having said that, I do see where those who think it as being idolatrous are coming from. You made a good argument in favour of the “Pledge of Allegiance,” but as Christians I don’t think we base our decision on these things solely on the consequences which may or may not be there if we do or don’t swear the Pledge. It’s not about what motivates our response here as much as it’s about obedience in pledging allegiance to Jesus Christ alone. I don’t view that as being “unpatriotic,” it’s actually very patriotic…patriotic to the kingdom of Jesus Christ, and to His kingdom I belong to first before any other. Does Christ’s kingdom not trump an earthly kingdom? Of course it does.

Maybe I’m only showing my Canadian mindset here, but for me personally, the flag will never be anything more than a symbol. But that does not mean that I don’t take time out now and then to remember those who have fallen and paid the ultimate sacrifice so that the rest of us could enjoy peace.

God bless.

http://www.tillhecomes.org Jeremy Myers

Will,

Great thoughts. I read a book a while back called Electing Not to Vote which even said that voting was contrary to living as a follower of Jesus. The author said that it lulls us into thinking we have accomplished something good, when in fact, we have done pretty much nothing. If I remember correctly, he said voting was a form of national idolatry.

What do you think?

One of the reasons I am thinking about all of this is because of the book I just read, Unmasking the Powers, and what the author said in there about the angels of nations, and how national pride and patriotism for the country could be a form of idolatry. Very thought provoking.

http://rochow.ca Will Rochow

Jeremy,

If that author is correct about “national pride and patriotism being a form of idolatry,” might that then not explain some of the internal problems we have within our respective nations? God does still judge idolatry. That is not just an Old Testament concept. Just wondering.

As for voting, for me personally the jury is still out on that one. Oh, I know it’s the patriotic thing to do, and having spent part of my childhood in the third world, I understand that as being a “right” that many in the world still don’t have. But is it right for me to choose to elect an earthy “king?” Is my “King” not Jesus alone? How does that fit with Samuel’s chastising ancient Israel for their craving of an earthly king? Or am I missing something here?

http://www.tillhecomes.org Jeremy Myers

Will,
Yes, the author gets into all of that about the competition between nations.

Regarding voting, the main point of the Electing Not to Vote book was that people vote rather than get involved. They think that change comes by voting new people into office, which most often does not work. Real change comes by getting out there and actually doing something. That’s my take on voting, anyway. So I vote, but know that if I want things changed, I better go do something.

Regarding the Pledge of Allegiance, I view it somewhat like my Pledge of Loyalty and Faithfulness to my wife on my wedding day. We are supposed to be loyal and faithful to Jesus Christ alone, but this does not mean we cannot make other pledge and promises as well. As long as Jesus remains at the head, and when the various pledges conflict, we stay true to Him, I don’t see a problem with these other “oaths of loyalty.”

http://www.graceground.com Sam

For most people I doubt it is idolatry, but that would probably depend on how they understand pledging allegiance. Ditto for voting.

Allegiance to the nation, and supporting actions of the nation that we believe to be contrary to the will of God, can take the place of following Jesus. Then it might be idolatry. We can believe that certain actions of our nation, for example the war in Iraq, are contrary to the will of God, and choose not to support that war, but still support the nation in other ways, and still pledge allegiance.

http://www.tillhecomes.org Jeremy Myers

Sam,
I agree. As I indicated in the comment above, it’s like the “promise of faithfulness, love, loyalty, and service” that we made on our wedding day to our spouse. This is not idolatry, even though Jesus is to be who love love and serve above all else.

http://antwrites.com Ant Writes

Hey Jeremy. AS you probably probably know, I’ve become more and more anabaptist in my way of thinking. The name itself shows its idolatry (“I pledge allegiance to the flag..”). I only pledge allegiance to Christ. Our nation is our constitution. That’s it. A mighty fine document it is, taken from the scriptures. And I believe it was blessed by God. John Adams was asked if it was inspired, like the Bible was, and he said mo, but it’s the closest thing to it. However, just like in the OT, the Jews didn’t OBEY it..neither did we. I don’t believe the pledge was ever in the founding father’s original agenda. In Germany, the flag is seen as blind obedience, and that is a “bad thing”. Germans are ashamed of singing their anthem or having pride in their nation because that was their downfall. We should be the same.

http://www.tillhecomes.org Jeremy Myers

Anthony,
I agree that the flag and the nation can become idolatrous. But so can marriage, and jobs, and mortgages, and so on, and we say and sign contractual agreements in all of those. I think that as long as these other agreements do not contradict our first allegiance to Jesus, then it is not idolatry.

At the same time, not saying the pledge does not mean one has not adopted the values and idolatrous system of our nation. I’m not saying you have, I’m just saying that for me, the words don’t matter too much. But maybe they should…

Tiza

Please explain why and how you think that “marriage” can become idolatrous. A marriage is a sacred covenant agreement between two people who Yahweh blesses. It’s a beautiful institution.

Look, what command did Yahweh give Adam & Eve at first? Wasn’t it to be fruitful and multiply? Well, believe it or not, mankind is building up father Yahweh’s children, to make children for himself. The marriage covenant has an extremely higher meaning in the Scriptures. I won’t go into it right now, but it speaks of the kingdom that is coming and become unified (one) with father Yahweh and his son, to do his will. Not as the sexual marriage part that is for now only to multiply children.

Marriage is not idolatrous. It could become adulterous if the couple does not remain faithful to each other. Well, in the higher sense, I guess, idolatry/adultery are the same to Yahweh. If you commit idolatry, then you are committing adultery to him.

Idols can have to do with inanimate objects. A flag is in inanimate object, and it can become an object of worship as most anything in regards to objects can.

But I can have a statue of a deer in my house, if I wish, and if I’m not bowing down and worshiping it, then it’s not an object of worship. For example, I may be using it as a hatrack or something like that. The key is pledging my allegiance to it, bowing down and worshiping it. That part is even in the second commandment. Exo 20:5 You shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them.

Of course, you don’t want a Buddah or whatever statue (a religious icon) in your house because that is the only thing that they are used for, religious worship. That’s different. No crosses (religious icon really from Egpyt); not Buddahs, etc., statue of Mary, anything like that, picture of Jesus. All of those are only religious icons and used for that.

http://antwrites.com Ant Writes

In fact, I did a blog post on this exact subject today. My article linked to this one, that’s how I found it!
Brian Madison

Interesting take on the pledge. I find that I can make a more compelling argument against the pledge of allegiance if I base that argument on political beliefs as opposed to my religious beliefs. It seems twisted to me that in refusing to recite the pledge in public places, I can be judged by people who clearly have much less knowledge than I regarding the history of the pledge. I can’t help but think that if more people took the time to actually educate themselves about that history, the pledge would surely lose some of it’s luster with them as well. Maybe not…

http://www.tillhecomes.org Jeremy Myers

Brian,
That’s an interesting read on the pledge.

I was at a July 4 event over the weekend, and when we recited the pledge, my daughter asked why we do it, and I gave her a real short answer…since we were in the middle of reciting the pledge. I don’t remember what I said. But I do remember looking around and wondering how many people there knew why we were reciting the pledge.

http://antwrites.com Anthony Ehrhardt

I just read the wikipedia article on the pledge. Very Interesting. Like other things of questionable Christianity (like “In God we trust” added to money) was added in the 50′s. I still remember how no one could pronounce “indivisible” when we said the pledge every morning. I don’t think we even know what we were saying. Just rote memorization. Do they still say the pledge in schools? When I was in high school, we had a minute for “silent meditation” before the announcements. That was for all the atheists I guess

http://www.tillhecomes.org Jeremy Myers

I don’t know if they still say the pledge. I didn’t realize all those things were added in the ’50s. Interesting.
Tiza

Moment of silence, which is what we had in high school, is completely acceptable. One should not be praying out loud in public, period. There is a time that prayers are acceptable — out loud — and that is in the assembly of Yahweh with the people who are a part of that assembly, and the acceptable prayers would be blessing of our meals and the Bible study, then having something specific like someone sick and needs prayers, those type of things. Otherwise, one should be alone when praying to our heavenly father, or in one’s mind, which is where he hears us.

It’s sad that the translators use the English word “heart” to translate from the Hebrew leb (meaning mental heart; mind). The Hebrew word for innermost self is lebab, which is like our subconscious. But one should be praying in a group of people into their own mind and talking to Yahweh. Not out loud. It’s personal to father Yahweh.

Which also brings me to state that no one can stop you from praying, that is, unless they kill you. You can pray to our heavenly father at any time, in any place. See the joy of that?

Tiza

Greetings,

I just ran across your place discussing the pledge of allegiance. Honestly pledging your allegiance to a flag would be a no-no in what I have studied. Now I would pledge allegiance to Yahweh, and under him the nation and people, which the nation and people is more about ideals and not a thing, but meaning that I would uphold the laws of the land, not be a traitor, etc.

An idol can be any kind of image, a cross, many kinds of statutes if one is bowing down to them, worshiping them. That last part is the key, the bowing down and worshiping them, and I would pledge my allegiance to Yahweh.

Next, flying the flag is fine. Even the ancient Israelites had their flags, their banners. But pledging an allegiance to a flag, which is an inanimate object, it’s like an idol. Remember the staff of Moses, the snake put on the pole? Once a symbol is turned into an object of veneration it is no longer a symbol but an idol. At first when the Israelites would look at the pole, they would be saved from their snakebites. Of course, this was a prophecy of Yahushua (aka Jesus) being lifted up on the torture stake, but later on the people actually made a religion of the serpent on the pole and started worshiping it.

http://www.tillhecomes.org Jeremy Myers

Tiza,
This is probably a good distinction. I do, however, still pledge allegiance to the flag, with an emphasis on the “under God” part, so that my primary allegiance is to God, not to a flag, or the nation it represents.