Why I no longer say the Pledge of Allegiance
I do not want to start an argument or cause divisions between our families. I only want to state my reasons for not saying the Pledge 0f Allegiance. I am not totally ignorant of “flag etiquette,” nor am I trying to be disrespectful, but rather I am concerned with my relationship, walk, and allegiance to the Lord Jesus Christ. I am sure this may sound foreign to many Christians, so let me explain what I believe and why.
I do not hate America or its citizens, (and I am very grateful to the veterans and founding fathers who sacrificed so much so that I could have the liberty to practice my religious beliefs as my conscience dictates, including the right to NOT say the pledge.) I only realize that this (and every other) worldly nation will pass away, and when I stand before the Judge I want to stand with no blemishes on my conscience. (What blemishes would result from saying the pledge? Well, I want to be obedient to the teachings of the Lord to not do anything that he commands me not to, including Mt 5:33-37, explained below. But more even than that is the fact that, even by modern Evangelical Christian standards, which are significantly lower than they were 200 years ago, we are now living in a post-Christian nation. I am sorry to say that I cannot agree with Lee Greenwood and His song, God Bless the USA. How can God bless a post-Christian nation? There is no liberty or rights in this country for the helpless unborn if a mother decides to destroy her child. This is an abomination to God and His wrath will not slumber long when the life of one child every minute is snuffed out simply for the sake of prosperity or convenience.
As we know God is just and the helper of the helpless. He will take vengeance on this nation, for this great sin. His justice demands that He does. What if there are thousands of godly people living here in this nation today, would He still destroy it? When Abraham suggested to God that it would be unjust to destroy the righteous with the wicked, there was a precedence set of a certain number of people per city, and that number was ten. Is there ten righteous people in every city in America? Only God knows that number, but one thing is for sure, and that is that the righteous people of God are known to assist the helpless. Where are those who are standing in the gap for the unborn? Is there enough of them? Abraham was sure there would be ten righteous people in Sodom, but he was wrong. How close are we that awful fateful day?
When does a man come to his senses and realize that he is no longer proud to live in the country he was born in? When does his shame and embarrassment at the sin of tolerance so thoroughly preached in this country make him blush to the roots of his hair? Our government is slowly pressing homosexual rights and marriage and it will soon be illegal to preach against homosexual sin in this country, even from the bible and in a church! The very sin that Sodom was destroyed for is nearly forced upon us now, regardless of how we feel about “tolerance.” God has said this sin is an abomination to Him. How long will His anger burn against us before He pours out His wrath? A.W. Tozer has said that Jesus Christ was the most intolerant man who ever lived, and the bible is the most intolerant book ever written. How very far we have fallen from His righteous standards.
Would our Founding Fathers , if they were alive today, be proud to be American, and pledge their allegiance to the flag that represents this nation? I really wonder. Somehow I don’t think so. In fact, I believe that their allegiance would be to God first, and then their country, and that they would never swear allegiance to any nation, even to this one. After all, they were wise enough to realize that nations rise and fall but Gods kingdom alone will never be destroyed. I am certain that if the Apostle Paul was asked to pledge his allegiance to the Roman flag, even if the penalty was death for refusing, he would have declined. He was born a Roman, but He was first a Christian, and the loyalty to that faith, that kingdom, was stronger than all others. Shouldn’t I feel the same?)
I would like to add a few more details to the history class we have all heard. Yes, the Pledge was written by Francis Bellamy in 1892, however, he was a socialist author as well as a Baptist minister (nothing wrong with being Baptist, I just want to include ALL the facts, not just the bad ones), and the reason he wrote the pledge was to sell flags to the public schools, and it was first published in a magazine called Youth’s Companion. The original Pledge was like this…
“I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Note that two major parts of the pledge are not contained in the original. The phrase “of the United States of America” is missing as well as the phrase “under God.” The first phrase was added to the modern day pledge in 1924 by the National Flag Conference so that immigrants would know to which flag they were pledging allegiance. The next phrase, “under God” was not added until 1954 when Rev. Docherty of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church preached a sermon which convinced President Dwight Eisenhower to add it. There is much, much, more behind the Pledge and its history, but I don’t want to make this a history lesson, if you’re interested, then I can send it later.
The original pledge was written by a socialist who said his reason for writing it was to “teach obedience to the state as a virtue.” He had no godly intentions, and probably not even patriotic ones.
Allegiance: according to the American Dictionary of the English Language by Noah Webster, 1828 there are two definitions for this word. One is natural allegiance which “arises from the connection of a person with the society in which he is born, and his duty to be a faithful subject, independent of any express promise.” The other is express allegiance which is “that obligation which proceeds from an express promise, or oath of fidelity.” The first one is unavoidable, and there is nothing wrong with it. Is the second really okay though? As Christians should we be swearing our loyalty to a worldly nation?
Pledge: verb “to give, as ones word of honor; to promise; to bind or engage solemnly”
So here again we see the Pledge of allegiance, making us say and promise things, we, as Christians cannot rightfully do! Let’s see what scripture says…
Mat. 5:33-37, Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
This is taken from the famous first section of the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus says “you have heard…” and then quotes from the Hebrew Scriptures, from the Law of Moses, and then says “but I say unto you….” Jesus in this short paragraph overturns the common practice found throughout biblical times of making vows. He says specifically make no oath at all. This is completely unmistakable. This is a direct command, not a suggestion. If we follow Jesus then we do not make oaths. He then goes on to enumerate all the different types of oaths that should not be made (by the throne of God, by earth, etc.). Then he says, let your yes be yes or no, no. Anything beyond these is of evil. James the Apostle and brother of our Lord reiterates this Christian instruction:
James 5:12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
It is interesting to note that he prefaces this simple command by saying “but above all…do not swear.” To pledge is to swear which is also the same as making an oath. Allegiance is to give loyalty to a government. Thus to pledge allegiance is to make an oath of loyalty to a government. This is strictly forbidden by Scripture. Furthermore, there is only one government we can give allegiance to–the kingdom of God. The coming theocratic kingdom will be on earth and we are citizens of it now.
Another point I would like to make is the pledge reinforces boundaries that are nationally drawn. In other words, we are being asked to support "our" country. Doesn't this claim compete with the Christian claim that the "Body of Christ" knows no national boundaries? How can a truly transnational church and body be developed with such an attitude? Also, the pledge adds confusion to the strange concept of a national God. "One nation, under God" sounds cool, but what does it mean really? Isn't it another attempt to state the myth that our nation is a Christian nation? Do we dare to say that the same country that is aborting babies by the millions, legalizing an abomination to God (Homosexuality) and is taking the Ten Commandments out of all public places, a nation blessed of God?
I hope this is not a fire starter, and I have only tried to state my opinions in this letter, I will still respect the flag by standing, but I will not say the pledge, and I will not place my hand over my heart, because it is my conviction to differ from these actions.
I do not hate America or its citizens, (and I am very grateful to the veterans and founding fathers who sacrificed so much so that I could have the liberty to practice my religious beliefs as my conscience dictates, including the right to NOT say the pledge.) I only realize that this (and every other) worldly nation will pass away, and when I stand before the Judge I want to stand with no blemishes on my conscience. (What blemishes would result from saying the pledge? Well, I want to be obedient to the teachings of the Lord to not do anything that he commands me not to, including Mt 5:33-37, explained below. But more even than that is the fact that, even by modern Evangelical Christian standards, which are significantly lower than they were 200 years ago, we are now living in a post-Christian nation. I am sorry to say that I cannot agree with Lee Greenwood and His song, God Bless the USA. How can God bless a post-Christian nation? There is no liberty or rights in this country for the helpless unborn if a mother decides to destroy her child. This is an abomination to God and His wrath will not slumber long when the life of one child every minute is snuffed out simply for the sake of prosperity or convenience.
As we know God is just and the helper of the helpless. He will take vengeance on this nation, for this great sin. His justice demands that He does. What if there are thousands of godly people living here in this nation today, would He still destroy it? When Abraham suggested to God that it would be unjust to destroy the righteous with the wicked, there was a precedence set of a certain number of people per city, and that number was ten. Is there ten righteous people in every city in America? Only God knows that number, but one thing is for sure, and that is that the righteous people of God are known to assist the helpless. Where are those who are standing in the gap for the unborn? Is there enough of them? Abraham was sure there would be ten righteous people in Sodom, but he was wrong. How close are we that awful fateful day?
When does a man come to his senses and realize that he is no longer proud to live in the country he was born in? When does his shame and embarrassment at the sin of tolerance so thoroughly preached in this country make him blush to the roots of his hair? Our government is slowly pressing homosexual rights and marriage and it will soon be illegal to preach against homosexual sin in this country, even from the bible and in a church! The very sin that Sodom was destroyed for is nearly forced upon us now, regardless of how we feel about “tolerance.” God has said this sin is an abomination to Him. How long will His anger burn against us before He pours out His wrath? A.W. Tozer has said that Jesus Christ was the most intolerant man who ever lived, and the bible is the most intolerant book ever written. How very far we have fallen from His righteous standards.
Would our Founding Fathers , if they were alive today, be proud to be American, and pledge their allegiance to the flag that represents this nation? I really wonder. Somehow I don’t think so. In fact, I believe that their allegiance would be to God first, and then their country, and that they would never swear allegiance to any nation, even to this one. After all, they were wise enough to realize that nations rise and fall but Gods kingdom alone will never be destroyed. I am certain that if the Apostle Paul was asked to pledge his allegiance to the Roman flag, even if the penalty was death for refusing, he would have declined. He was born a Roman, but He was first a Christian, and the loyalty to that faith, that kingdom, was stronger than all others. Shouldn’t I feel the same?)
I would like to add a few more details to the history class we have all heard. Yes, the Pledge was written by Francis Bellamy in 1892, however, he was a socialist author as well as a Baptist minister (nothing wrong with being Baptist, I just want to include ALL the facts, not just the bad ones), and the reason he wrote the pledge was to sell flags to the public schools, and it was first published in a magazine called Youth’s Companion. The original Pledge was like this…
“I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Note that two major parts of the pledge are not contained in the original. The phrase “of the United States of America” is missing as well as the phrase “under God.” The first phrase was added to the modern day pledge in 1924 by the National Flag Conference so that immigrants would know to which flag they were pledging allegiance. The next phrase, “under God” was not added until 1954 when Rev. Docherty of the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church preached a sermon which convinced President Dwight Eisenhower to add it. There is much, much, more behind the Pledge and its history, but I don’t want to make this a history lesson, if you’re interested, then I can send it later.
The original pledge was written by a socialist who said his reason for writing it was to “teach obedience to the state as a virtue.” He had no godly intentions, and probably not even patriotic ones.
Allegiance: according to the American Dictionary of the English Language by Noah Webster, 1828 there are two definitions for this word. One is natural allegiance which “arises from the connection of a person with the society in which he is born, and his duty to be a faithful subject, independent of any express promise.” The other is express allegiance which is “that obligation which proceeds from an express promise, or oath of fidelity.” The first one is unavoidable, and there is nothing wrong with it. Is the second really okay though? As Christians should we be swearing our loyalty to a worldly nation?
Pledge: verb “to give, as ones word of honor; to promise; to bind or engage solemnly”
So here again we see the Pledge of allegiance, making us say and promise things, we, as Christians cannot rightfully do! Let’s see what scripture says…
Mat. 5:33-37, Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: But I say unto you, Swear not at all; neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil.
This is taken from the famous first section of the Sermon on the Mount in which Jesus says “you have heard…” and then quotes from the Hebrew Scriptures, from the Law of Moses, and then says “but I say unto you….” Jesus in this short paragraph overturns the common practice found throughout biblical times of making vows. He says specifically make no oath at all. This is completely unmistakable. This is a direct command, not a suggestion. If we follow Jesus then we do not make oaths. He then goes on to enumerate all the different types of oaths that should not be made (by the throne of God, by earth, etc.). Then he says, let your yes be yes or no, no. Anything beyond these is of evil. James the Apostle and brother of our Lord reiterates this Christian instruction:
James 5:12 But above all things, my brethren, swear not, neither by heaven, neither by the earth, neither by any other oath: but let your yea be yea; and your nay, nay; lest ye fall into condemnation.
It is interesting to note that he prefaces this simple command by saying “but above all…do not swear.” To pledge is to swear which is also the same as making an oath. Allegiance is to give loyalty to a government. Thus to pledge allegiance is to make an oath of loyalty to a government. This is strictly forbidden by Scripture. Furthermore, there is only one government we can give allegiance to–the kingdom of God. The coming theocratic kingdom will be on earth and we are citizens of it now.
Another point I would like to make is the pledge reinforces boundaries that are nationally drawn. In other words, we are being asked to support "our" country. Doesn't this claim compete with the Christian claim that the "Body of Christ" knows no national boundaries? How can a truly transnational church and body be developed with such an attitude? Also, the pledge adds confusion to the strange concept of a national God. "One nation, under God" sounds cool, but what does it mean really? Isn't it another attempt to state the myth that our nation is a Christian nation? Do we dare to say that the same country that is aborting babies by the millions, legalizing an abomination to God (Homosexuality) and is taking the Ten Commandments out of all public places, a nation blessed of God?
I hope this is not a fire starter, and I have only tried to state my opinions in this letter, I will still respect the flag by standing, but I will not say the pledge, and I will not place my hand over my heart, because it is my conviction to differ from these actions.
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