Christian Allegiance

Anscombe, Hauerwas, and Baxter each bring to light the responsibility of Christian allegiance....but who are Christians, today, allied with?

Stanely spoke of the Catholic drive to pledge allegiance to the flag and the identity “we” lost in the immigrant generation…Baxter points out the sin that roots itself in such a tradition.

Perhaps the most striking example of this merging of church and nation was symbolized by the cover of a church bulleting that was distributed at the Basilica of the Sacred Heart, on October 7, 2007, the day the bombing campaign began. Taking up the entire cover page was a large cross with a banner of the stars and stripes draped over it, a blue sky in the background, and a sky line toward the bottom. Emblazoned over the image was the Prayer of St. Francis, beginning with the words, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.” When I inquired as to who was responsible for the bulletin cover, I was informed that this cover was recommended by the service that provides bulletins for churches across the country. And so it goes.

When we put our country before our Christianity, what are we saying about our identity?

As Elizabeth Anscombe points out, “natural law is the law of man’s own nature, showing how he must choose to act in matters where his will is free” But is our natural law turning into patriotism?