Should We Pledge Allegience to the Christian Flag?
According to the pledge, the Christian flag symbolizes the Kingdom of Christ. When we pledge allegiance to the Christian flag, we pledge our allegiance to Christ. Pledging to the Christian flag has been ingrained in young people since the early 1900’s.
According to Wikipedia (and other reliable sources), the Christian flag was created in 1897, by Charles C. Overton, the Sunday School Superintendent at Brighton Chapel on Coney Island. It seems that the scheduled speaker failed to arrive for a patriotic Sunday, and so Mr. Overton began a soliloquy on America’s flag. In the heat of patriotic fervor, Overton wished out loud for a flag that could represent all of Christiandom. The details get a bit sketchy as to when the flag was completed, but most say that Overton himself (with the help of a seamstress) presented the flag to his congregation on the next Sunday in 1897.
Lynn Harold Hough, a Methodist Pastor, wrote the pledge itself in 1908. And, as they say, the rest is history. When I was a boy growing up, pledging allegiance to the Christian flag was a part of the daily routine. When I became a school teacher, pledging allegiance to the Christian flag was a part of the daily routine.
A few years ago, in a meeting with the men of our church, we considered a question about the Christian flag. If the Christian flag does in fact represent our Savior and His kingdom, then why do we place it to the left of the American flag? We had an interesting array of answers. But ultimately, the men of the church were unwilling to place the Christian flag in the place of honor.
I mention that because it reveals something interesting about our attitude towards the Christian flag. While we pledge allegiance to it, just as we pledge allegiance to the American flag, do we really view the two in the same way? We would give our lives for the American flag, we say. We pledge our allegiance to that flag. But would we give our lives for the Christian flag? Does the Christian flag represent Christ’s Kingdom the way the American flag represents the United States?
If the Christian flag does in fact represent Christ and His kingdom, then shouldn’t it be given the place of honor on the platform of our churches? And if you would answer no, then why would we pledge allegiance to that flag?
I’ll be straight with you here. I am not certain that the Christian flag is a legitimate symbol of Christ and His Kingdom. I see legitimate symbols of Christ, as given in Scripture. The bread and wine of the Lord’s Table represent Christ. The Church represents Christ. But where did this banner come from? It is hard for me to believe that it is a true representation of Christ, and that I owe any allegiance to it whatsoever.
Psalm 20:5
says, We will rejoice in thy salvation, and in the name of our God we will set up our banners: the LORD fulfil all thy petitions.
But it seems impossible to argue that this verse is calling for a Christian flag. Is the banner referred to in Psalm 60:4 really the Christian flag? Is that really what God meant when he said he would give us a banner?
To me, pledging allegiance to a flag that represents our Savior and His Kingdom seems inconsistent. We are not to make any graven images, we are not to worship any visible representations of our Lord. So, what are we doing when we pledge allegiance to a visible representation of Him? The entire act seems improper for a Christian, and unnecessary as well. Do we need this pledge? Does the pledge insure faithfulness? Does the pledge make better disciples? Does the pledge increase our faith? In pledging, are we somehow worshipping?
At best, the pledge seems to be a waste of time and words. At worst, it may be sacrilegious. But maybe someone can enlighten us on this…
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Pastor Mallinak in high school, my mother only attended 1 PTF, there was many negative feelings afterwards, mainly because my mom didn’t feel comfortbale because she drank and smoked, but she did say something interesting, that was that we were a cult because we pledged alligience to an idol, referring to the Christian flag. She actually considered pulling me out, but she was always good about empty threats. Pops really had her wrapped around his finger.
I honestly didnt know how to answer her, but I always felt uncomfortable afterwards, mainly because she had a point, that necessarily wrong.
January 19th, 2007 at 8:48 pmNo, pledging to the Christian flag does not make us better disciples or anything like that, but I do not think it is a matter of worship just as pledging to the American flag is not. It is not commanded in Scripture, but neither is it condemned. A flag is not a graven image–it simply has a picture of a cross on it. It is just one of those formalities that schools do to show others where our “allegiance” is.
January 20th, 2007 at 8:49 pmI’ll bite. The flag is a Scriptural metaphor, that is, symbolic in language of the kingdom of Christ. The Hebrew word for “banner” is nace. It is something on a pole. Isaiah 13:2
Lift ye up a banner upon the high mountain, exalt the voice unto them, shake the hand, that they may go into the gates of the nobles. Psalm 60:4
Thou hast given a banner to them that fear thee, that it may be displayed because of the truth. It is also translated “ensign” and “standard” (used 30 times in the OT). I believe it symbolizes believers as an army of God doing spiritual warfare in this world. “Am I a Soldier of the Cross?” The flag, I believe, takes the soldier metaphor and gives it a “banner,” essentially saying that the church is an outpost for His kingdom doing warfare in this world for the souls of men with the Word of God. It isn’t necessary, but neither is it wrong, IMO.
January 20th, 2007 at 10:04 pmWell, I think that the pledge of allegiance to the Christian flag would be similar to the pledge to the American flag. Is it the flag per se? No. We don’t have any allegiance to the symbol itself, but to what it symbolizes. Does that mean that we actually do? Maybe not, but this is something similar to singing some of the hyms we do without actually meaning it.
January 21st, 2007 at 11:09 pmIf we sing Hymns that we don’t actually mean, wouldn’t that be considered a lie?
January 22nd, 2007 at 8:28 amNow, I would agree that banners, ensigns, and flags are lawful. But I would then ask, why do we have one banner, one flag to symbolize all of Christianity? The Lutheran church down the street from our church flies the same flag I do.
In the OT era, banners and flags were regional or tribal. If we would consider the Lutheran church to be a Christian denomination (I do), we at least would say that we are of a different tribe.
I am doubting the lawfulness of a single flag representing all of Christianity. Is that really what the Scripture passages quoted by Pastor B mean?
Maybe Dave would like this flag better? What do you think? It’s definitely more exclusive than just the Christian flag. I don’t think the Lutheran church down the road would fly it, but I haven’t yet heard the “pledge” to the Baptist flag.
January 22nd, 2007 at 9:29 amWhy do Christians (of just about any stripe) use one cross to symbolize Christ’s sacrifice? Since many liberal denominations and cults use the cross, does it mean we should never display one either? Many groups that fundamentalists would disagree with hold up the Bible as their sole source of authority. Should we not since it will associate us with those Christian in name only in the minds of the unregenerate? For that matter, the name Baptist is of little use where I live since it describes everything from fundamental churches to way-out cults, to churches that will marry gays. Let’s just throw that name away too. Even the name “Christian” seems of little use in today’s America, since most will claim it, especially where I live. Nonetheless, I still call myself a Christian.
How about the fact that most Americans are proud of the symbolism of the American flag, even though most of our views of what America should be are nothing like, say, Hilary Clinton’s? There is no doubt that tribal flags will provide more distinction. I would fly an American flag with the others of you that are Americans, but I would not fly the flag of California or any state other than my own. Even so, I would certainly still disagree on many issues with other people in my state, county or city.
I’m not attached to the Christian flag in the way I’m attached to the cross. But as a symbol of allegiance to Christ (which the other denominations also claim, regardless of the truth of that claim), I can’t see how misuse by some invalidates the symbolism for us. I certainly won’t pick or visit a church by the fact that the Christian flag flies out front, any more than I would if its name included the name Baptist.
In the sense that I would name the name of Christ, and trust the one Savior who is “crucified, risen, and coming again, with life and liberty to all who believe,” I can quote the pledge in good conscience. I understand the reasons of those of you who cannot, but I can’t see how the Christian flag is that big an issue either way.
January 22nd, 2007 at 9:50 amI became uncormfortable with the Christian flag a few years ago and stopped using it. We DO use the Baptist flag that Jeff has mentioned but we do not say a pledge to it.
January 22nd, 2007 at 2:08 pmHey, there’s Robert Mickey! Glad to have you checking in on us. Thanks for your comment.
January 22nd, 2007 at 2:23 pmI don’t care if anyone or nobody uses the Christian flag. I would respect Mallet’s arguments. I think it is good to ask why we do anything. I believe we do represent Christianity and the idea of Christian or Christianity is also fine with me, so the flag is fine too. And yes, Cathy, it is a lie to sing something we don’t mean and to make a pledge we don’t mean, but the pledge itself doesn’t offend me. Thanks.
January 22nd, 2007 at 6:34 pmNote first what I am not saying. I am not saying that “because other churches use this flag, we shouldn’t.” I am not saying that we shouldn’t use anything that Catholics might use (a Bible, a cross, a communion), etc.
There is a difference between a banner and “the cross”. The cross is a symbol because of Christ’s crucifixion. Those who associate with Christ necessarily associate with the cross. I am not arguing that we should come up with our own cross.
A banner or flag is different than that. I don’t think that your example even of the American flag can be used as an analogy in this argument. For one thing, do you put the American flag on the right, or do you put the Christian flag on the right? Anvil, you need to answer that question. Because it reveals which flag you consider to be legitimate.
If you all are arguing that the Christian flag is a legitimate symbol for Christ and his kingdom, then tell me if you make it stoop to the American flag.
That’s a fair question. I don’t own a Christian flag myself. The one on our church platform is flown at the same height as the American flag. I can’t remember for sure (tells you how observant I am) if it’s on the right or left, but it is probably (as in most churches) on the speaker’s left. It was a bit harder to find “Christian Flag Etiquette” rules than for the U.S. flag, but the ones I did find indicate that the Christian flag be flown on the right, just as with the U.S. flag. You’ve made me interested enough to speak to the pastor about how the decision was made as to which should have the place of honor. Even as patriotic as I am, I would not be opposed to the Christian Flag being flown on the right, seeing how our allegiance to Christ tops our allegiance to the U.S. A large cross on the wall behind the platform is higher than both of them, so it could still be argued that it is clear from the totality of our symbolism that our highest allegiance is to Christ.
As you say, we don’t really NEED a banner. To be honest, even the cross is just a piece of wood — it’s Christ and his sacrifice for us that we honor, not really the cross itself. Many men died on the cross, so it’s clear that it’s not the cross itself that is important. We associate with the cross because that is the death Jesus died. If he had died some other bloody, cruel death, then we would associate with that instead. I would agree that neither the cross nor the flag should become an idol through which we attempt worship of Christ. Still, I can’t see how the Christian flag is illegitimate if used strictly as a symbol of Christ and his kingdom. We don’t pledge to either flag or to the cross as part of our worship service.
I would also not be opposed to changing the pledge (when it IS used) so that it is clear we are pledging our allegiance only to the “Savior, for whose kingdom it stands,” leaving out the part about pledging to the flag itself to avoid any appearance of idolatry. I think it’s understood by most that the flag is just a symbol, but I can see the confusion in the pledge as written.
For those of you who believe that the Christian flag is not a legitimate symbol, the answer is simple. Don’t use one. I can’t see from what has been presented though, that it is clear from the scripture that use of one is idolatrous.
January 23rd, 2007 at 2:32 pmI received some great teaching at a Bible college in East Tennessee. But the first building that comes into view entering campus has a large flag pole. At the top is the American flag, and right below it the Christian flag. That arrangement speaks volumes, and it’s not good.
I’ll be blunt: for a Christian to pledge allegiance to the American flag is idolatry to the nation. To pledge allegiance to the Christian flag is just weird. If we have been raised pledging allegiance to one or both, we may not want to admit it, but they’re both strangely syncretisitic.
January 24th, 2007 at 5:43 amGood day, everyone! I do not read blogs too often, but I came over to this one, and I thought I might as well record an opinion, and see what other brethren think.
I think we are better off not using the Christian flag.
1.) We do not get to decide how we are to worship God. If it is not commanded, it is forbidden. ” What thing soever I command you, observe to do it: thou shalt not add thereto, nor diminish from it.” (Deut 12:32
). Consider that “which He commanded them not” is what made strange fire strange fire (Lev 9:23-10
:3). This also relates to the second commandment, etc. A search on Google for “Regulative Principle” will deal more with this.
2.) While the Bible, cross, etc. are specifically related to Scripture, and thus associations that apostate religions such as Popery, baptismal regenerationist Anglicanism, Lutheranism, Methodism, etc. develop which use these symbols do not invalidate them, a Christian flag is different because it is specifically using a symbol invented by a false religion (Methodism) and, without Scriptural warrent, adopted by pseudo-Christian groups. Thus the association is indeed an issue.
3.) A pledge of allegiance is either an act of worship in relation to the Christian flag, or it is not. (This is different from the American flag, where it is not worship (in the sense of specifically ordained worship, not in the sense that all our lives are to be worship, Rom 12:1
ff) because it is a symbol of civil authority, and we are thus submitting to the civil authority in saying that pledge, Romans 13
.) In relation to the Christian flag, the one we are supposedly pledging allegiance to is the Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore: a.) If the pledge to the Christian flag is an act of worship to Christ, it is forbidden, for in worship whatever is not commanded is forbidden, Lev 10:1-3
, Mt 15:6, Ex 20:4-5
, etc. We could justify priestly vestments, holy water, incense, etc. if we can justify the Christian flag on the grounds that it is not specifically forbidden, and so it is OK. That is the Catholic/Anglican position, not the Baptist (and other dissenter) position—the Bible position. b.) If it is not an act of worship to Christ, then we are not honoring Him with our symbol. It should then be abolished.
Therefore we are better off getting rid of the invention of a Methodist in the late 1800s and giving our hearts and lives in love to God and Christ, as we are commanded in Scripture as the greatest commandment.
January 25th, 2007 at 1:13 amWhat line of NT Christianity invented the terminology “regulative principle,” Tom R.?
January 25th, 2007 at 5:35 pm1st century Baptists held to the regulative principle; it was also the traditional Baptist formulation at the Reformation and both before and afterwards. Please note
http://www.founders.org/FJ35/article1.html
for an argument against paedobaptism based on the Regulative Principle. It is true that other dissenters from the English Anglican establishment employed the principle against the Anglicans, but that does not by any means make it non-Baptist, for it is Biblical.
January 28th, 2007 at 12:32 pmI enjoyed seeing what everyone here has written. I think a lot of us all believe in the same thing (Christ), so this conversation (although a very good one) means nothing(or arbitrary). Nonetheless, it’s always a great thing when we question what we do criticaly. I think that Tom R.’s argument is very strong. However, I believe that IF we do abolish/get rid of the Christian flag, THEN should we not get rid of the (not American) USA flag? Who do we pledge to? (Of course, Tom believes that the pledge of allegience to the USA flag is our “submitting to the civil authority”) I’m not convinced that the pledge of allegience to the USA flag is only “submitting to civil authority”.
On a side not, I completely disagree with the USA flag in any church.
February 11th, 2007 at 10:55 pm