Both political parties are trying to position themselves as the "patriotic" party. As a Christian I was disturbed by such rhetoric at both conventions. Obama said we must put our country first. McCain's new campaign signs say "country first." As a Christian I completely reject this notion of putting country before God. Jim Wallis gently chides both parties with the following observations with which I wholeheartedly agree..."But one other thing bothered me last night, and it did also at the Democratic Convention. It was all those signs that read "Country First" and all those chants of "USA, USA, USA!!" The high-powered and, frankly, militaristic rhetoric kept telling us that "country" should be put above everything else -- including family and friendship. But what about faith? Should country be put ahead of faith, too? I kept wanting to yell back at the people yelling at me about putting the country first and say, "No, not me, I'm a Christian." Because we as Christians simply can't put our country first, ahead of God, ahead of Jesus Christ, ahead of the body of Christ (remember the worldwide body of Christ), and even family and friendship. Especially when our country is wrong, and when most of the rest of the body of Christ around the world thinks so.
"Country First" was the theme of John McCain's speech and night, and he asked us to "fight with him." Barack Obama also said in Denver that all Americans must put country first -- to counter the Republican exclusive claim on patriotism. Well, again, not all of us. I suppose people running for president have to say that, but Christian voters shouldn't go along with that. Can anybody imagine Jesus leading cheers shouting "USA!"?"
The rest of Wallis's (who once wrote a book subtitled "God is not a Republican or a Democrat") blog can be found here....
