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To all followers of Jesus: Are you a Christian first or an American first?According to the colleagues of Nasim Hassan, there were clues that something was awry in this Army psychiatrist, including a comment Hasan made at least once that he was a Muslim first and an American second. Personally, this does not strike me as extremist.
I am a follower of Jesus first and an American second. Or maybe even third.
When visiting the Middle East last summer I found that most people of faith self-identified by their religion first. For example, Christian Turks, Christian Syrians, and Christian Jordanians introduced themselves as Christians before they identified themselves as citizens of a particular country.
Maybe it was obvious that they were citizens of those countries (since that's where we were) and it seems superfluous to identify themselves nationally, while being Christian in predominantly Muslim countries was not so obvious. I have military friends who have served in Bahrain, Iraq, and Afghanistan who tell me that people identify as "Muslim" or "Christian" first in those countries. Religious identity trumps national identity.
We flag-waving Americans (USA! USA!) are ostensibly overwhelmingly Christian in terms of religious affiliation. Sometimes our government policies conflict with our religious beliefs.
My hope would be that our own political beliefs are informed by our religious beliefs, but sometimes we seem to start with the politics rather than the other way around.
How do you identify yourself? Are you a Christian first? Are you an American first?
Two Christian boys in Damascus 2009. Photo by LL
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16 comments:
great question to ask, Jan. Thanks, as always.
Absolutely Christian first. And praying like the dickens that you don't catch internet hell for posting this and asking this essential question.
DEFINITELY christian first....
I serve a wonderful congregation about 2 miles from the Pentagon. But I trust they love Jesus even more than their country.
Christian first and then citizen/country. I get worried about citizenry aspect with loud protester type folks espousing Christianity who at the same time are spewing hatred against others of their "own faith"(?), i.e., women, gays, lesbians, and folks bearing a different color of skin - an alien viewing them and me....would the alien guess/know that I was the one actually following Jesus' word?
I had a pastor once who spoke of dual citizenship in the kingdom of God and one's nation. There are challenges that go with learning to live as dual citizens who final allegiance is to God.
In his usual provocateur mode, Hauerwas once said, "the salvation of those who have flags in sanctuaries is to be seriously questioned."
I had the same thought when I heard the quote. I talked with my teenage son on the way home. Yes, Christian first, American second. If asked about their allegiance, I wonder what the Christians and chaplain at Fort Hood would say? My faith is first and it does not minimize my love or appreciation for my country. I am a Presbyterian pastor in New Jersey. I appreciate your blog and your insights.
Christian first, and by choice. American somewhere down the list (I'm not sure second) and by circumstance. I take issue with saying, "I'm proud to be an American," because I had nothing to do with it. Whatever the issue, my allegiance is to my God before my country.
Peace,
Milton
Derek Webb says it best for me, "My first allegiance is not to a flag, a country, or a man. My first allegiance is not to democracy or blood. It's to a King & a Kingdom."
Definitely Christian first.
I am certainly a Christian first and an American second (and really like Don't Eat Alone's pointing out that in the first I have and MADE a choice, the other, not so much.)
We caught that exact same comment on the news the other night, and we said the same thing. We're a pretty patriotic household -- one of us is a veteran -- but there's a difference between healthy pride in/concern for one's nation and nationalism as an ideology. People in this country have a real, dangerous tendency to conflate religion and patriotism, in a way that makes me fear that, as someone once observed, when fascism comes to the United States it will be draped in a flag and carrying a Bible.
Thank you, Jan. I'm a bit of a lurker on your blog, but I wanted to comment after reading this.
I agree with the above posted comments, especially Don't Eat Alone. I am only American by circumstance, just like I would only be British or Chinese or Costa Rican by circumstance. However, I am a Christian by choice (perhaps not so much my choice, but God's choice--"I have called you each by name, you are mine" that stuff.)
I was surprised that there was less flack for posting something like this. Scott's prayers were answered, thanks be to God.
Blessings your way!
Whew. Back to this conversation after loaning computer out to kids watching "Up" . . .
I'm not surprised that these comments were all kind, because there are many lurkers who disagree with me but choose not to comment. (Really, you can.)
Not crazy about angry anonymous comments though, which I rarely get TBTG.
I've had people in every congregation I've served be upset because I'm not an American! We, as pastors and church leaders, have to work hard to help our congregants figure out how to be reshaped by the gospel story, not the American story. We need to be a people who serve a savior whose kingdom is not of this world.
My friend Logan Laituri of Centurians Guild recently wrote about this issue as well on the Sojo Blog: For God and Country (in that Order).
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