Posted by
Augsal on Thursday, July 05, 2007 11:54:11 AM
As my blog is entitled “For God and Country” I thought I would use this Independence Day to explain the inseparable connection between Religion and Patriotism. As Americans we are a people of the “West” whose heritage comes from ancient Greece and Rome. Democracy was a product of the Western mind and specifically the Greek mind and the rules of law and republicanism from the Romans. But, also something quite important was inherited from our Greek and Roman ancestors- Patriotism. The word Patriotism is derived from the Latin word “patria” or father and describes love for the “fatherland” or love of country. Also patriotism was synonymous with piety. To be patriotic in ancient times was to be religious or pious. Impiety in ancient Greece and Rome was considered an act of treason. The early Christians were considered traitors by refusing the emperor his divine title. They were persecuted and viewed as a threat due to their treasonous behavior and not so much because of their love for Christ.
Each city-state and region in ancient times had patron gods and goddesses as Athens was named after the goddess Athena she was believed to be the patron and protector of that city. So it went that worship and reverence to Athena would be considered a pious act and a patriotic act as well. So it was in Rome with their gods and temples- it was considered pious and your patriotic duty to pay reverence to the gods who protected Rome and her Emperor. Not surprising that when Christianity took hold in the Roman Empire the gods were replaced by Jesus and the saints. All parts of the European continent were claiming their particular saint as patron and protector. In France it was St. Denis, England had St. George and Scotland with St. Andrew to name but a few examples. Shakespeare in his play Henry V has Prince Harry rallying his band of Englishmen with a rousing “For England and St. George!!!”
The love we have for God is a mirror image of our love of country. As human beings we are social creatures who need to belong to a place. Heaven is our eternal destination and through pious love for God we will attain our place in heaven. Countries and kingdoms are but a foreshadowing of the world to come. As we sojourn here on earth we ally ourselves with others in a country and it is in this context that we live out our faith and learn to love and respect our place of residence and bring about a place where we are proud to say I am an American. As Athenians were proud of their city and its culture and the Spartans of theirs and the Romans of theirs we must be proud to be Americans and build up what is good and publicly show affection for our great land of Freedom. As Aristotle once said: “Man can only attain his perfection, the pursuit of moral and intellectual virtue, in the context of a city.” It is in a free United States where we are able to enjoy the freedom of “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” This could not have occurred without an inherent faith in God by our founding fathers. Professor Anthony Esolen of Providence College states it best: “No altar, no community: without the common bond of worship, men do not form a city or a nation, and this is true of America as it was of ancient Athens. No man will lend his heart to a low tax rate or to a system of national roads. But speak to him of liberty, and his eyes grow bright; tell him that honor was granted him by his Maker, and he will lay down his life, if need be, to ensure that the honor be respected, for himself and children, for all generations. So it is that the state can attain its perfection only by recognizing a divinity beyond it; if its dome is not the vault of stars above, it must collapse.”
Patriotism and religiosity are closely connected and when religion is flourishing so does patriotism. My daughter who attends college was shocked to find out how patriotism is viewed in academia- with ridicule and disdain. I wasn’t surprised at all. The media and academia which are fully entrenched in the ideology of secular humanism is very anti-religious so it is not surprising that with the daily attack on religion and faith in the United States and in Europe we see a rise in agnosticism, atheism, moral relativism and a disdaining cynical view of nations and their governments. The words I hear coming from the mouths of the Democrat leadership and now some Republicans are nothing short of treason and display a complete lack of patriotism and love of country. Their words of surrender and capitulation are subversive and demoralizing when you have troops on the field in active combat risking their lives on our behalf. The words of the Democratic leadership and candidates are supportive of a political agenda to which they show more allegiance than their own country. I will be plain and say that these politicians criticizing and hindering the war effort against the war on terror are TRAITORS and UNPATRIOTIC!
We live in the greatest and most powerful nation to have ever appeared on the face of the earth and what has this nation done with that power: welcomed refugees and immigrants from all over the world, fed the hungry, rebuilt nations, cured disease and liberated millions. I am proud to be an American and I am proud to say “I love my country!”