God bless America?

[woundeddog]

I may be funny about this, but I intensely dislike the expression "God Bless America" . I prefer "may God Bless America" or "please God, Bless America". commanding God to bless a country that has drifted so far away from Him seems to be dangerous business to me.

 

and I agree Israel is the apple of Gods eye

[nebula]

 

 

Willow the problem I have with that is that it's pure speculation. It's a nice story but it's not something you could find in the Bible.

 

GE I'm  not sure. I'm hesitant to label stuff like that as sinful though I think it's factually mistaken. I suppose for some people it could be. Here's my biggest concern with it, when people will love their country and their 'fellow American' over and above others in the world, even if others in the world are their brothers and sisters in Christ. There it seems like the loyalty is all wrong. I don't know if this will ever be fully fixed until God ends history.

 

I tend to believe that part of the design God gave us is to be bonded into communities - family first, but greater communities as well. That's why we connect so much with sports teams, school spirit, hobby groups, etc., and even nationalism.

 

I don't believe "pride" in one's country and such is "bad" or wrong in and of itself, so long as we don't take on superior aires about it. We can take "pride" in being who we are as a person of a nation, but we should celebrate each other's national identity as well and appreciate each for what it is.

 

We do but there isn't really biblical support that this is what Christians ought to aim for. That's my problem with nationalism in particular. It seems that we *ought* to be more bound to fellow believers in other countries than the unbeliever in the next state. That we aren't perhaps speaks more about our sinful condition than anything good.

 

 

True.

 

On the other hand, there is a place for being "in the world" ("In the world, not of the world). Else we fall into the trap of Christian exclusivity.

 

See here for a tongue-in-cheek perspective on what I mean.

[nebula]

I may be funny about this, but I intensely dislike the expression "God Bless America" . I prefer "may God Bless America" or "please God, Bless America". commanding God to bless a country that has drifted so far away from Him seems to be dangerous business to me.

 

and I agree Israel is the apple of Gods eye

 

I am preferring the change to "America, bless God!"

[nebula]

 

 

Willow the problem I have with that is that it's pure speculation. It's a nice story but it's not something you could find in the Bible.

 

GE I'm  not sure. I'm hesitant to label stuff like that as sinful though I think it's factually mistaken. I suppose for some people it could be. Here's my biggest concern with it, when people will love their country and their 'fellow American' over and above others in the world, even if others in the world are their brothers and sisters in Christ. There it seems like the loyalty is all wrong. I don't know if this will ever be fully fixed until God ends history.

 

I tend to believe that part of the design God gave us is to be bonded into communities - family first, but greater communities as well. That's why we connect so much with sports teams, school spirit, hobby groups, etc., and even nationalism.

 

I don't believe "pride" in one's country and such is "bad" or wrong in and of itself, so long as we don't take on superior aires about it. We can take "pride" in being who we are as a person of a nation, but we should celebrate each other's national identity as well and appreciate each for what it is.

Pride in any form has always been an evil sin. It was the sin of satan. God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble. Pride is what keeps people from coming to Christ. It is the source of rebellion. The antedote is thankfulness. It is gratitude toward God for bestowing any type of blessing.

 

 

What about being proud of one's children? Or being proud of an achievement?

 

It's a different application/meaning using the same word.

[Willa]

I still think it is more appropriate to be thankful for our children and for what God has given them the grace to become.

It is better to be thankful that God has given us the ability to achieve.

Pride is so much a part of our culture that we don't even recognize it for what it is. I owe everything to God's grace. I am as guilty as anyone else of being proud of our family. But the bottom line is that they would be of poor character and would cause us a lot of grief had God not saved them. I owe any achievement to the abilities that God has given me and even the zeal to achieve to Him. Some may call this giving the glory to God. But I believe it is a fact. Moreover, the more I see my blessings as being gifts from God, the more i am indebted to His love. So I present myself as a living sacrefice to Him and become His bond slave.

[woundeddog]

Nebula,

 

Amen!

[silviawang]

the question to me is :

1-is America a Christian nation?

2-the America is so prosperous,is it the blessing from GOD,or there are other reasons?

3-why some other Christian nations,eg.Ethiopia,so poor

 

hope to know the answer.

[GoldenEagle]

 

I've always had mixed feelings or thoughts about patriotic services in America. I went to one tonight that was thoroughly wonderful. Ultimately, the Cross was portrayed as the center of the Believer's walk. The whole service did point back to Jesus Christ as our Savior. The choir was fantastic. The orchestra was awesome.

Understand too I highly respect those who currently serve in the armed forces. I also highly respect those who have done so in the past. Some even paid the price with their lives which is a costly yet admirable sacrifice to protect our freedoms.

What is hard for me is equating the U.S. and super imposing promises made to Israel by using passages such as 2 Chronicles 7:14 and Psalm 33:12 to mean the U.S. is God's chosen people. Or even that the U.S. is God's "special" nation. Again I have mixed feelings/thoughts on the matter.

 

 

 

 

 

Is it just me or does anyone else struggle with this?

We should support Israel, they are God's chosen people, if Israel is His chosen nation is yet to be discerned.  America isn't special, in fact, I believe it's warped the faith from what it was, in fact I know it has.  The reasons we should support Israel have nothing to do with the Bible.  And the more congressional / senatorial leaders that invoke the bible, the more people you can check off your list as actual, reborn, Believers.    This is my opinion and I approve of this message.  it is free, and worth at least half that.

 

Lol @ the comment in bold black.

As to this in red see this thread.

[GoldenEagle]

Willow the problem I have with that is that it's pure speculation. It's a nice story but it's not something you could find in the Bible.

 

GE I'm  not sure. I'm hesitant to label stuff like that as sinful though I think it's factually mistaken. I suppose for some people it could be. Here's my biggest concern with it, when people will love their country and their 'fellow American' over and above others in the world, even if others in the world are their brothers and sisters in Christ. There it seems like the loyalty is all wrong. I don't know if this will ever be fully fixed until God ends history.

Probably true...

[GoldenEagle]

I may be funny about this, but I intensely dislike the expression "God Bless America" . I prefer "may God Bless America" or "please God, Bless America". commanding God to bless a country that has drifted so far away from Him seems to be dangerous business to me.

 

and I agree Israel is the apple of Gods eye