- CIVIC IDOLATRY
'sɪv.ɪk aɪ'dɑl.ə.tri noun. Worship of one’s homeland, its constitution, its government, or its leaders. - [Civically idolatrous
'sɪv.ɪk.(ə.)li aɪ'dɑl.ə.trəs adjective, civic idolater'sɪv.ɪk aɪ'dɑl.ə.tər noun.]
In 1776 the British Parliament, insisting they had every right to tax the colonies of British North America to fund the Seven Years’ War, violated the colonies’ charters which had guaranteed them self-governance under a common king. King George Hanover 3 (who lacked the political strength to do anything anyway) sided with Parliament and declared the colonies outside his protection. The Americans’ Continental Congress, representing 13 of the colonies which later became the United States, interpreted this to mean they were now independent states. On 4 July (or 2 July, depending on which founder you talk to) they officially declared themselves independent.
So today’s Independence Day in the United States. This week, Americans are gonna set off a lot of fireworks, eat a lot of barbecue, and express a whole lot of patriotism. American Christians included. As we should.
However, many American Christians regularly cross a line between the love of one’s homeland, and descend into outright worship of the United States. Yep, full-on
Civic idolaters are also gonna do their darnedest to say they worship God, and God alone; not the United States. But y’notice they too often confound God and country, and blend ’em together as if they’re the same thing.
- When we attribute things to the United States which are only legitimately true of God, we got idolatry.
- When we claim things about our country which are only legitimately true of
God’s kingdom (“This is a Christian nation!” or “Jesus reigns over this land, and American laws should reflect this!”) we got idolatry. - When our nation or our politics take precedence over the actual growth of God’s kingdom, we got idolatry.
- When our political principles actually defy Jesus’s teachings, we got idolatry.
Hey, sometimes in our