Quote:
Originally Posted by kindlekitten
back in my Christian affiliated days, shortly after I came back from Germany the first time, I was elected as an elder in my Presbyterian Church. when I was growing up in that same Church, there was always the Church flag and the American flag in the front of the sanctuary, off to each side bracketing the cross high on the wall. while I had been gone, a spate of political correctness had infused the Church and the flags had been moved to the narthax. I moved them back to the front of the sanctuary. the next week they were back in the narthax. I moved them back... this went on for a month. finally one Sunday I waited in the narthax until the "announcements" had started, and brought the American flag back up front and put it back in its place. I excused myself to the congregation, went up to the pulpit and said something along the lines of; "this flag behind me is the symbol of what gives you the freedom to sit in these seats and look at the symbol of your religion up above you. if this congregation has found it untenable to have the symbol of freedom in their view while gazing at the symbol of their religion, then maybe I need to rethink my participation in this church. I'll be open for discussion of this topic at the next meeting of the session." the flag never moved again, and no one came to talk about it.
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Like Iphinome, I was wondering why people need to display the flag outside their homes, not on public buildings. On public buildings it makes sense.
However, it is my firm belief that country and religion are two separate things and should stay separate. Surely people from the same country are free to have different religions from each other, and people from different countries can share the same religion. The state should protect everyone's right to believe (or not, obviously) in anything they choose, and the church(es) should respect the state and not meddle. I don't think a place of worship is a place for national flags.
(not that I care much, being a fan of neither, but the combination may lead to dangerous outcomes)