Re: Patriotism in church (pub. June 16, 2008)

Tom Ehrich’s “Patriotism in church” … does indeed show that we “need to wrestle with tough questions” and that flying flags in church provide a teachable moment.

Are we supposed to teach, along with all the other aspects of our good country, that under the flag that flies over the White House enormous untruths (some still untold) have led us to unwarranted wars in Asia and in the Middle East; and under the flag in Fort Benning, Ga., have been trained military leaders for other nations, some of (whom) have returned to lead death squads responsible for killing many of their and our citizens, including priests, nuns, and many other unarmed adults and children?

Ehrich mentions “the flag in church,” but does not distinguish between the sanctuary and the fellowship hall. Thus I agree with him that we should “meet in the middle” by banning the flag from the sanctuary where we worship the God of all nations and of the cosmos; but welcome it in the fellowship hall for civic, family, and non-worship-related functions.

Our epistemological epiphany on this matter came when we had Christian visitors from other countries in our home. We could not take them Sunday morning to a sanctuary where the U.S. flag was flying if they were from El Salvador, Guatemala, Colombia. …Could we take to our church on a Sunday morning Palestinian Christians who see the U.S. flag flying in their thoughts right under the Israeli flag? We could take them to a potluck in our fellowship hall where the U.S. flag used to fly. Ironically, that one is now in the sanctuary permanently!

Have we a serious theologian in the PC(USA) (who) argues for having a U.S. flag in the sanctuary?

Henry H. Bucher Jr.,

Chaplain emeritus

Adjunct associate professor emeritus

Austin College

Sherman, Texas