This is God's country!

Or is it?


Gotta be honest...in reading the Bible a couple of times (something like 7 or 8 times, actually) I've yet to see the verse where God, or Jesus, or David, or Paul, or John, or...well, really anyone come to think of it, says anything at all about blessing or choosing or electing America as the chosen country.

There is this really strange parasitic/symbiotic relationship between evangelical Christians and the Republican party that really gets under my skin. You see, in reading the Bible, I did notice many times where God, Jesus, Paul, etc. talk about the whole world being God's chosen. So, while I understand the Republican party focusing more on this country and "our" interests, I do not understand the stance taken up by many Christians that America is God's country. It just doesn't click for me. I think that God has used America, to be sure; but just because God used a donkey to talk to Balaam doesn't mean that the donkey is the new chosen people, you know what I'm saying?

I think, actually, what is happening is much worse than a mere misunderstanding of theology. (As if that would be no big deal.) I think that by perpetuating this idea that America is a Christian country, and that our focus should be on God first and America second, we separate that which God has put together; i.e. the world as a whole.

I read a book a few months ago about the Truth and Reconciliation Commission in South Africa. In it, Desmond Tutu talks about how we actually harm ourselves when we de-humanize or denigrate others. And, I think by putting Americans above others, which is an act of dehumanizing or devalueing, we as Christians actually diminish a huge blessing that God wants us to have. We are a brotherhood of humanity. God made everyone on this planet, not just the white ones, or the ones who have already accepted Jesus in their hearts. Because we are all connected, and because of the bond we all have through God's presence, when we say that others aren't as important as we are, becuase of their geographical and national boundaries, we are actually mocking God, and that's never a good idea.

So, when the Republican party talks about how we as Americans should be putting America first, that makes sense, because that very well may be their goal. But when Christians start talking about that, regardless of political affiliation, I think that they may be missing something.

What are your thoughts?

Thanks for stopping by...

Tommy