Nationalism
Politics and Christians
10/09/08 11:20
Watching the debate the other night sparked a great many thoughts in my every running brain (quiet up there). One thing I was struck by was the conversation about humanitarian crises. I felt like both candidates were similar to each other in their positions, and that position seemed contrary to the Gospel. Essentially, I understood the conversation to be one of moral responsibility and sacrifice. They were asked about the responsibility of the United States to get involved with genocide, such as that happening in Darfur, that which has happened in Rwanda, with undertones reaching back to the Jewish Holocaust. Both candidates agreed that we have a responsibility, presumably not just as a country but as a a world and as individuals, to pursue peace and to protect others from violence. That is all well and good, but there was a fascinating and subsequent divergence from that philosophy when it came to nationalism and protection of our own. For instance, (and I can’t remember this exactly), but one of the candidates implied that the killing of our own troops for the sake of rescuing/stopping genocide would be too much. That is too much sacrifice to be made.
Now, I’m completely dubious of the notion that violence can stop violence, but the point that I would like to make is that of nationalism. Why is it that our own lives, our own country, is more important than all others? Why are the lives of those that live here not worth sacrificing for others?
This springs from a heartfelt frustration that I have had ever since I became a Christian. I have always thought that it would be worth it (if possible) to sacrifice myself for others, particularly in death. To be specific, I used to ask God if I could suffer hell instead of others. Could I go to hell instead of my friends and family? At first this seems like such fantasy and naivete, but I think there is some real truth in these matters. For one, somehow God is in charge of the modes of salvation and redemption - though there may be some constrains by his own character and the necessity of propitiation/expiation. Second, this seems to be exactly the heart of Jesus (thus, of God), that he would sacrifice himself for the sake of others, and so our emulation of that desire is good.
It is in such a manner that nationalism can be a very dangerous thing for Christians to engage in. We become more concerned with those in our own tribe than with all of humanity, with other folks who need love and help. This is particularly clear when we see the demonizing of whole countries like Iran, Libya, North Korea, Russia, China, when the vast majority of people living in those countries are not involved in the wrongs that our country identifies. Thus, military engagement (and often times the media) engage in this hubris of nationalism whereby we, the United States, are the great country who is wronged and never admit the times when we wrong others, particularly the innocent (or the killing of the innocent is considered an unfortunate by product of fighting evil).
Now, I’m completely dubious of the notion that violence can stop violence, but the point that I would like to make is that of nationalism. Why is it that our own lives, our own country, is more important than all others? Why are the lives of those that live here not worth sacrificing for others?
This springs from a heartfelt frustration that I have had ever since I became a Christian. I have always thought that it would be worth it (if possible) to sacrifice myself for others, particularly in death. To be specific, I used to ask God if I could suffer hell instead of others. Could I go to hell instead of my friends and family? At first this seems like such fantasy and naivete, but I think there is some real truth in these matters. For one, somehow God is in charge of the modes of salvation and redemption - though there may be some constrains by his own character and the necessity of propitiation/expiation. Second, this seems to be exactly the heart of Jesus (thus, of God), that he would sacrifice himself for the sake of others, and so our emulation of that desire is good.
It is in such a manner that nationalism can be a very dangerous thing for Christians to engage in. We become more concerned with those in our own tribe than with all of humanity, with other folks who need love and help. This is particularly clear when we see the demonizing of whole countries like Iran, Libya, North Korea, Russia, China, when the vast majority of people living in those countries are not involved in the wrongs that our country identifies. Thus, military engagement (and often times the media) engage in this hubris of nationalism whereby we, the United States, are the great country who is wronged and never admit the times when we wrong others, particularly the innocent (or the killing of the innocent is considered an unfortunate by product of fighting evil).
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