The Church and the Flag

As I visited a new church last Sunday I was greeted with a familiar sight: the flag of the United States with the Imperial symbol, the eagle, at the forefront. I cringed but kept quiet. Yesterday I began to think about all the reasons why the flag was there. Because the United States is a Christian nation? But how can it be? The separation of church and state makes it impossible.

Then I thought what would happen if a church in Afghanistan put an Afghan flag in their church. What would be the objections be? That Afghanistan is an Islamic Republic, and that Muslims kill, or threaten to kill, Christians? But doesn't the Imperial United States kill, or threaten to kill, Muslims in Afghanistan? Does having better and bigger guns somehow sanctify the flag and make it more Christian? What would Jesus, the Prince of Peace, say?


In the ancient Rome, the eagle was a symbol of imperial authority. The Holy Roman Empire (1250-1806) adopted the two-headed eagle to represent both the church and the state, the church being united with the state, and the emperor being the ruler of both. Now the question is: can American churches have the imperial insignia in their buildings and yet refuse to obey the state, whose power it represents? Should American churches worship both Caesar and King Jesus, or should American churches insist with the early church that there can be no compromise; there can only be one king?

As long as American Christians are met with the flag when they go to church, their light will be dimmed by the lampshade that controls how much light they are allowed to disperse. The Roman Empire wanted to put out that light, why do we think Imperial United States is any different?