July Coffee Talk: Religion & Patriotism

In July, at Indaba, SpokaneFAVS organized a Coffee Talk discussion around Religion & Patriotism.

Below are the related posts:

“Religion and Patriotism: Love your enemy” by John Hancock

Jesus was not a patriot. His anti-establishment non-violence seems pretty clear: turn the other cheek, love your enemies, do good to those who harm you, put away your sword, etc. These are the parts of the Gospel that I think most powerful (but difficult) of Jesus’ messages to us.

“Piety and Patriotism, Perversion and Power“ by Patricia Bruininks

Love of God. Love of Country. As we approach Independence Day, we become cognizant of the way these sentiments intersect. We think back to the “founding” of our country, led by Europeans fleeing religious persecution.

“Nations will prosper when choices are based on morality” by Joseph Niemiec

I almost cringe just putting the words ‘religion and patriotism’ in the same line. It has been said that politics make strange bedfellows, and whenever religion and politics attempt to drive the same train there is a train wreck in the future.

“The Declaration of Independence… from being comfortable” by Skyler Oberst

I’ve been thinking a lot lately about why in many houses of worship we have national flags displayed near the altar. It seems a little misguided to me, because I don’t think God cares what passport you carry. It’s also interesting to think that with so many people who use the phrase “separation of church and state” I haven’t seen too many in the flock voice concerns about the stars and stripes being displayed prominently in sanctuaries across the country.

“America: The Beautiful Dialogue” by Scott Kinder-Pyle

When I combine thoughts of patriotism and religion I think of Neanderthals. I think of the trajectory of human evolution. And I ponder the turf wars that rise and fall like erect and flaccid phalluses over the course of recorded history.

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About Tracy Simmons

Tracy Simmons, who teaches journalism at Gonzaga University, is an award winning journalist specializing in religion reporting, digital entrepreneurship and social journalism. In her 13 years on the religion beat, Simmons has tucked a notepad in her pocket and found some of her favorite stories aboard cargo ships in New Jersey, on a police chase in Albuquerque, in dusty Texas church bell towers, on the streets of New York and in tent cities in Haiti.
Simmons has worked as a multimedia journalist for newspapers across New Mexico, Texas and Connecticut. Currently she serves as the executive director of SpokaneFAVS.com, a digital journalism start-up covering religion news and commentary in Spokane, Wash.

She also writes for The Spokesman-Review and for the Religion News Service.

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