I am proud to be an American with a sense of equality and democracy, and the self-criticism demanded of each and every individual in a reasonable, empirical, and scientifically oriented social decision process.
St. Paul says we ought to pray and work of the well-being of the nation and city which we find ourselves, but that we are aliens to that nation and citizens of the Kingdom of God.
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.
In Part 1 of this essay, I dared to make the statement, “until we redefine the word patriotism in this country to mean ‘A PURSUIT OF WORLDWIDE COMMON GOOD” instead of military superiority, we will continue down this low road to financial ruin and moral depravity.”