Last night I was watching ABC News with Charlie Gibson. They were interviewing a soldier in who had known Major Hassan in the Army and worked with him in the past.
In his interview, the soldier said something that rubbed me the wrong way. "I always had a problem with him. He always said he was a Muslim first and an American second. But I didn't think that was right. If you took an oath to defend your country and the Constitution, that should come first. Anything else is simply wrong."
In our nation, where radical faith of any kind is looked down on or questioned, it seems like his statements make sense. He wants to attack radical Islam and make sure that it cannot rear its ugly head again.
But here is my problem. I have always considered myself a Christian first and an American second. My allegiance is to the Kingdom of God, and always will be so. I have no problem with patriotism and loving one's country, and even dying for one's country in order to defend rights and freedoms. But as a Christian, regardless of how much I love my country, I simply cannot drink all of its Kool-Aid.
As a Christian I cannot just ignore some of the legal things that I think are unethical. I must always view my political leanings as an outlet of my faith. Now, this says nothing about being a Democrat or a Republican. Both are fine places to sit, and neither is a Christian position. Rather, I approach every issue in life in light of my faith. My belief in God MUST color my thoughts about abortion, capital punishment, unjust war, taxes, health care, etc. As Paul tells me "'Everything is permissible,' but not everything is beneficial..."
I am a Christian first and an American second. It simply isn't going to change, regardless of what the government or the military tells me. My allegiance to the flag does not trump my allegiance to the cross; when one stands in stark contrast to the other, I must take notice.
Does this make sense? What are your thoughts?
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