beliefs

the july 4th weekend is upon us and many of you will be celebrating with flags and singing about America. I will be enjoying the time off and watching the fireworks display, but not celebrating-I just want to clarify for you why I don’t do that and have included some excerpts from some Mennonite publications to help you understand why I don’t do that-this way you can’t bug me or try to argue with me-i don't try to push my view on you-so don't push your view on me-we all see things differently and I won't argue with you about it even if you try:)

Mennonites' Relationship to the Flag

Because Mennonites give their primary allegiance to God, some choose to not say the Pledge of Allegiance. They claim the pledge does not allow them to first be citizens of God's kingdom. This issue has been so important to Mennonites over the years that many Mennonite communities built and staffed their own Mennonite schools, so their children did not have to say the pledge. Mennonites have often been persecuted in the United States for refusing to fly the flag.
One reason some Mennonites see the flag as a symbol of violence is because a primary purpose of a flag is to identify a nation during war. Back when the Revolutionary War was fought, the flag was created so that it could be carried into battle. As soon as territory is taken over during a war, the nation's flag is raised over it. Our national anthem was a poem written during a battle, glorifying war. That's the reason many Mennonites don't sing it.

The Historical Context of Mennonites and Their Relationship to the State

Our confession of faith states that Mennonites first and foremost see the church as God's holy nation. "The only Christian nation is the church of Jesus Christ, made up of people from every tribe and nation, called to witness to God's glory."
Because Mennonites put their citizenship and allegiance to God far ahead of citizenship of any earthly nation, they have often been persecuted during times of war when they refuse to join the military. Because we know that God's church is made up of people from every nation, we believe that God blesses each nation and doesn't play favorites. This is why some Mennonites hesitate to sing "God bless America." They want God to bless all nations.
Mennonites began this denomination on the run from the government and many times through the years have found themselves opposed to their earthly government. Sometimes they have had good relations with their host country, but always there is an unease about how long this will last. Often the relationship sours over the issue of conscientious objection to war: when Mennonites weren't given this right, they often moved to another country.
Other parts of this section of the confession of faith talk about the respect due to our governing authorities and how important it is that we pray for them.

If you want to know more you can click here for the confession of faith:
http://www.mennolink.org/doc/cof/intro.html