Godly Flag Waving
By Rev. Ellsworth McIntyre
The Trinity is very important to teach to our children. How important is it? R. J. Rushdoony in his recently republished The Foundations of Social Order, page 37 writes, (When the Trinity is breached by false doctrine or neglected by Christian teachers,) "...then the door is opened to the redivinization of this world, its orders, and the state. Then again emperors can become gods, and great men unite themselves with divinity to become the expression of God's will for their age. The approach to God then is through man; man works towards God, and the issue is not grace, God's condescension to man, but works, man's ascent to God. The issue at stake was the survival of Christianity."
God's Law or the "Law of the Land"
Rushdoony was citing the early church, but the danger remains to this day that great men are permitted to gain god-like power over our lives and the lives of our children because of our ignorance, neglect, or failure to teach the Trinity to our children. George Washington said, "Government is a useful servant but a fearful master." Americans of Washington's day understood that the Trinitarian faith was the bulwark to hold the fire of government in check. Today, thanks to ignorance in the church and the government educational systems, the law of civil government is considered the "law of the land." When no appeal can be made to the law of God, the fire of government rages out of control threatening to consume our freedom. What can you do in your home school and church school to teach the Trinity?
Recently I was visiting one of our nine schools in Florida.
I paused to examine a five-year-old drawing a picture of a large Christian flag. Underneath the flag was a miniature building, The little fellow looked up at me as I smilingly said, "That's a big Christian flag. Tell me, is that your school?" pointing to the speck below.
"Yes, sir," he replied. (We teach them to say "sir.") "The flag of God is at our school. At the public school they only have the other flag."
"Ah, yes," I said, "I guess that means that Christ is not at the public school."
"Oh, no!" the kindergartner answered with a cross tone in his little high-pitched voice, "Jesus is everywhere. They just don't know that, or (now, he looked thoughtful beyond his young years) they just don't want Him. What do you think?" He looked earnestly at me for my opinion.
"I think you are right, Jose." (I saw his name on the paper.) "Some don't know and others don't care, but Jesus is everywhere. I can tell you are a very good student." As I moved on, I could hear excited whispers. The other children were telling him that I was the big cheese in these parts. Jose was new. He did not know that I was the owner. I don't get in the schools much any more, but Jose warmed my heart, because I played a small part in his education. Every parent, teacher, and pastor should have such a happy experience as I did that day. What follows are some practical methods for your consideration.
Good Instincts but Bad Protocol
First, display the Christian flag outside your house, school or business, instead of the American flag.
About thirteen years ago, we erected 40 ft. flag poles and posted the Christian flag with spotlights in front of our schools. It caused a minor controversy in Naples, Florida. (not among left wingers but the right or patriotic conservatives). Firemen, policemen, and military parents were confounded, because to these people "It is my country, right or wrong." When we explained that "One nation under God," as we quote in our pledge to the flag, means the Ten Commandments are binding over the laws of our nation. These conservative people were quick to agree, because their instincts seem to be in the right place. We do fly the American flag when the school is not open such as weekends, and holidays. Also for national or state mourning, we replaced the Christian flag with the American flag at half mast.
(Please note the kingdom of Christ is never in distress or mourning.) Every home school or Christian school can teach lessons by the above, but the may seem too high for a Christian school already bankrupt. So I have a second suggestion.
One King, One Sovereign
Display the Christian flag and the American flag from left to right of the viewer in the interior of a church or school. The flag on the left is the superior and the flag next is not sovereign but inferior.
(Note you can't have more than one sovereign power.) Daily salute the Christian flag before the
American flag. Explain to the children that Christ's kingdom must come first. "Thou shalt have no other gods before me" (Ex. 20:12). It's a good idea also to pledge to the Bible before either the
Christian or the national flag. Many Christian schools use these pledges, but they typically pledge first to the country followed by the others. For example, at an assembly prayer is offered, it usually comes after the National Anthem, instead of before as it should if the faith is Trinitarian. I changed the order of the pledges in every Baptist day school I administered without serious objection. The majority of evangelicals will not openly deny the Trinity. They do, however, betray or deny their faith by failing to honor God before country in their ceremonies.
The Accurate Worldview
My next suggestion may surprise our nominal Christian friends, the conservatives, more than our usual enemies, the democratic, socialist left. Please don't teach the children, "if it happens in politics, someone planned it that way." This and the statement "my country right or wrong" teach the child that ultimate power is the state instead of the Lord Jesus Christ. In reality, the state is constantly caught off guard by the unpredictable future. Governments like individuals are continually blindsided by events beyond their control. "If it happens, it was either caused or permitted to happen by God" is the accurate worldview. The child needs to know that the future is controlled by Christ; therefore, obedience to His law-word is the only safe predictor of a kind providence. In other words, good things happen if you obey, and bad things happen if you do not. Classroom discipline and obeying athletic contests rules on the playground are examples of how respect for Godly authority is taught. Victory is forfeited when the rules are broken must be taught. This is the reason humanists want to eliminate competition, report cards, and generally standards of every nature that support a lawful view of reality.
Sports and music are two valuable activities to teach children right from wrong. Fumbling the ball in sports or playing the wrong note in music cannot be excused as easily as spelling and math mistakes. This is why liberals instinctively hate all competition and sports in particular. The spirit that guides their
instincts springs from a hatred of the fact that Christ is "kingdom, and the power, and the glory" (Lord's Prayer Matt 6:13).
Design Yes, Luck No!
My next suggestion again is directed at Christians more than our natural enemies. Please do not credit Satan with power independent of God. Satan acts only by permission. (See the book of Job, chapter one.) Satan needed permission from the only and only ultimate power to touch Job. When we suffer, it is the Lord alone who is causing or permitting our grief for the ultimate good of the Lord's elect. (Ro. 8:28). "The devil made me do it" is moral idiocy of the worst kind. Also the notion that accidents or luck rule in the affairs of man is pagan and anti-Trinitarian.
There can be no such thing as "luck." If all things work together for our good, there cannot be accidents. Design yes, accidents no!
Finally, it needs to be understood that the Trinity is not something to be understood-merely accepted. For this reason, children can be taught as easily as adults. It is amusing to me that some pastors posing as "scholars" talk as though they have comprehension of this and other doctrines or that faith follows understanding. The reverse is true. We believe or accept in order that we may know, but the knowing is by faith, not by exhaustive knowledge.
We Americans taught the Trinitarian faith better in our early history. For example, our flag code specifies that the Christian flag be flown superior to the American for burial at sea. Also the American flag is to be lifted from the casket when entering a chapel. Obviously, the writers of our flag code were better educated in the Trinitarian faith that today's Christians. They knew when it was ungodly to wave the flag. Grace Community discovered that today's Christians are meek before the truth, but church and school leaders need some godly boldness before men to correct the excesses, however well meaning, of patriotism. The state and the church need to be bound hand and foot by God's law if liberty is to be ours.
