In these cases, what patriotism usually means is affection for a particular country, primarily defined as a state. A leading example of this is war. In other words, it is not often conceded that one may love his country while opposing its military campaigns. It was, we might recall, the patriotism of German Christians that solidified support for Hitler s Nazi regime and his rapacious war machine. Quite possibly, their patriotism secured and solidified his evil designs.
Patriotism can lead men to do very evil things.
But then, of course, patriotism has been given a somewhat different meaning. It then means affection for and support of a country so long as it does not violate God s holy Word, and a lack of support and, perhaps, a diminution of affection when it does violate that Word. To love a nation for its heritage and its people is not the same thing as being patriotic. Patriotism in the modern world necessarily entails the support of a nation-state. A patriot is necessarily a partisan for a nation-state.