The citizen. [volume] (Berea, Ky.) 1899-1958, 1911-02-02
True
Patriotism
By REV. DAVID 2. kYCREN
Pastor of Swsdi.h Baptist Church
Hinsdals, III

IEAT-As tfee, ana not using your ND
erty Tor n cloak OF maiiciousness. but a.
the servants OF God-I Peter II. 10.
Just as at Christmas and at Easter.
we find many persons who revive
their allegiance to religion. so we find
strenuous attempt on the part OF
many to resuscitate their sleeping pat
riotlsm. which they express in a great
measure by fro and smoke, the her.
ltage Of our warning ancestors.
Iwould FIRST say that this ought and
ought not be so, all depending on
what we mean with patriotism. IL
patriotism be Of the right kind. we
would indorse IT, II to be patriotic
means TO be loyal. not to a nero sell
Dish cause. but to a general high and
noble cause. then We indorse IT, Our
dear ~. 8. A." though large, Is not
large enough. We would have the
whole world, nay. more. all the
worlds: yea, the heavens, too. As
true servants We would be interested
In all the possessions OF our Master.
Christianity does not encourge par
ucular patriotism In opposition to gen.
eral benignity. II II did, II would not
DO adapted for the world" The du-
ties of the subjects Of one state would
often DO 10 opposition to those OF the
subject Of another. and mon might In.
filct evil or misery upon neighbor ma
lions In conforming to the Christian
law.
b Christianity is designed TO benefit
not a community but "the world" The
promotion OF the interests OF one
community by injurlng another-that
Is. patriotism In opposition to gen
eral OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES utterly
rejects as wrong.
Stlli would not a doctrine of gen
eral patriotism be rational? We would
answer In the affirmative. And Chris
tianity does not appear to encourage
the doctrine OF being a Citizen Of the
world" and Of paying no more regard
To our community than TO every other.
That opposes to the natural and yirtu-
Gus feelings.
II II were put In practise. II would
destroy confined benignity without ef
fecting a counterbaiancing amount of
universal philanthropy. Who indeed
shall support and cherish and protect
a child II its parents do not?
That speculative philosophy is vain
which would supplant these dictates
by doctrines Of genera, philanthropy.
II cannot be applicable to human af
fairs until there Is an alteration In the
human constitution. Not only religion.
therefore, but reason and nature. re-
Jet that philosophy which teaches
that no man should prefer or aid an
other because he is his countryman.
his neighbor OF his child.
This Is an idle system Of philosophy
which sets out with exunguIshlng
those principles of human nature
which tho Creator has implanted for
wise and good ends.
He that shall so far succeed in prac-
Using this philosophy as TO look with
Indifference upon his parent. his wife
and his son, will not often be found
with much zeal to exercise kindness
and beneyolenco to the world at large.
Bat to cherish and support our own
children rather than others: to do
good to our neighbors rather than to
strangers; to benefit our own country
rather than another nation. does not
imply that by so doing we must in
ture other nations, or strangers. or
our own. Here is our point OF dis
elimination which we will enlarge
upon presently point which vulgar
patriotism and vulgar philosophy have
alike overlooked.
I dare not stop by saying that the
right kind Of patriotism would be to
do good to my nation. and by doing
this. not to do any menace to other
nations. That would Just simply be
changing the Golden Rule TO nothing
BY having this kind of an idea |
would say; DO nothing unto others"
Then q person In order TO be a gen.
eral patriotic" would need do moth
ing"
No. our Christian way is better: II
Is the best do unto others, etc
That makes a man take on his coat.
turn up his sleeves and go to work!
Not only 80 good that one does no
harm; but SO harmless that one must
do goodi Not only a negative IN re
gard to not doing harm; but so strong
a negative that one becomes a posi-
tive
In the second place. would say,
not that II ought, but positively that II
ought not be 80. In regard 10 the way
we show our patriotism. As wo have
mentioned this expresses itself In a
great measure by FIRE and smoke, by
noise and a general distur bance; this
being the heritage of our warning an
cestors.
The spirit of true patriotism does
not find Its expression In boosting Of
success In wars which were fought be
fore we were born
Reason and experience both forbid
U.s." said the father Of our country,
ito expect that national morality can
prevail In exclusion of religious prip-
ciple."
To DO true patriots Is to bring the
gospel TO every croature, beginning In
Jerusalem. our own land, and then TO
the uttsrmost parts of the earth.
n Ia related that when Columbus,