The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1911-02-02
True
Patriotism
Dv REV. DAVID r. NYGREN
Pastor Of Swedish Baptist Church
Hinsdale, Ill.

4 TTVT-As free, ana not using your ND
III FOR a cloak of mallciousness. but as
fho servants OF God.-I Peter III. lG.
A lust as at Christmas and at Easter
w. find many persons who revive
fbelr allegiance to religion, so we find
4 strenuous attempt on the part OF
many TO resuscitate their sleeping pat
rlotism, which they express In great
measure by fire and smoke, the her.
itags of our warning ancestors
would first say that this ought and
orght not be so, all depending on
nhat we mean with patriotism. If
patriotlsm be Of the right kind, we
vould indorse II. If to be patriotic
means 10 be loyal, not to a mere sell
fsh cause. but to general high and
noble cause, then we indorse it, our
dear "U. S. A." though large, is not
Iarge enough. We would have the
Whole world, nay more, all the
Worlds. yea, the heavens, too. As
frup servants we would be interested
ip an the possessions Of our Master
Christianity does not encourge par
ticular patriotism in opposition to gen
ERA benimty. If 1t did, IT would not
b. adapted for the world" The du'
ties of the subjects of one state would
bitten be in opposition to those of the
subjact Of another, and men might in
flict evil or misery upon neighbor ma
tions IN conforming to the Christian
Law
Christianity is designed to benefit
not community but the world The
prumotion of the interests of one
by injuring another--that
4. patriotism in opposition to gen.
eral beuignlty'-Christianity utterly
Rejects as wrong
Still would not a doctrine Of gen
eral patriotism be rational? We would
answer in the affirmative. And Chris.
tianIty does not appear to encourage
b. doctrine of being Citizen Of the
sorld," and of paying no more regard
10 our community than to every other.
That opposes to the natural and yirtu-
ous feelings.
II It we're put in practise, II would
destroy confined benignity without ef.
fecting q cOunterbalancing amount OF
universal philanthropy. Who indeed
shall support and cherish and protect
D child 70 its parents do not?
That speculative philosophy is vain
which would supplant these dictates
by doctrines of genera philanthropy
ID 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-
ject that philosophy which teaches
that no man should prefer or aid an
other because he is his countryman,
Bis ne.ghbor or his child.
This is an idle system of philosophy
which sets out with eXtinguishing
th0se principles Of human nature
which the Creator has implanted for
vise and good ends.
He that shall so far succeed in prac-
tising this philosophy as to look with
Indifference upon his parent. his wife
and his son, will not often be found
win much zeal to exercise kindness
end beneyolence to the world at large
But to cherish and support our own
children rather than others. to do
eood TO our neighbors rather than to
strangers; to benefit our own country
raiher than another nation, does rot
IMPLY that by so doing we must in.
pre- other nations, or strangers, or
teir children, in order to do good to
our own. Here is our point of dis.
elimination which we will enlarge
ppon presently-a point which vulgar
patriotism and vulgar philosophy have
elike overlooked.
dare not stop by saying that the
rght kind of patriotism would be to
% good 10 my nation. and by doing
hls, not to do any menace to other
nations That would just simply be
changInC the Golden Rule to nothing.
4 by having this kind of an idea |
Would say: DO nothing unto others"
Ihen a person in order to be a gen.
pa patriotic" would need do moth.
hg
No. our Christian way is better; it
y the best DO unto others. etc"
fhal makes a man take off his coat,
Vlrn up his sleeves and go to work!
~ only so good that one does no
nprm; but so harmless that one must
n good. Not only negative in re-
saTd to not doing harm; but so strong
negative that one becomes a posi-
uye.
Ia the second place, would say,
~ that 1t ought, but positively that it
opsot not be so, in regard to the way
n snow our patriotism. As we have
ehuoned this expresses itself in
i eai measure by fire and smoke, by
nolse and n general disturbance: this
9ns The heritage of our warning an.
ceslors
The spirit of true patriotism does
~ mud It's expression in boosting of
Pccess in wars which were fought be.
Pfe we We're born.
Reason and experience both forbid
Y said The father Of our country.
a expect that national morality can
Y Pe'al' IN exclusion of religious prin.
10 oe true patriots is to bring the
speI to every creature, beginning in
4 uSa'em' our own land, and then to
4 uuermost parts of the earth.
!" related that when Columbus,
MS historic voyage, was approach.
'ne shores Of the western world
a Hckering light was dimly seen
,ouga the darkness by one of his