Flag Day - Has It Lost Its Meaning?

Today is Flag Day, a day set aside to give honor to the American flag.  Our flag is a piece of cloth adorned with thirteen stripes alternating between red and white and with a dark blue corner that fields fifty stars, each one representing a state within the Union.  But our flag is much more than a mere piece of cloth.  It is a symbol of American idealism.  It is a symbol of dreams and hopes for tomorrow.  It represents the greatest expression of the freedom of mankind since the inception of the world.  For the past two and a half centuries, people have come to our shores because of what our flag stands for: freedom of expression of ideas and opinions both written and spoken; freedom of worship as our hearts dictate; freedom to have peaceful public assembly; and freedom to even challenge governmental actions and decisions.  All of these, when exercised with propriety and restraint, are not contested by any authority. 


But, on this Flag Day 2017, let's ask ourselves this question: What does America really stand for today?  What does the flag symbolize today?  Allow me to share from two recent events that might bring some clarity.  First is an article that was posted yesterday on the Townhall website.  It was written by Todd Starnes who has become one of the guardians of the First Amendment.  You can find the article at www.townhall.com/columnists/toddstarnes/2017/06/13/school-students-may-not-pray-or-mention-jesus.  Let me just share briefly from this article.  "Moriah Bridges wanted to thank God for His immeasurable blessings on Beaver High School's graduating class.  But she could not, because she was told it was against the law.  The Pennsylvania teenager wanted to offer thanksgiving to the Almighty for parents and coaches and teachers.  But again, she could not, because she was told it was against the law.  'Make us selfless.  Make us just.  Make us successful people, but more than that, make us good people,' Moriah wanted to pray.  But that too, was determined to be unlawful.


"She [Moriah] crafted a lovely prayer that mentioned her 'Heavenly Father' and her 'Lord.'  'Lord, surround us with grace and favor everywhere we go,' she prayed.  'Soften our hearts to teach us love and compassion, to show mercy and grace to others the way that you showed mercy and grace to us, even to the ultimate sacrifice.  Help us love our brothers and our sisters deeply.  Lead us to bless them.'


"On May 31, the district notified the teenager that her prepared remarks were unlawful, unconstitutional, and therefore, impermissible.  'The selected students may still address their class and indicate the things that they wish/hope for their class, but they may not do it in the style of a prayer and most certainly may not recite a prayer that excludes other religions (by ending 'in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ' or 'in the matchless name of Jesus,' principle Steven Wellendorf wrote to Moriah in a letter.  The principal flat-out told the young lady that prayer - even student-led prayer - is not permissible by federal law.


"Moriah abided by the school district's edict - and then contacted First Liberty Institute, one of the nation's top religious liberty law firms.  Their attorney Jeremy Dys said that it was the school district that broke the law.  'In short, school officials - in violation of the First Amendment - forced Moriah to censor her personal remarks during the closing exercise of her commencement ceremony merely because of the religious viewpoint of her remarks.  Because of Dr. Rowe's instructions, Moriah was muzzled and restrained by school officials on the penultimate day of her high school career."


So, what does our flag stand for today?  If you are a young teenager denied the opportunity to offer a simple prayer at graduation, it means that you are not as free as you thought. 


Now, let's look at a second example.  Last week the Senate Budget Committee held confirmation hearings for Russell Vought, President Trump's nominee for the position of deputy director of the Office of Management and Budget.  Mr. Vought is a graduate of Wheaton College and in January 2016 had written a article published by "The Resurgent" - a conservative outlet.  In the article Mr. Vought made the following statement: "Muslims do not simply have a deficient theology.  They do not know God because they have rejected Jesus Christ his Son, and they stand condemned."  Senator Bernie Sanders from Vermont and former presidential candidate strongly objected to this statement and began to intensely grill Mr. Vought.  He stated: "In my view, the statement made by Mr. Vought is indefensible, it is hateful, it is Islamophobic and an insult to billions of Muslims throughout the world.  This country, since its inception, has struggled, sometimes with great pain, to overcome discrimination of all forms...we must not go backwards."  To this line of questioning, Mr. Vought, with a calm demeanor, replied, "Senator, I wrote a post based on being a Christian and attending a Christian school that has a statement of faith that speaks clearly with regard to the centrality of Jesus Christ in salvation."  As he concluded his questioning, Senator Sanders said, "I would simply say, Mr. Chairman, that this nominee is really not someone who is what this country is supposed to be about.  I will vote no." 


Really, Senator Sanders!  You can't mean that, can you, Senator Sanders?  Senator Sanders, how long has it been since you last read the United States Constitution - you know, it is that which you swore to uphold when you took the office of a United States Senator?  Perhaps you need to reread Article VI which states, in part: "No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any offence or public trust under the United States."  Did you get that, Senator Sanders?  What a person's personal faith is shall not be considered when being considered for a public office!  What you are ultimately saying, Senator Sanders, is that persons of Christian faith are not qualified to be in the public arena just because they are Christians.  Senator Sanders, that position is blatantly unconstitutional.  Such a position would have never entered into the minds of our Founding Fathers.  Maybe the reason, Senator Sanders, that you so strongly oppose people like Mr. Vought is that many Christians stand in the way of your progressive agenda.  Yes, I will admit that many of us fear your progressive agenda of a world governed from the top down; where the ordinary citizen has no say.  And, yes, we believe that there will be a day when your progressive agenda will become a worldwide policy; but we also believe that those days will not be described as "paradise" but more like "hell on earth." 


So, what does our flag truly symbolize today?  I say this with great sadness and reservation: I believe the flag is losing it symbolism.  When was the last time you "pledged allegiance to the flag of the United States of America?"  When was the last time you stood in awe as the colors were paraded down the main street  as part of a community celebration?  Sadly, for many today "Old Glory" has lost its "glory" and is just "old."  It's no wonder that we have a Senator Sanders and a school district declare that the flag doesn't mean what we think it does.