Sunday evening, the local Baptist church started its Vacation Bible School program. We took the kids and registered them, and sat their for their opening devotional bit.

After a prayer, they had the kids say the pledge of allegiance. No huge problem there; I've already taught my kids our  stance on it (they stand and cover their heart, but they don't say it). This is an issue I won't debate; it's how we feel, and if you feel differently, I am OK with that; but we make the decisions we feel appropriate for our house.

WHat bugged me was what came next: the pledge of allegiance to the Christian flag and the pledge of allegiance to the Bible. Now I'm not the most learned scholar in the world, but most Baptists I have been around most of my life would have HUGE problems with that.

As for the pledge to the bible, of the two, it has a little more basis. The bible is, for a fundamental Christian, at least, the living, breathing Word of God. But the fact that Christ tells us not to take oaths trumps that in my theological interpretation, and the fact that idolatry is expressly prohibited (in this case, the bible is effectively made into an idol) makes it even more outrageous. But I'll concede that those points are open to interpretation, insofar as the Bible itself is concerned.

But...pledge allegiance to the CHRISTIAN FLAG? Sorry, no go. I would more readily concede a pledge to the American flag than the Christian flag; we are, after all, advised to respect our earthly authorities. But the Christian flag has no biblical basis whatsoever, and is merely the invention of theocrats, who wish to infect secular law with their theological interpretations. I won't have a part of that, at all.

It's a sad world where churches have replaced theological soundness with jingoism and meaningless litany.