I have written many times about American military appreciation days (also known as holidays): Memorial Day, Independence Day, and Veterans Day. Conservative Christians celebrate these days with a vengeance on the Sunday before these holidays. Sometimes unsuspecting Christians experience a double whammy when their church celebrates one of these holidays on both the Sunday before and the Sunday after. When Independence Day or Veterans Day falls on a Sunday, it is a high holy day.
The newest military appreciation day is the Sunday closest to 9/11. Since yesterday was the 20th anniversary of 9/11, many conservative churches turned up the the military blasphemy and idolatry in church today. In addition to the usual nonsense that takes place on the other military appreciation days, it was reported to me that one church (I’m sure there were many) reserved 13 seats and draped them with American flags to honor the recent soldiers who died in Afghanistan. Another church (not doubt many more) showed a video about 9/11. Yet another church (certainly many more) subjected its members to a brief lecture about the heroes in the U.S. military who went to fight for our freedoms in Afghanistan.
The number of Sundays when Christians who don’t worship the state will choose to stay home from church is growing.