I have pointed out many times that the Sunday before Memorial Day, otherwise known as Military Appreciation Day No. 1; the Sunday before Independence Day, otherwise known as Military Appreciation Day No. 2; and the Sunday before Veterans Day, otherwise known as Military Appreciation Day No. 3; are holy days in most conservative, evangelical, and fundamentalist churches.
As we know, Memorial Day is always celebrated on a Monday. However, when Independence Day or Veterans Day happens to fall on a Sunday, it is a high holy day because of the extra blasphemy and idolatry that takes place. Yes, blasphemy and idolatry in conservative, evangelical, and fundamentalist churches that claim to be orthodox, doctrinally sound, and Bible-based churches.
Sometimes unsuspecting Christians are hit with a double whammy, like when Independence Day or Veterans Day falls on a Saturday and churches observe two patriotic Sundays—the one before and the one after—as if one day of blasphemy and idolatry was not enough.
This coming Sunday is another double whammy for Christians who are repulsed by the blasphemy and idolatry that takes place in their churches on certain Sundays of the year. Not only is this Sunday the Sunday before Veterans Day, it is also the Sunday before election day.
If you have the misfortune of attending the typical conservative, evangelical, or fundamentalist church on a Sunday before a military appreciation day (Memorial Day, Independence Day, Veterans Day), you will see the church building and the grounds around the church decorated with American flags, hear special prayers offered for the troops, see military personnel and veterans recognized (especially if they wear their uniforms to church), read the church bulletin with an American flag on the cover, see men wearing cross and flag lapel pins, hear hymns of worship sung to the state, hear the choir singing a medley of patriotic songs, see video tributes to the troops, and hear the pianist play the song of each branch of the military during the offering.
But now, this Sunday, since it is also the Sunday before election day, you can expect to see and hear extra American flags adorning the church and grounds, admonitions to pray for America and government officials, a military color guard parading down the main aisle of the church to open the service, pastors reading the Declaration of Independence, pastors leading the congregation in reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, men wearing American flag ties, local politicians in attendance (only Republicans, of course) being introduced and sometimes asked to come up and say a few words, and/or a military chaplain from the local base delivering the sermon.
Some churches will no doubt also sing Lee Greenwood’s patriotic anthem “God Bless the USA,” and they will sing it proudly because they are proud to be Americans where at least they know they’re free. (I can just picture Christians singing this in church in 2020 or 2021 with a mask on their face.)
During the sermon, “voting your conscience,” voting for “biblical values” or “traditional values,” or voting for “godly” candidates (all meaning voting Republican) will be encouraged, and voting Republican will be equated with saving America. The election will be called the most important election in history (how many times have we heard that before?).
There have been more Republicans elected to office since the Republican revolution of 1994 than at any other time since Reconstruction. And what does the country have to show for it? A vast welfare/warfare/police/surveillance/national security state that is $30 trillion in debt. About the best that anyone can say is that things would have been or will be worse under the Democrats. Knowing Republicans like I do, I am not so sure about that. Especially since it is the “conservative” Republicans in Congress who have voted to give billions in Americans’ tax dollars to Ukraine.