7.43 How can you be patriotic without idolising your country? What is the difference between radicalism and fundamentalism?
Society - #OnlineSaints
It is only natural to love our own country and culture. Where we come from partly defines us. Even more we are defined by the fact that we are created by our loving God. Every ideology that goes against his love is wrong. Ideologised nationalism and fundamentalism do not place God but ourselves at the centre. That can lead to great wrongdoings.
In spite of their patriotism, Patrick in Ireland and Andrew in Korea placed Jesus above everything else. That helped them to proclaim the Gospel where they could. Their only radicalism was in their radical choice to accept the love of Jesus and spread this around them.
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Patriotism is fine as long as you realise the precedence of God’s commandments. Extreme fundamentalism in any form is opposite to Christianity, which wants to be radical only in love.
