Patriotism Degenerated Into Idolatry
The extreme of soldier glorification, which took such a hold of the people of the United States during the war with Spain, was reached in a recent speech by a major-general of the army, in New York City, when he said: "I believe most truly that the man who dies for his country has his sins forgiven him. That I believe as truly as I believe God lives." This is patriotism degenerated into idolatry. It is self-salvation as verily as Confucianism, or Buddhism, or Hinduism, or Brahminism, or Mohammedanism. It is winning one's way to peace with God by the use of carnal weapons. It would count as well for the dead patriots of one nation or people as another, and those of all ages. It would count as well for Goliath as for David. It would count as well for Amalek as for Israel, albeit the Lord sent Israel to utterly destroy Amalek. When will the "enlightened" "Christian" people of the world cease setting up substitutes for salvation through Jesus Christ? If General Brooke's doctrine be true, then many more souls will be in the kingdom of God by means of war than through the everlasting Gospel.