Patriotism and Idolatry
By William Henry Smith
PATRIOTISM out of bounds is often idolatry. It is but worship under another name. In the ancient pagan world, the national ideals were centered about the person of an idol, used as an object of adoration. But without visible symbols, the cult of the nation may yet approach idolatry. The nation being made the chief earthly good, peoples outside its pale at once become to a degree more evil and less human, fit only for destruction. This sort of national idealism has hence been a great excuse and cause of aggressive war. It is the worship of what pertains to self, ours taking the place of God's. "The powers that be are ordained of God," truly, and entitled to reverence. Yet they are not gods themselves, nor perfectly good. Set over man, they are yet his creatures, and his the responsibility for their character. Their maintenance and improvement both in spirit and in form is a duty, and love of country and of countrymen may be rightly shown in such service, but it need not have the character of worship. Blind partiality to all connected with the native land, willingness to forget all else in attempting the furtherance of its power and prestige, often pass for the noblest manifestations of patriotism, but are really an idolatry. They both originate in and foster national egotism; and in nations as well as in individuals, this trait hinders progress. It tends to cover faults from view that ought to be corrected, and it leads to disastrous conflicts and misunderstandings among neighbors. So, in spite of the heroism of the national fanatics, those can do it more good, in the long run, who give the nation no more than its rightful place in their hearts. And withal, they will do the rest of the world no harm. W. H. S.