Spiritually speaking: Is patriotism and nationalism a bad thing in God’s eyes?
Yes. Nationalism tends to divide us into Americans or Germans or Japanese instead of humans. It also gives undue credit to human governments and the trend is getting worse as we draw deeper into the end times but, “Nationalism is not new. It got its start in Babylon with Nimrod, the first one who set himself up as king in opposition to Jehovah. Centuries later the Hebrews in captivity in this infamous city felt keenly the cruel and unreasonable demands of nationalism. Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego were among the subjects Nebuchadnezzar gathered on the plain of Dura and who were instructed to bow down in worship before the national state image. These Hebrew worshipers of the true God Jehovah, however, refused to bow down, even on the threat of being thrown into the fiery furnace alive. They had the courage to tell the raging king: “O Nebuchadnezzar, we are under no necessity in this regard to say back a word to you. If it is to be, our God whom we are serving is able to rescue us. Out
