I'm currently raising 3 kids with my ex. We've managed to work the divorce so that my kids are not affected as much by it as most. But my ex and I both have different religious beliefs. He don't believe in saying the pledge to the flag because he says it supports all the bad stuff in the country. He told the kids they shouldn't celebrate Independence Day for the same reason. I see nothing wrong with either. Our country has its problems. Many problems. We have strayed far from God and should not support the bad that has passed and stuff that will come to pass in lawmaking. But our country was founded on God and I think that is something to celebrate and remember and strive to get back too. Our next big issue is church. He don't believe in going to church. He tells my kids that its not needed. Ill quote verses to him and he'll say his fellowship is when he goes out and helps other people. I'm strongly for church. I go Sunday and Wednesday at my church and visit Tuesday and Thursdays at others when my time allows. Just curious how others felt about these issues. I'm pretty strong on my views on it but he's strong on his too.
Some men are sometimes more cautious when it comes to forming genuine relationships. In some cases they do this because they are siding on the road of caution spiritually (If he is someone who regularly studies the Bible and is seeking to follow Jesus in all that he does). If he is not studying the Bible, it is because the Word (The Living Word and the written Word) is not living in him and he needs to dedicate his life to God. While I will attend church with my fiance (When she visits me from Brazil, and while I will do so when we are married), I see real fellowship as gathering in a small body of believers 2-5 people in a home so as to study God's Word, praise him, pray for each other, and to help in spreading the gospel together in your neighborhood.
As for celebrating Independence Day: Well, we do have a liberty in Christ, but our celebrating of such an event should be for the freedoms that God has chosen to bless our nation with (Despite it's troubles). From my perspective: It has to do more with being with the one I love rather than the actual fireworks. The same would hold true if we were to have children. But he might have thought America was once a great and Godly nation. While America did have laws in the past that aligned more with the Bible a little, America was never technically a nation that was formed directly by God like Israel. God never allowed Israel to worship other gods and or to bow down to statues. Granted, if we didn't have religious freedom at the start of this nation, then we would not be able to preach the gospel. So I am not looking a gift horse in the mouth, but America has gone downhill in this. Preaching the Word now is becoming more inappropriate by our country and evil behavior is now being openly celebrated and encouraged instead.
As for pledging allegiance to the flag: I would not encourage my kids to do this or to seek to join the military. I would tell my future kids to pledge allegiance to the Lamb of God and to seek in fighting the spiritual battle of God that He has for us in spreading the good news and in helping those who are less fortunate. For a believer's allegiance is not to a country that is worldly and ungodly but it is to God alone. Think.. about the 3 friends of Daniel who had refused to bow down to the statue of their king. Why did they refuse to bow down? Because the LORD is their real king. That is why pledging allegiance to a worldly king or country does not really help a believer. For it doesn't really mean anything. For their allegiance should be solely unto God.
