TEACH PATRIOTISM

Q.  Our young children recently asked about flags flying in the neighborhood for a veteran who returned home. We explained he risked his life to keep our country free. We also told them that people fly the flag because they are proud to live in a free country. Their questions made us wonder what else we can do to teach our children to love this country and to not take our freedoms for granted. How can we teach our children patriotism?

A.  As a result of wars and uprisings around the world most citizens have become passionate about their love for our country and more aware of the many freedoms we enjoy in the United States. We are now less likely to take for granted our democratic form of government and our guarantee of the rights of all citizens. We are also more aware of our responsibility to be good citizens. 

         

We must teach patriotism to our children. How can we do this? You teach what you model. So model patriotism and talk about why you do what you do. Here are some specific things you can do to teach patriotism to your children.

         

1. Fly the flag on special holidays and talk with your children about why you do this.  Show them the proper ways to display the flag.  Let your children help put up the flag on these special days.

         

2. Ask your school aged children whether they say the pledge of allegiance to the flag each morning in school. Find out what they understand about this and explain more about why we do this. The library and the internet can provide more information about the flag and related subjects.   

         

3. Take your children to the 4th of July parade and other parades. Take them to a ball game and explain the reason for taking off their hats and placing their right hand on their heart as the national anthem is played.

         

4. Take your children to monuments and museums that tell the story of our nation. In Ohio we have the Soldiers and Sailors Monument in Hamilton and the Wright Patterson Air Force Museum in Dayton. Take a family vacation to visit historic places such as Washington, D.C. and Philadelphia. Learning about the history of our country and how our government works will come to life by visiting Congress, the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, DC, and Independence Square and the Liberty Bell in Philadelphia. 

         

5. Be responsible citizens by voting. Talk with your children about the privilege we have of being able to vote and the fact that many countries do not have this freedom. As they get older have family discussions about how to decide which candidates will get your vote.

6. Ask older children what they’re learning in school about our democratic government, the history of our country, our freedoms. In contrast, what have they learned about other countries? 

         

7. Read books to your children on the heroes of our country - Betsy Ross, Clara Barton, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Martin Luther King and many others. 

         

8. List the freedoms and rights we have which many other countries do not have such as freedom of speech, freedom to vote, freedom to choose our work, freedom to learn including free education for all children, and freedom of worship. Our court system also assures us of a fair trial if we’re accused of a crime. 

         

9. Teach your children also that with our freedoms go responsibilities. In a democratic society, all citizens have the responsibility to pay taxes, vote, serve on jury duty, obey the law, and defend our country if needed. As good citizens we also need to be involved in helping others in our community and in our world. 

10. Raise your children in a church where patriotism is taught as well as God’s Word.      

Patriotic children will become responsible citizens, proud of our country, eager to support democratic values and willing to fight (by democratic means) any threat to our values. On this Fourth of July thank a veteran for his service to keep our country free.

Pray for “peace on earth good will to men.” Luke 2:14

Blessings, Dottie

This post originally appeared on Tabers Truths, Modern Christian Living

July 4th – A Time to Celebrate and Pray

“America, America….God shed his grace on thee.”

"We find these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable rights; that among these, are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness."

This Fourth of July we are thankful for our freedom. We must guard it well or it could be lost. How could it be lost? 

We are on the brink of losing it due to our moral slide as a nation. Individual morality is a separate issue. The moral slide of our country occurs in relationships, in the way we do business with each other. When we are dishonest in the way we govern or in the way we run a business the entire country is affected.

Our founding fathers understood the relationship between liberty, morality and faith. Many of our early leaders stated, in one way or another, the fact that liberty couldn’t thrive without morality and morality couldn’t flourish without faith. When we manipulate or con others in the market place or when we attempt to cut corners in business, or make under the table deals to gain power – our country suffers.

Our founding fathers understood from Scripture that “all men are created equal” that all should be free to pursue happiness but that these relied on a moral culture based in a strong faith in God. They understood that the standard of righteousness was not tied to time or culture but was universal. It applied to all nations at all times, based on the character and nature of God.

What is God’s character? He is righteous. His kingdom is righteous. Deuteronomy 10:17-18 says “For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great God, mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing."

We are human – we need help to be moral in all spheres of life. We need faith in God in Christ Jesus. Pray for our country to recognize their need before it’s too late.

“Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” Proverbs 14:34

Blessings, Dottie

This blog appeared originally in my Faithnotes blog here.

“America, America….God shed his grace on thee.”

Thoughts from this Sunday’s message

This Fourth of July we are thankful for our freedom. We must guard it well or it could be lost.

How could it be lost? We may be on the brink of losing it due to our moral slide as a nation. Individual morality is a separate issue. The moral slide of our country occurs in relationships, in the way we do business with each other. When we are dishonest in the way we govern or in the way we run a business the entire country is affected.

 Our founding fathers understood the relationship between liberty, morality and faith. Many of our early leaders stated, in one way or another, the fact that liberty couldn’t thrive without morality and morality couldn’t flourish without faith. When we manipulate or con others in the market place or when we attempt to cut corners in business, or make under the table deals to gain power – our country suffers.

Our founding fathers understood from Scripture that “all men are created equal” that all should be free to pursue happiness but that these relied on a moral culture based in a strong faith in God. They understood that the standard of righteousness was not tied to time or culture but was universal. It applied to all nations at all times, based on the character and nature of God. No nation will flourish with this.

What is God’s character? He is righteous. His kingdom is righteous. Deuteronomy 10:17-21 says “For the Lord your God is . . . . mighty and awesome, who shows no partiality and accepts no bribes. He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow and loves the alien, giving him food and clothing. Our righteous God shows no partiality and accepts no bribes.”

We are human – we need help to be moral in all spheres of life. We need faith in God in Christ Jesus. Pray for our country to recognize its need before it’s too late.

Proverbs 14:34 “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.”

Blessings, Dottie