Political and Parental Idolatry: A Working Definition

Context: This was originally a response to an anonymous commenter on Ed Feser's blog. The post was "Against flag burning," and I made the (apparently quite provocative) claim that many American Christians have an idolatrous relationship to their country and flag, and that what many of them call "piety" is a betrayal of the Christian faith. Anon responds:

Do you think the modern nation-state has ANY legitimate authority? If it does, then you should submit to and be pious toward that authority insofar as it is legitimate and does legitimate things. Many parents are tyrannical towards their children, that doesn't undermine the command to "honor thy father and thy mother".

My Response: I think that piety towards any totalizing power which aspires to supplant God is idolatry. It is not morally or spiritually safe to offer qualified loyalty to something which demands our absolute loyalty, as the modern nation-state does. The attitude of the Christian towards the nation-state should be indifference punctuated by defiance when necessary. The comparison to parents doesn't work, because there's nothing about the structure of the family which tends inherently towards tyranny or evil. I would say, however, that piety towards a wicked parent (if not very carefully practiced) would be a form of evil, because it would tend either to shape the child in their image or encourage them to adopt an attitude of compromise and excuse-making towards evil, dulling the conscience in the process. Remember also that Jesus has much harsher words for parents causing children to stumble that for children who don't obey their parents.

But really, I don't think anyone actually believes that we owe unqualified piety to all government to the extent that "it is legitimate and does legitimate things." Are you really going to tell me you wouldn't be scandalized to hear a Chinese Christian praising Xi Jinping and pledging allegiance to the Chinese flag? I've been to many services in the Chinese Three-Self Church, and the kind of piety towards the state that is preached within those walls is self-evidently antithetical to Christianity, neutering the Gospel into a harmless message of patriotism and personal good conduct. Honestly, I don't see the point of half-piety towards an institution which demands all or nothing. What is being accomplished? How is Jesus being proclaimed? The government will still think you're an impious, seditious rebel, and those oppressed by the government will see you as a compromiser with evil.

Better to save your piety for those who deserve it.