Should a Christian pledge allegiance to the flag?

Answer

There is nothing sinful about reciting a pledge, provided that the pledge does not detract from our devotion to the Lord Jesus. The Pledge of Allegiance to the flag of the United States does not contain any language that would undermine the authority of Christ in our lives. Therefore, the Bible does not prohibit pledging allegiance to our flag.

A pledge is a formal promise, and there is nothing inappropriate about making a promise. For instance, when a couple gets married, they exchange vows, promising faithfulness to each other—in the traditional wording, “I pledge thee my troth.” Similarly, when a witness takes the stand in a courtroom, they pledge to tell the truth. Likewise, when an individual places a hand over their heart and recites the pledge to the flag, they are promising loyalty to their country, acknowledging that we are all “under God.”

Allegiance in the context of reciting a pledge to a national flag simply means “loyalty as a citizen.” Pledging one’s allegiance to a country entails submitting oneself to that country’s authority and committing to follow its laws. Since a nation’s flag symbolizes the nation itself, pledging allegiance to the flag is equivalent to pledging loyalty to the nation. The Pledge of Allegiance is essentially a commitment to being a responsible citizen of the United States.

Being a good citizen is a Christian responsibility. Titus 3:1 instructs us to “be subject to rulers and authorities . . . obedient . . . ready to do whatever is good.” We should only disobey governing authorities when their commands directly contradict God’s Word (see Acts 5:29). In Matthew 22:21, Jesus stated, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.” Jesus clearly recognized the role of civil government in this world. As long as our government represents our “Caesar,” we are to show it proper respect—by paying our taxes and obeying the laws of the land.

Some mayPer Matthew 5:34, Jesus prohibits making a pledge. In this passage, Jesus instructs, “Do not swear an oath at all.” However, in context, Jesus is referring to thoughtless or casual oaths. He did not intend to condemn all oath-taking—God Himself makes oaths (Isaiah 45:23; Hebrews 6:17), and Paul made a vow, as stated in Acts 18:18. Moreover, pledging loyalty to a nation differs from taking an oath; a pledge is a solemn commitment, while an oath involves invoking God’s authority.

The verse “Give to everyone what you owe them: If you owe taxes, pay taxes; if revenue, then revenue; if respect, then respect; if honor, then honor” (Romans 13:7) emphasizes fulfilling obligations. Pledging allegiance to the flag is a way of showing “respect” and “honor” to our country, as instructed.