Loving One’s Country and
Disagreements
The Rev. Eric H. Carswell
Lessons: Luke 20:19-26, True Christian Religion 305-306
I
In the broadest sense, [the natural meaning of the commandment to honor father
and mother] means loving our country because it nurtures and protects us; it is
called our “fatherland” from the word “father.” In fact, it is the parents themselves
who need to give honor to the country and those who serve it, and to implant this
habit in their children. (True Christian Religion 305)
n explaining the most focused natural meaning of the fourth commandment,
True Christian Religion presents a description of good parenting:
These include feeding and clothing their children, and introducing them into the
world, so that there they may live civil and moral lives; also bringing them into
heaven by teaching them the rules of religion. In this way they provide for their
children’s well-being in this world as well as their eternal happiness. Parents do all
this because of the love they have from the Lord, in whose place they act. (Ibid.)
Children, young and grownup, whose parents reflected these qualities,
hopefully would find it easy to feel affection for their parents, to honor and
obey them, and to thank them for the benefits they have received. Some people
had the benefit of growing up with caring and wise parents – some with one or
both parents being moderately effective, and very sadly some children grow up
with one or both parents being negligent, cruel or abusive. The effects of poor
or destructive parenting can be huge and lasting.
Nearly all children as they enter their adolescent years and become young
adults come to recognize strengths and weaknesses in their parents. None of
us is infallible. At times minor foible s can actually be endearing. But think of
the mental and spiritual disturbance that takes place in a young person who
realizes that a parent is regularly interacting with him or her in dangerously
destructive or just painfully inadequate ways.
That young person is not being called by the Lord to obey that parent no
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