TOTALLY GEEKED!

The Meaning of the Folding of the American Flag-Truth! & Fiction!
Summary of eRumor: Message alleges that there is meaning to each fold of the American flag, for example, at a military funeral when the flag is presented to the family of the person who died.  Most of them are of spiritual and religious significance.
The Truth: The meaning of the folding of the American flag that is described in this eRumor is not without importance, but it is not official and not required. Public Law 94-344, known as the Federal Flag Code, is the law of the land regarding the handling and displaying of the American flag.  It does not include anything regarding the significance or meaning of folding the flag.  The code was first adopted by Congress in 1923 and revised numerous times.   According to the American Legion, the code does not call for a ceremonial folding of the flag and the folding procedure is also traditional.  Same for the meanings of the folds. Nobody seems to know when or where that originated or who wrote it.  There is speculation that it may have come from a chaplain who attached the mostly Judeo-Christian religious meanings to the folds, perhaps for a burial ceremony.  Official or not, the statement has gained status as the traditional meaning of the folds and was found in many governmental and military manuals and recited at numerous military funerals. In October, 2007, the National Cemetery Administration banned the practice of giving the meaning of the folds of the flag at all national cemeteries, but the decision was quickly revised.  The U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs issued a statement on 10/20/07 saying that any recitations at the graveside of a veteran can reflect the wishes of the family.  In other words, if the family wants the meaning of the folds to be included, it can be included.  One additional note:  The eRumor says the 21-gun salute originated from adding the digits of 1776.  That is not true.  According to Arlington Cemetery, the 21-gun salute evolved from many years of various traditions of honoring dignitaries.
A real example of the story as it has been circulated:
WHY THE AMERICAN FLAG IS FOLDED 13 TIMES  Have you ever noticed on TV or at military funerals that the honor guard pays meticulous attention to correctly folding the American flag 13 times?  I've known how the 21 gun salute was determined (adding the individual digits of 1776), but only recently learned why the flag was folded 13 times when it is lowered or when it is folded and handed to the widow at the burial of a veteran.  HERE IT IS: The first fold of our flag is a symbol of life.  The second fold is a symbol of our belief in eternal life.  The third fold is made in honor and remembrance of the veterans departing our ranks who gave a portion of their lives for the defense of our country to attain peace throughout the world.  The fourth fold represents our weaker nature, for as American citizens trusting in God, it is to Him we turn in times of peace as well as in time of war for His divine guidance.  The fifth fold is a tribute to our country, for in the words of Stephen Decatur, "Our Country, in dealing with other countries, may she always be right; but it is still our country, right or wrong."  The sixth fold is for where our hearts lie. It is with our heart that we pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States Of America, and to the Republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all.  The seventh fold is a tribute to our Armed Forces, for it is through the Armed Forces that we protect our country and our flag against all her enemies, whether they be found within or without the boundaries of our republic.  The eighth fold is a tribute to the one who entered into the valley of the shadow of death, that we might see the light of day, and to honor mother, for whom it flies on Mother's Day.  The ninth fold is a tribute to womanhood; for it has been through their faith, their love, loyalty and devotion that the character of the men and women who have made this country great has been molded.  The tenth fold is a tribute to the father, for he, too, has given his sons and daughters for the defense of our country since they were first born.  The eleventh fold, in the eyes of a Hebrew citizen represents the lower portion of the seal of King David and King Solomon, and glorifies in their eyes, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  The twelfth fold, in the eyes of a Christian citizen, represents an emblem of eternity and glorifies, in their eyes, God the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit.  When the flag is completely folded, the stars are uppermost reminding us of our nation's motto, "In God We Trust". After the flag is completely folded and tucked in, it takes on the appearance of a ****ed hat, ever reminding us of the soldiers who served under General George Washington, and the sailors and marines who served under Captain John Paul Jones, who were followed by their comrades and shipmates in the Armed Forces of the United States, preserving for us the rights, privileges, and freedoms we enjoy today. There are some traditions and ways of doing things which have deep meaning. You will see many flags folded in the coming weeks, and now you will know why.

If you want more food for thought, google "is saying the pledge of allegiance idolatry".
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don't have to google it--saying the pledge is not idolatry--you've got issues if you even have to ask the question

in my adult life have never ONCE in my personal experience had ANYONE--regardless of their particular faith--refuse to say the pledge
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sorry for the hijack OP

em/bows

The Pledge of Allegiance: 2 Reasons Why Christians Should Not Say It

The Pledge of Allegiance was originally composed in 1892 by Francis Bellamy. Originally the Pledge was composed of these words:

I pledge allegiance to my Flag and the republic for which it stands, one nation indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
Interestingly you don’t find the controversial phrase “under God“,or even “of the United States of America“. Both of these phrases were later additions to the Pledge, leading to the final version that we all know today:

I pledge allegiance to the Flag of the United States of America, and to the republic for which it stands, one Nation under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all.”
So, enough about history. I’d like to propose that there are two primary reasons (if not more), why Christians/followers of Christ should NOT say the pledge. Before we get into those reasons I’d like to start with defining some of the key words in the pledge so we are all on the same page as to its meaning.

Related: Daring to Call it Idolatry, Nationalism in Worship – by Craig M. Watts

Pledge: To offer or guarantee by a solemn binding promise, similar to an oath.

Allegiance: [1] the loyalty of a citizen to his or her government or of a subject to his or her sovereign. [2] loyalty or devotion to some person, group, cause, or the like.

Flag: A usually rectangular piece of fabric of distinctive design that is used as a symbol.(In this case, a symbol for the Republic of the United States of America)

From these definitions we can understand a couple of things. Making a pledge is basically the same thing as an oath. And, giving your allegiance to something or someone is basically committing your loyalty to that entity. Also, the flag stands for something more than itself. It stands for the country/government it belongs to. In short, to pledge your allegiance to the flag means that you are making an oath of loyalty to the country, the United States of America.

Now for the two reasons why I think Christians should NOT be making an oath of allegiance to the United States or any other earthly government.

#1 Jesus directly and without any qualifiers condemns making an oath to anything for any reason.

“You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘Do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’ But I tell you, do not swear an oath at all: either by heaven, for it is God’s throne; or by the earth, for it is his footstool; or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the Great King. And do not swear by your head, for you cannot make even one hair white or black. All you need to say is simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.” (Matthew 5:33-37)


The people in Jesus’ day had a practice of making oaths for almost anything. The practice of making oaths was to guarantee before men and God that the person making the oath would fulfill his obligation or carry out a promise. It was looked on as a criminal offense to break your oath. Thus, the Jews had been commanded to “fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made”. Jesus, however, changes things. Notice that he does not say, ” Do not swear an oath and then break it.” No, he says: “Do not swear an oath AT ALL”!!! He says that as people who follow God, less words, more often than not, is better than more. Simply say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’, and do not swear an oath AT ALL!

#2 Jesus also teaches that men cannot serve two masters at the same time.

When teaching about worldly treasures, Jesus says we should be more concerned with the things of heaven and God’s kingdom than those of this world.



“No one can serve two masters. Either you will hate the one and love the other, or you will be devoted to the one and despise the other.” (Matthew 6:24)

We can’t give our loyalty to two masters and be pleasing to both. Whether the choice is between God and money, God and man, God and a government or nation, the choice is always the same, one or the other. It seems that Jesus is saying ‘you can’t have your cake and eat it too’. In light of this it just doesn’t seem possible to me to give my loyalty to God, and then try and give it to a government at the same time. Jesus also said ” My kingdom is not of this world”. Jesus has a kingdom, and just like an earthly kingdom , I can’t be loyal to two kingdoms at once. It would be impossible to be loyal to the USA and Iran at the same time! It’s the same with being part of the kingdom of God. Jesus calls us to be loyal to his kingdom, and if we have given our loyalty to God’s kingdom, how then can we try and give it to America or any other worldly kingdom?

To sum up: Pledging allegiance to the flag equates to making an oath of loyalty to an earthly kingdom. Both acts are condemned by Jesus. I’m ready to stop pledging loyalty to the United States or any other kingdom other than the kingdom of heaven. How about you?

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Matt Young is a U.S. Soldier turned pacifist. An Anabaptist, non-violent, lover of God and people, Matt is a follower of Jesus Christ. He is married to his beautiful wife, best friend, and mother of their newborn son, praying that God’s will be done “on earth as it is in heaven”. You can contact and follow him on Twitter and on his blog, The Rejected Path.

voiceofreason wrote:

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Many Christians disagree with you.

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 Most don't.  We say the pledge at church every week with the kids.  The pledge is not idolatry - it's not worshiping the flag, or this country, or the president as divine.  You KNOW I don't consider Obama divine. 

 

Your intent matters - it's idolatry to WORSHIP, not commit.

 

BTW - I mis-typed idolatry so badly the first time, spell check wanted to change it to harlotry.  LOL.

Thanks, MM...I can't wait to check it out!

flan

And, this:

The Lamb and the 144,000

14 Then I looked, and there before me was the Lamb, standing on Mount Zion, and with him 144,000 who had his name and his Father’s name written on their foreheads. 2 And I heard a sound from heaven like the roar of rushing waters and like a loud peal of thunder. The sound I heard was like that of harpists playing their harps. 3 And they sang a new song before the throne and before the four living creatures and the elders. No one could learn the song except the 144,000 who had been redeemed from the earth.

I don't know. Ask a Jehovah.

Thank you, Gaga.