Who Said That?

"I pledge allegiance to the Christian Flag, and to the Savior, for whose kingdom it stands. One Savior, crucified, risen and coming again, with life and liberty for all who believe."

You know how this works.  Leave your guess in the comments section below.  No google searches or cheating.  Answer to follow next week.

Update on Saturday, June 13, 2009 at 05:55PM by Kim Riddlebarger

This is from the pledge of allegiance to the "Christian flag," wherein someone pledges to confuse the two kingdoms.  It was conceived by Charles Oveton in 1897, and formally promoted in 1907.

Comments

[Philip Walker]

I know where this comes from, but the name escapes me and I'm not allowed to use Google to jog my memory. There's a "Christian flag" campaign in the States somewhere--actually, there are two, and I don't know off-hand which it is that wrote this "pledge of allegiance". There are so many things wrong with, it's hard to know where to start.

Firstly, the Bible never gives us a Christian flag. The only symbols of Christ we are given are the sacraments, and we do not pledge allegiance to those, so certainly we should not do so to a flag.

Secondly, it conflates Christian discipleship with American patriotism, which is never a good idea.

Thirdly, that conflation immediately divides the church. Americans have your ways of doing things, and we respect them, but flag codes and pledges of allegiance are not "British". To come up with a Christian flag and write a pledge of allegiance immediately alienates those of us for whom those things are uncommon.

[Jeremy]

I've said it before, as a student in different Independent Fundamental Baptist Schools.

[pb]

Ah yes...the "cure" for also displaying an American flag in the sanctuary. Really sad in how many churches that ought to know better do I still see this.

["lee n. field"]

The "Pledge to the Christian Flag" . I looked once, couldn't find it's origin.

They say that, along with the also problematic pledge of allegiance to the American flag (a rote patriotic ritual of dubious origin, IMHO), most every Sunday associated with a patriotic holiday, at our church. I stand mute. Sorry, can't handle it.

I've chatted about it with various pastors here over the years. The only one who shared my opinion of it was a military man himself, an AF chaplain.

[Tim Raymond]

I said this scores of times growing up at our yearly VBS in my big, old, traditional Baptist church. I imagine there are thousands of us in this category.

Tim Raymond

[Leon Cunningham]

Some Methodist Sunday school teacher.

[Jeff Rolfe]

As corny as a pledge to a Christian flag may sound, it does contain some solid doctrinal truths such as the death, resurrection and second coming of Christ. That being said, I'm not sure of the origins of it.

[pb]

You're right, it was a Methodist. Not that any garden variety Baptist couldn't have been guilty either...

[Brian Davilla]

Sounds Southern Baptist

[JR]

The same dude that came up with the Pledge to the Bible.

Was it an AWANA Commander???

[Rev. Z. Bartels]

Every camper at our Baptist camps in Michigan. Every morning. Ugh.

[Coyle]

Boy, there's a whole spectrum of people who could have said that. I'll guess, just to get outside the box a bit, John Hagee?

[Ricky Rickard]

Unfortunately, the baptist church I used to attend required the saying of the Pledge of Allegiance, the Pledge to the Christian flag, and the Pledge to the Bible every Sunday. Then they would get up and say that we willed ourselves to salvation. Sounds contradictory now.

[pb]

Not to give anything away but it's not particularly recent.

["lee n. field"]

"Tim Raymond ", were you at Univ. of Illinois, 20 or so years ago?

[aaron]

Jerry Falwell

[Brian B.]

I'm going to say Chuck Smith. My kids go to a Calvary Chapel school, and they say this pledge every morning.

[Aaron]

Was it the antichrist?

[Matthew]

The concept of the flag was first started by Charles Overton, a Methodist. I'm not sure if he was the guy who came up with the pledge, though.

[Matthew Svoboda]

Quayle? I don't remember a first name.

To those who thought it could of been a Southern Baptist.... As a Southern Baptist, I agree. :)