When Uncle Sam goes to church

Jeff sends along this link to a first person account of an armed forces rally wrapped up in religious clothing, complete with M16s, colorguards, "God Bless the USA," and giant-screen video of Jesus dying on a cross. To cap the whole thing off, recruiting tables were set up in the narthex of the church.

Which makes this preacher wonder, "What the Sam Hill were the organizers of that event thinking???" You'll note that the author of the post, who is profoundly uncomfortable with the affair and eventually repulsed by it, is a conservative Republican who supports the war in Iraq. He is absolutely right in his critique of the idolatry of state on display here. When an American flag is hoisted in front of the cross of Christ (as is plain in the pictures) and Christians shout "Amen!", something is seriously wrong.