I'm hoping the more conservative types will be able to give more insight. "Does it even matter?" was more like, "should one even think about these things?"
Well as far as I can see they are two seperate things but they certainly matter.
You should love the Lord your God more then you love your country that much is obvious. Personally I think there should be a change to US flag code allowing religious flags to be flown above the US flag. I never really thought of this until on my way home from work every day I constantly see this Roman Catholic school that flies the Vadican flag below their US flag. Given that the Vadican flag is a symbol of their faith I personally thought they should have the right to fly it above the US flag. (As I would fly the Christian flag above the US flag)
Now personally I think its important if you live in a free republic you aught to also love your nation as well. (No matter if that nation is the US, Canada, the UK, Spain, Italy etc etc) Obviously you will never and should never love it as much as you love God, it should be perhaps 2nd on your list of worldly concerns (below that of your family)
I belive that because its your nation state that maintains the republic, your culture, and the laws that allow your freedom. That freedom is a great worldly blessing that not everyone has.
I love the US above all nations not because I think its inheriently the greatest nation on earth. But because its a free republic that provides me and protects my basic rights and the rights of others and it provides me with security from threats.
If you live in the UK, love the UK because of the rights it gives you not only in life but also in having a say in government and the security it provides you with. If you are in Canada the same thing.
I think you should love your country because you love freedom and security. Not because its better then another country (very subjective measure) but because it provides you with something important.
I think secondarily along with loving your nation because of the rights it gives you, you should also support and defend (Not Verbally trash) other nations that have similar values in holding free elections and granting its citizens basic human rights.
Sure there are things I'd like to change about my country that I think would make it better and many other nations may not agree with me on what would make a country better. But compaired to the belief in free elections, basic human rights, etc etc those things are such minor things. Its really dumb to hate others about their beliefs on healthcare when there are so many other people out there who want to kill you simpily because you are different from them.
Our differences on these minor things are not quite as different as our differences with others who believe in oppression, show trials, death for minor crimes and things that should not be crimes at all and absolute and true hatred for everyone and everything that does not agree with their view of the world.
