Last modified: 2023-07-22 by rob raeside
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Most flags by their very nature assume religious significance.
In most countries civil religion mingles
with patriotism in some sort of veneration of the flag. Americans have a
pledge of allegiance to their flag which invokes the name of God.
The Palio in Siena is not only an annual horse race, it is the ancient
flag bearing an image of the Virgin Mary which the competitors seek to
display in their local church. The horses are blessed in the churches
before the race.
When companies of German Landsknechte were formed, troops swore in the
name of the Trinity to observe the terms of service, and the Ensign swore
to defend the Colour to the death. If any crime brought reproach to the
Company, its Colour could not fly again until the reproach was wiped
off either by the acquittal or condemnation of the alleged criminal.
Acquittal or the fulfillment of penance was often marked passing the
Colour over the individual's head. Flags were thus imbued with powers of
absolution.
The sanctity of military standards is often evoked by quoting the
Scripture: "They shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth." (i.e.
when the standard falls, the cause is lost). Because of their importance
as symbols and the sacrifice of human life that attended their defence,
it was inevitable that military standards took on religious
significance. Roman standards were the religion of the army, and in camp
they were erected on altars. The fact that the Union Jack is composed of
the crosses of three saints certainly adds to its religious
significance. In the British Army, the presentation of new
Colours is
considered a solemn religious ceremony. Military regulations provide for
Church of England, Presbyterian and Catholic versions of the ceremony
depending on the unit (e.g. English, Scottish and Irish), to be
officiated by the appropriate clergy. Upon retirement from service the
Colours are laid up in the local church or cathedral in another religious
ceremony suited to standards which had been consecrated.
See also Nazi pages on significance of Blutfahne.
T.F. Mills, 21 November 1995
For most Americans, the stars and stripes is not a sign of temporal power, i.e., an expression of the authority of the federal government. This is something I've thought quite a lot about since joining FOTW but I'm still not sure I've sorted it out, so bear with me. As I see it, the display of a national flag can be intended to convey several distinct messages. The same display may express more than one of these messages. However, different countries tend to emphasize these messages in different ways, sometimes emphasizing one interpretation to the exclusion of others:
Joe McMillan, 6 February 2003
See also:
Judaism doesn't have a flag. There are flags mentioned in the Bible; these are described, to some
extent, on the Israel pages. In addition, the
flag of Israel functions
as a sort of "Jewish Flag" around the world. For example, many synagogues in the US fly it alongside the US
flag, and it seems to have more than just an Israel-related significance there. The history of this usage is tied up with the
history of the Israeli (originally Zionist) flag; conversely, the history of the flag in a national sense is tied up with symbolism in
Jewish religious history- the prayer shawl, the Star (Shield) of David (originally a more secular symbol), the Menorah, and so on.
It must be noted that synagogues in Israel never use the national flag.
Nathan
Lamm, 14 January 2001
The flag is the flag of the state of Israel and is not used as a religious
symbol in Israel.
Dov Gutterman, 17 January 2001
Forgot to point that out- entirely correct. I remember Rabbi Adin Steinsaltz once pointing out that while synagogues across America feature the Israeli flag, Israeli ones never do. I don't recall his exact point, but here're some ideas of mine:
Nathan Lamm, 17 January 2001
With respect to the matter of the display and flying of flags in churches
some time ago, I raised the issue of whether this was a matter of concern in
Judaism also, that is, if there were similar concerns with respect to
synagogues. I have thus far written to three Jewish religious bodies in the UK
requesting information as to whether they had specific policies regarding flags
in synagogues. John Lowe had done some admirable ferreting in what is known as
the Responsa literature and found some interesting material, and in my e-mails
to the two Orthodox bodies in the UK I asked whether they considered themselves
bound by the opinion voiced by one leading expert in Halacha (Jewish religious
law), the late British Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, whose views interestingly enough
are considered definitive in the American Orthodox Jewish community.
I have received a communication from Rabbi David Jacobs, the Administrator of
the Reform Synagogues of Great Britain. Rabbi Jacobs points out that as the
Reform Synagogues of Great Britain (or RSGB) is not a monolithic body, as is its
American equivalent the Union for Reform Judaism or the United Synagogue in the
UK, it is not in a position to issue policy statements of this nature. The RSGB
is purely a federation of synagogues (not to be confused with the Orthodox
Federation of Synagogues mentioned above). Individual synagogues and
congregations can decide matters of policy such as this for themselves. There
are 42 member synagogues in the RSGB, not all of which own their own buildings,
and Rabbi Jacobs has never heard of any flags of any kind being flown or
displayed in any of them. Some synagogues hold an AJEX Shabbat, honoring members
of the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women, the British equivalent of
the Jewish War Veterans in the US; at that time the local AJEX chapters may
bring their flags into the synagogue, either to the sanctuary or else displayed
elsewhere in the building, at which time they may be accompanied by the Union
Jack and/or the Israeli flag.
Ron Lahav, 26 January 2005
