Most flags by their very nature assume religious significance.In most countries civil religion mingleswith patriotism in some sort of veneration of the flag. Americans have apledge of allegiance to their flag which invokes the name of God.
ThePalio in Siena is not only an annual horse race, it is the ancientflag bearing an image of the Virgin Mary which the competitors seek todisplay in their local church. The horses are blessed in the churchesbefore the race.
When companies of German Landsknechte were formed, troops swore in thename of the Trinity to observe the terms of service, and the Ensign sworeto defend the Colour to the death. If any crime brought reproach to theCompany, its Colour could not fly again until the reproach was wipedoff either by the acquittal or condemnation of the alleged criminal.Acquittal or the fulfillment of penance was often marked passing theColour over the individual's head. Flags were thus imbued with powers ofabsolution.
The sanctity of military standards is often evoked by quoting theScripture: "They shall be as when a standard-bearer fainteth." (i.e.when the standard falls, the cause is lost). Because of their importanceas symbols and the sacrifice of human life that attended their defence,it was inevitable that military standards took on religioussignificance.Roman standards were the religion of the army, and in campthey were erected on altars. The fact that theUnion Jack is composed ofthe crosses of three saints certainly adds to its religioussignificance. In theBritish Army, the presentation of newColours isconsidered a solemn religious ceremony. Military regulations provide forChurch of England, Presbyterian and Catholic versions of the ceremonydepending on the unit (e.g. English, Scottish and Irish), to beofficiated by the appropriate clergy. Upon retirement from service theColours are laid up in the local church or cathedral in another religiousceremony suited to standards which had been consecrated.
See also Nazi pages on significance ofBlutfahne.
T.F. Mills, 21 November 1995
For most Americans, thestars and stripes is not a signof temporal power, i.e., an expression of the authority of the federalgovernment. This is something I've thought quite a lot about since joining FOTWbut I'm still not sure I've sorted it out, so bear with me. As I see it, thedisplay of a national flag can be intended to convey several distinct messages.The same display may express more than one of these messages. However, differentcountries tend to emphasize these messages in different ways, sometimesemphasizing 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 someextent, on theIsrael pages. In addition, theflag of Israel functionsas a sort of "Jewish Flag" around the world. For example, many synagogues in the US fly it alongside the USflag, and it seems to have more than just an Israel-related significance there. The history of this usage is tied up with thehistory of the Israeli (originally Zionist) flag; conversely, the history of the flag in a national sense is tied up with symbolism inJewish 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.
NathanLamm, 14 January 2001
The flag is the flag of the state of Israel and is not used as a religioussymbol in Israel.
Dov Gutterman, 17 January 2001
Forgot to point that out- entirely correct. I remember Rabbi Adin Steinsaltzonce 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 ofmine:
Nathan Lamm, 17 January 2001
With respect to the matter of the display and flying of flags in churchessome time ago, I raised the issue of whether this was a matter of concern inJudaism also, that is, if there were similar concerns with respect tosynagogues. I have thus far written to three Jewish religious bodies in the UKrequesting information as to whether they had specific policies regarding flagsin synagogues. John Lowe had done some admirable ferreting in what is known asthe Responsa literature and found some interesting material, and in my e-mailsto the two Orthodox bodies in the UK I asked whether they considered themselvesbound by the opinion voiced by one leading expert in Halacha (Jewish religiouslaw), the late British Rabbi Moshe Feinstein, whose views interestingly enoughare considered definitive in the American Orthodox Jewish community.
I have received a communication from Rabbi David Jacobs, the Administrator ofthe Reform Synagogues of Great Britain. Rabbi Jacobs points out that as theReform Synagogues of Great Britain (or RSGB) is not a monolithic body, as is itsAmerican equivalent the Union for Reform Judaism or the United Synagogue in theUK, it is not in a position to issue policy statements of this nature. The RSGBis purely a federation of synagogues (not to be confused with the OrthodoxFederation of Synagogues mentioned above). Individual synagogues andcongregations can decide matters of policy such as this for themselves. Thereare 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 ordisplayed in any of them. Some synagogues hold an AJEX Shabbat, honoring membersof the Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen and Women, the British equivalent ofthe Jewish War Veterans in the US; at that time the local AJEX chapters maybring their flags into the synagogue, either to the sanctuary or else displayedelsewhere in the building, at which time they may be accompanied by the UnionJack and/or the Israeli flag.
Ron Lahav, 26 January 2005