Patriotism and Nationalism are NOT the same thing. For the purpose of clarity I want to keep this post as short and simple as possible.
Patriotism: “A love for and devotion to one’s country.” A quality of showing vigorous support for one’s country.
I am a proud American Patriot. To be a Patriot is to have a loyalty to principle. Shared values. (Life, liberty….)Shared history and lessons learned. Resulting in a sense of responsibility.
Nationalism: Similar but also includes the aspect of “exalting one nation above all others and placing primary emphasis on promotion of its culture and interests as opposed to those of other nations or supranational groups.”
(Both definitions in part from Merriams Dictionary)
I do not identify as a nationalist. To be a nationalist is to have a loyalty to identification above all else. The highest form of identity politics. An uncritical reverence to the nation state. Resulting in arrogance.
First and foremost, I don’t believe that my Christian faith is compatible with nationalism because we’re taught by Jesus about God’s love for the marginalized. That’s simply not compatible with fervent nationalism. The words are similar in some ways and often erroneously conflated, but clearly nationalism is way too loaded with negative aspects. History shows us that it’s a power dynamic.