Whether you are a citizen of America, Cameroon, Nepal, or Indonesia, if you believe in Jesus Christ, you should love America. In fact, regardless of your religion, you should love America. Blacks should especially love America. Mexican, Asian, Indian, and even Muslim immigration to the USA says that they love America as well. Here are 8 reasons to love the USA with the most important at the end of the list.
1. Free speech
I baptized Tinache one of many Shona men who were beaten by supporters of Zimbabwe’s previous dictator Robert Mugabe. He and many others are afraid to speak about the politics or economy of the country because there may be repercussions. Jews in Iran are pressured to support the government in its hatred of the nation of Israel. The Chinese Communist Party wants to suppress speech in Hong Kong and even off its coast in Taiwan.
America has always had a free press, and the world has taken note of it. Since 1776, the number of countries that have moved toward free speech has greatly increased.
2. Freedom of religion
China and India do not allow freedom of religion—missionaries are restricted. At least 19 Islamic countries such as Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, and Mauritania have a state religion with heavy restrictions on evangelism and missionary activity.
America allows the religions of these intolerant countries to come to her shores and proselytize. “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof…” This freedom is necessary to the Christian faith which is built on people freely choosing to believe on Christ rather than compelled because of their nationality, ethnicity, or heritage.
One would think that all religions would only want adherents who actually believed their faith rather than those who slipped in by default. America is an enormous land of religious decision, and its existence has had a pleasing effect on religious freedom elsewhere in the world.
3. Equality before the law
From the beginning, America offered the protection of the law to all its citizens. Presidents were not kings because they too must be law-abiding. Originally, they rarely spoke to the nation, and the people were glad to go about their day by day work without thinking about the head of the federal government because he too was one citizen among many.
Thankfully America ended the slave trade 9 months after Britain in 1807. Although much earlier, all 13 colonies banned it in 1775. The fight against slavery is one of the most wonderful marks of America. Since the founding of the country, state after state fought against it and abolished it. Ultimately, slavery itself was ended in 1865 after 620,000 Americans paid with blood. Can any country show as much will over such a long period of time to make sure all men are free? Blacks should love America because they joined Britain to end the slave trade that began in Kenya by Africans and Muslims long before America was around (See Martin Meredith’s riveting history, The Fortunes of Africa, chapters 8 and 46).
But however the past transpired, today all Americans stand equal before the law. Would you rather go to court in Libya, Somalia, Afghanistan, or America? Martin Cothran says that a society should be judged by its ideals, and if so, America’s ideal is for equality before the law.
4. Stable economy
Depending on what metric is used, the USA creates more wealth than the entire European Union combined. That has a tremendous effect on the poorest countries of the world because American investors send their money overseas to build factories, start businesses, and employ really poor people all the while paying taxes in those countries which are supposed to help build roads and hospitals.
America’s wealth helps many poor people since they give more to charity in a year than all the wealth created in a year by the entire country of 55 million South Africans. Everyone should love that generosity because it effects the entire world through missionaries, development projects, investment capital, universities, and many more ways. The hundreds of children in Rafiki schools in Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, and Zambia should love America as well as everyone who is cheering for those kids.
5. Innovation
Who has not purchased an iPhone or Microsoft Word or Coca Cola or the Ford Ranger or Nike shoes? Who has not taken a benefit from these American inventions: bottle caps, zippers, mousetraps, batteries, thumb tacks, shaving razors, air conditioners, tea bags, supermarkets, sunglasses, and microwave ovens? Americans have a can-do spirit which is why God used that country to save the world twice in the last 100 years. Why wouldn’t everyone love that?
6. Universities
The top four universities in the world are in the US: MIT, Harvard, Stanford, and Caltech. America is the undisputed champion in the world for universities with its 3,300 institutions. Many of those students hail from other countries, and that means they should love America. My great grandfather did not have opportunities to learn like these international students.
By far, America has the most seminaries for pastors and the church. If you are a Christian of any country, why would you not love a land that has trained so many people to serve God?
7. Biblical churches
Look at the local church map on Nine Marks Ministries and notice where the Biblical churches are. All of Europe has less than 200 dots on the map. South America under 50. Africa has 37. America has thousands.
If you hold to the Baptist Confession of 1689, notice where the churches are.
And why is it that this country produced so many churches? Where did they come from? Why would a South African or Pakistani or Cambodian Christian not love such a country? Why would all the Christians of the world not seek to become more like a land that can dominate its map with Biblical churches?
8. Missionaries
In the churches my teammate and I have planted, every single believer was converted by the gospel grace given first to America. Had it been handled poorly or wasted, where would they be headed today?
America sends out the lion’s share of missionaries. Of the churchplanting variety of missionary—the most apostolic of all who take the title, America sends an even greater percentage. Have you ever met a missionary from Germany or Argentina or Australia or Zambia? There are some from each of these countries, but a slow drip compared to the steady stream of Americans prepared to lay down their lives.
Were it true that Cambodia sent more missionaries than any society in the world, I would love Cambodia with all my heart. I would want to visit that country. I would want my sons to consider studying there. I would be happy if they took the Cambodian ethos that had so devoted itself to the Treasure in the field. I would study what is happening there so that it might be reproduced everywhere so that the earth might be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea. I would be ashamed for the darkness of the country in which I lived. I would long for greater grace like that shining example.
I would not act as if that country did not matter, or as if my country were just as good, and I definitely would not attack the country pouring out its sons and daughters to plant churches anymore than the Queen of Sheba would have attacked Solomon once she had seen his temple and the majesty of his God.
The troops of American missionaries alone have earned it the right to be loved by all men who love the gospel or simply good education or development for the poorest places of the world.
Conclusion
Many imperfect things should be loved. Spouses, children, sinners, and the church of God are all stained with great imperfections. Even when God’s people are divisive, immoral, petty, and carnal, they are still called holy ones (1 Cor. 1:2). Too many sins have been perpetrated by America’s citizens and government, yet it is still exceptionally blessed among all the countries of the world. God has apparently loved America, and ultimately that is the best reason why we should too.
