Removing a sanctuary flag provokes anger that reveals its power meaning.

Evidence

I remember reading one pastor’s remark that if he ever wanted to anger half his congregation, he only needed to remove the Stars and Stripes from the sanctuary. I am confident his congregation’s feelings are not unique. The anger we can imagine from some fellow Christians over the removal of the flag from our sanctuaries is instructive. It tells us a lot about what the flag means to Americans who desire it in their worship spaces. — Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry, 181

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Being attacked for a religious symbol makes victims cling to it harder — Irene Zempi and Imran Awan, Islamophobia: Lived Experiences of…, 257; Naming an idol as such provokes anger in those attached to it — Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry, 182; Contested signs retain force while settled ones decay into allegory (+2 more)

Broader Connections

• Naming an idol as such provokes anger in those attached to it #exemplifies (0.85) — Andrew L. Whitehead, American Idolatry, 182
• Flag displays by protesters triggered backlash that passed Proposition 187. #exemplifies (0.80)
• Contested signs retain force while settled ones decay into allegory #expands (0.78)
• Officials’ dismissive responses convert residents’ fear into sustained oppositional anger. #expands (0.76)
• Being attacked for a religious symbol makes victims cling to it harder #qualifies (0.72) — Irene Zempi and Imran Awan, Islamophobia, 257