When does patriotism become inappropriate?  If they thought about it, most people would agree that blind patriotism, unconditional allegiance to a nation, is not wise.  For example, most people would agree that enthusiastically supporting a country led by an evil dictator (such as Nazi Germany) is not a good thing.

So where do you draw the line?  When should you withdraw your patriotism from a nation?  Here are some suggestions:

It may be time to withdraw patriotism if your nation:

Tortures people.

Supports the taking of innocent human life.

Insists that you disobey your conscience.

Spies on its own people.

Accuses people of “hatred” who openly disagree with government decrees.

Openly rejects common moral principles of the world’s great religions.

Withdrawing patriotism does not mean no longer loving your country.  It means no longer blindly supporting it.  It means still loving your country enough to not support its turning toward wrongful behaviors.  It means courageously loving your nation enough to stand for righteousness, no matter how your nation treats you.