In this week’s news round-up, a lawsuit filed by the ACLU claims U.S. Border Patrol and ICE violated religious-freedom rights for detainees from various faiths, Adventists in Uganda assault fellow member, Caribbean Adventists provide bicycles for youngsters, an Adventist church in California gives out over 400 pairs of shoes to school children.
While I find this treatment of “ immigrants “ unkind, maybe even vicious, these people invading our country are here ILLEGALLY, breaking our laws and have no right to be here !
If that sounds harsh, I compare it with my home in France, forty miles from the Italian border
When I take the train into Italy ( because the farmers markets there have wonderful produce and are cheaper ) I see many black people sitting hopeless, helpless and hungry around the Italian train station. These are the “boat people” who have migrated across the Mediterranean from Africa in flimsy craft and at great peril to themselves.
Italy does not want them, and neither does France.
On the train trip back to France, the train stops at the first French town and gendarmes ( police ) board the train to ensure no Africans are on board.
At Calais on the English Channel, all trucks are monitored for carbon dioscide ( humans exhale carbon dioxide ). This is tp ensure that no illegal migrants are smuugled inside the trucks which are about to board ferries to take them to the the United Kingdom .
If the UK and France can monitor their borders why cannot we?
More particularly, since we are already twenty two trillion dollars In debt and can not afford more free handouts to citizens other than our own.
For a country to monitor its borders is perfectly natural, and I’m not certain that anyone would argue against a nation monitoring its borders. But that isn’t what this article and the broader argument is about. The great concern for us as Christians is not that the law is being enforced but how it is being enforced. These fellow human beings–some of them brothers and sisters in Christ, and even fellow Adventists, according to the article–are being treated inhumanely and without legal recourse. And this is not an isolated incident.
“Cursed be anyone who deprives the alien, the orphan, and the widow of justice," says Moses in Deut. 27:19. “Truly I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of my brethren you did it to me.” says Jesus in Matthew 25:40. And these are just a couple of the many verses where God commands his people to show grace and charity specifically to the “alien and stranger.” Regardless of our political leanings, the great weight of Scripture not only commands us to show charity and kindness to the foreigners among us but it warns us of the grave spiritual and temporal danger of ignoring their well being.
A basic sign of Christianity means we should be capable of telling the truth, but this has not been the case. It is the so-called white man who left Europe and took his perversion of Christianity and love of money around the world. It was this white man who set out to enforce this belief with Biblical proof that God would agree with the institution of slavery. It is with the evil mind that many used the Bible to fool slaves into believing that God wanted them to be slaves. It is under this label of them exalting themselves as God chosen race set out and wiped nearly off of this American land all native tribes and set enslaved the African to be free labor so he could get rich. No.no.don’t tell me these truths have nothing to do with today because they do! The unconverted heart of this Nation still beats with racism and hatred which should not exist in a Christian nation.
READ their history because they made sure it was there to document how they conquered. Which countries went to Africa took the salt, gold, silver, and minerals and left the people NOTHING to build an economic system with! Foolishly and blinded by greed the African man who sold their own into slavery not understanding how vastly different the two systems of slavery would be in this nation compared to Africa. He too will have to answer if he has not already asked God for forgiveness.
To the real point of this article for this so-called Christian nation to stomp on the practices of another’s religion is disgusting at best but that shows this nation is not a Christian nation. Purposely feeding religious people pork shows how demented and empty of any sense of Christianity those in charge are in this nation. This nation has an individual who practices all methods of sick ways to humiliate and strip the dignity of those he deems undesirable. If this nation were a Christian nation, then we would not be reading about such inhumane tactics.
Make no mistake, for those seeking to regain the heights of evil that once existed just “as in the days of Noah”; God will act. Those who are blinded by their hate will one day answer to God for all their unjust acts against their fellow human beings.
I agree but let that apply to ALL groups not just the brown or dark ones. To the question about this country being a Christian country is equally a joke. Plus the some of the VERY people who cry we are a country of laws are fine as LONG as when the punishment is for others and not them. When it is THEIR turn to face jail or prison time then mercy is what they seek but they show NONE for others.
I am for the law being blind to all “subgroups.” The law is to be the law for all. All should be judged equally by it.
My comment is that “Religious Liberty” mag and SDA mantra has always been that this isn’t a Christian nation by law. Correct? So out of the woodwork are those who now claim such actions as “Immigration” or ideas of redistribution of income and taxes to the “least of these” are to become a “Christian concept” in their view. Just looking for rational consistent thought. Is the US a “Christian Nation” or what? Thanks for your comment.
Regards,
Pat
Questions are valid, however, the rise of this belief that America is or has been a Christian nation did not begin with SDA. In the history of this County its has pushed this belief that America IS a Christian nation, so when unfairness has occur such as slavery, it was then argued how can a Christian nation enslave another group of human beings. Was SDA wrong then for advocating for the civil liberties or a end to the brutalities faced by the African -Americans? I agree with them calling out the poor treatment such as feeding pork to a group just to stomp on their religion. That is what I was addressing in my comments, this Country does not have to accept people from other countries but to treat them as if they were animals will produce no good fruit.
Was Jerry Falwell and the “Christian Coalition” wrong for trying to change public opinion on abortion and LGBT (early) by their understanding of Christianity. Liberty seemed to think so. All I am saying is what is fair for one group claiming a Christian moral position is fair for another. So, pehaps a belated apology is due Falwell from an “intellectual” consistent position.
When someone knowingly enters a country illegally they should not expect to have a menu from the Hilton.Or, be surprised when they are detained. For the SDA church to imply otherwise is overstepping in my opinion. What moral leaders should be demanding is Dems.be willing to help create responsible immigration laws…not anarchy.
Regards
I don’t have a problem with them changing public opinion but don’t glorify men who grab, rape and then demand a woman carry the seed of that pain placed in her by an evil man. Killing babies is wrong but nowadays there are live abortions taking place every day with these kids being killed by their own parents. As for overstepping, my ancestors welcome the Europeans the original immigrants and feed them corn with deer meat to bad these laws didn’t exist then. Yet, still how about demanding not being slaves to a King but then thinking nothing of enslaving another group of people for hundreds of years. The issue was stomping on another’s religion I don’t think is right and would not cost that much but being evil and claiming Christianity is a joke. Have a good week.
The point is no one is claiming it is a Christian nation. It is a nation built on Judaeo-Christian belief and common law. It seems your memory is selective and you only find this country repulsive for doing what all other major countries have done. Progress is not vertical but spiral in nature. I suggest this country today is more pluralistic and offers more economic possibilities for “the one and many” than any on earth. Nothing is accomplished by looking back 200 yrs. as a default for hubris.
Just apply and come in legally through responsible laws. That’s all most conservative Christians and other conservative/moderates are asking for.
Plain common sense and sound law. Seems that is too much to ask for these days even of some SDA leadership who find it easy to criticize but short on solutions…other than ignore!
You ask:
HOW CAN A CHRISTIAN NATION ENSLAVE ANOTHER GROUP OF HUMAN BEINGS?
It was precisely BECAUSE we were a Christian nation that we had slavery!
In our own Christian Bible, Paul gives a vehement emphatic endorsement of slavery, when he proclaimed : SLAVES OBEY YOUR MASTERS. Probably as a sop to his wealthy Sanhedrin friends who owned unruly slaves.
It was precisely this biblical injunction that the American slave traders and the slave owners ( all of them Christians ) used to justify their commerce in human beings.
Trump and his gang, who separated families (not very Christlike), held the White House, Senate and House of Representatives. They could have dealt with responsible immigration laws—but did not.
They could have dealt with many legal and regulatory issues, instead of the president using executive orders.
Where is this a fact? That migrants and immigrants expect Hilton-hotel treatment? My ancestor immigrant families certainly did not.
No surprise to them, but family separation is far from a Jerry Falwell idea. Ask James Dobson how that works for families? Where is his voice? The voice of the family advocate?
Perhaps a timely apology and parallel action by the President would go a long way to reuniting families and healing them. Healing families: wasn’t that the business Christ was in? Restoration? Reuniting? Isn’t He still in that business?
Fly across this country. America is not “full.” Families have come here through the last four centuries or so, seeking asylum from persecution, assault, executions, war, and horrific conditions. This country has and continues to be a blessing. Seeking asylum is not a crime. It is not illegal. It is how America was built.
God help our country for the “support” for devastating families given to the President by Bible-thumping “Christ”-ians.
