Posted on 07/13/2014 7:53:34 AM PDT by moonshinner_09
Southeast New Mexico is facing a crisis that cuts at the heart of Christian faith and practice.
With Immigration and Customs Enforcement bringing some 600 Central American refugees to the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Artesia, local citizens are rallying. Tragically, the most vehement response is exceptionally negative, couched in fear, fueled in politicized rhetoric and grounded in anything but biblical, moral and humanitarian concerns.
As faith leaders and pastors in Eddy and Lea Counties, we call for Christian grace, morality and common sense given the looming crisis. We commend events like a planned July 15 interfaith vigil at Immaculate Conception Church, 619 Copper NW in Albuquerque at 6 p.m.
Scripture repeatedly and unapologetically calls us to welcome the stranger, the orphan, the widow. Leviticus 19:33-34 recalls when the people of God were unwanted immigrants in Egypt. Central to the biblical narrative is the call to remember the treatment of the Hebrew people so we never return such inhumanity upon others.
Jesus emphasized this vital law of God’s grace and welcome. Most notably, Matthew 25 reminds us that salvation hinges on caring for “the least of these.” James writes that for faith to be authentic, it must prioritize our care for the orphans and widows in distress. As Central American women and children are brought to our backyard in Eddy County, Christianity demands compassion.
Extending hospitality to the stranger is not an easy practice. We fear what we don’t understand. Accordingly, many have expressed outrage at the decision to house these immigrants at FLETC.
(Excerpt) Read more at abqjournal.com ...
I did that feet washing thing with some Christian group shortly after I moved to KY. It felt like symbolism over substance. After getting my feet washed and using my God given human reasoning power I saw it as stupid and said so. Politely, of course.
These aren’t homeless people abandoned and wondering in the dessert.
This is an orchestrated flood of foreigners being ILLEGALLY invited to move from their homes.
The objective is to drain our treasury, destroy our economy, and ensure an eternally dependent class of voters for the socialists and fascists power base.
The “Christian” thing to do would be to fix their corrupt governments at home.
Religion & Illegal Immigration
(Scroll down for information and articles regarding religion and illegal immigration in the United States of America)
Religious groups supporting illegal immigration: Why?
By Steve Salvi, Founder, OJJPAC.org
http://www.ojjpac.org/Religion.asp
This is just more nonsense from social justice proponents who conveniently ignore Scripture that contradicts their emotionalism.
The Bible instructs us to obey the laws of the government. God had no problem with Israel maintaining its borders, and, in fact, stood behind them when the time came to do battle over them. “Stranger” in the context of the singled-out Scripture does not mean one who is engaged in lawbreaking.
The Bible says “Those who don’t care for their own are worse than infidels” If a country’s government advocates policies that ignore the needs of its own populace in favor of those of other countries, then the government has violated its ruling compact with its own populace and must be swept aside. If a religious leader is preaching a sermon that attempts to persuade his congregation that the needs of poor illegals are more pressing then the poor and needy Americans who are unemployed...then he is a traitor to our country and an infidel to the faith!(and he must be swept aside and kicked out of his position)
The bible is also clear on dealing with criminals and thieves, no?
suddenly, liberals recognize the authority of the bible after all...
let’s see how they apply that thinking to abortion and homosexuality
this is an invasion being scripted by the govt’s of mexico and guatemala
the illegal immigrants should be treated humanely, but they should also be sent home
What nonsense. Ger Toshav [the stranger who dwells] is not a foreigner, it is a non-Jew that has adopted the lifestyle, culture, and G-d of Israel.
There is a difference between a guest and someone demanding you house and clothe them.
At most, they should have a wash, medical check up, a full belly and a plane ticket back home. And that’s just for the kids. Adults knowingly break the law and deserve to be tossed back.
Leviticus 19:33-34 recalls when the people of God were unwanted immigrants in Egypt. Central to the biblical narrative is the call to remember the treatment of the Hebrew people so we never return such inhumanity upon others......Ok, alrighty! This guy says enslave these “migrants” and keep them in bondage for hundreds of years until Mose’ comes to lead them into the desert for forty years. I thought the Libs were compassionate?
The best help we can give them is a shower..clean clothes and a flight back wherever. That will convince others it isn’t worth the trouble and prevent a lot of deaths..on both side of the border.
Otherwise we need to ask our Christian brothers and sisters..How many will you take in your home EVERY YEAR? How many will you assume 100% financial responsibility for? Have you ever looked at the Financial Responsibility form that must be filled out by sponsors for immigration? Are you personally willing to do that?
Do you have a way of confirming those donations go there vs being diverted by drug cartels or corrupt local officials?
You have to hand it to her... She prays louder than anyone else in public.
That’s a good thing right?
I’m glad the pastor is offering his home to 20 or 30 immigrant kids cause I ain’t.
The Second Great Command
Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself
I get it...
As individual Christians we are called to do these things.
As the Body of Christ, we are under command to do these things.
But Government is neither of these things
It does not Love, it Compels
It is not Serve, it Demands Service
It takes under threat of Punishment, Imprisonment, and Death
That which is done under compulsion
IS NOT an Act of Love, Caring, Kindness, Forgiveness
IS NOT an Act of Doing Justly, Loving Mercy, Walking Humbly...
It is Enslavement...
John 10:1
Very truly I tell you Pharisees, anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.
Ahhhhhh. Notice how Steve subtley changes the word "immigrant" to "migrant".
These people are not migrants. They are not planning on going home after the harvest. True, they may send a lot of their money home after they convert their food stamps into cash.
But they have no intentions of going home.
If they are truly IMMIGRANTS, legal or otherwise, they would (or should) be more than happy to forego any public assistance of any kind so-as to prevent themselves from becoming dependent on other's charity and generosity and provide for themselves.
The simple fact is, people like Steve needs these kinds of human chattle (chattel?) in order to justify his own otherwise useless existence.
“Do you have a way of confirming those donations go there vs being diverted by drug cartels or corrupt local officials?”
A friend of mine drives the truck to the border, where the guy who runs the orphanage picks up the food and clothing. Many churches are actually quite good about getting stuff into the hands of the needy instead of drug lords.
I wouldn’t use that passage as a base theological tentpole as to how to approach immigration. Pharoah invited a family, not a whole race of genetically related people to Jacob and Joseph in the numbers of thousands who would come in and overwhelm Egypt’s economy. Pharoah wouldn’t have known that over 400 years, this “family” would stay more to themselves and not integrate into Egyptian society, growing into nearly 3 million souls(600000 warrior aged men not counting families and children).
The Egyptians got more out of them economically keeping them enslaved, but they also feared them as a security risk and tried to limit their numbers passing laws enforcing infanticide of their 1st born.
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