Posted on 11/30/2006 9:48:41 PM PST by Mr. Silverback
Elvira Arellano’s new T-shirt has me wondering how many hospitals Jesus would close.
Arellano is the illegal alien and pro-law breaking activist (she wouldn’t call herself that, but a spade is a spade) who is holed up in a Chicago church, hoping to avoid deportation. She says she should get to stay here because her 7 year old son Saulito is an American citizen. Her new shirt, pictured in the Journal-Standard recently, reads “Who Would Jesus Deport?”
Strangely, I don’t recall hearing any teachings on immigration policy during my Sunday school days. But given the wild success of products asking “WWJD”—What Would Jesus Do—it’s inevitable it would pop up in the political discourse. Strikingly, almost all these political versions come from the Left. True, questions like “Who would Jesus Torture” are supposed to be rhetorical, but if the people asking them were really trying to promote truth, they wouldn’t stop asking questions so soon.
Take for example, “Who would Jesus bomb,” asked on protest signs and blogs, in editorials and even a protest song. Another popular variation was “Who would Jesus kill?” Yet they never ask how many hijacking schools, terrorist training camps, child prisons and torture chambers Jesus would leave open. In the face of great evil even a slogan inspired by history’s greatest moral light is trite and bereft of sense.
I wonder why the Left doesn’t apply the WWJD principle to other problems. How many of those asking “Who would Jesus kill” have ever asked, “Who would Jesus abort?” One might also ask, “How many condoms would Jesus pass out at school,” and “Would Jesus ban prayer in school?” Of course, one could also ask why a movement known for its strict view of separation of church and state would decide to search the scriptures of a single religion for policy directives.
So, how many hospitals would Jesus close? A 2005 study appearing in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons found that 60 hospitals had closed in California alone between 1993 and 2003 as a direct result of illegal immigration. Under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act of 1985, hospitals must treat the uninsured without reimbursement. Though the law was intended to guarantee that no emergency room would turn away a patient in crisis, it’s led to illegals using ERs for their primary care. Those 60 hospitals had all reached a point where they were paid for less than half of the services they performed. The study also found 24 hospitals on the brink of bankruptcy.
Whose wages would Jesus decimate? In 1980, according to the Department of Labor, a meat packer could expect to make $19 an hour. Today the going wage is less than $10. Across the board, American wages are lowered by as much as $200 billion dollars by illegal aliens. The Left speaks a lot about the squeezed middle class, but these champions of the working man will line up to vote for amnesty in Congress in the new year.
How many false Social Security numbers would Jesus use? Arellano was going to be deported because she convicted of that exact crime. The immigration bill the Congress narrowly rejected this year even had provisions for paying out Social Security benefits to those who’ve stolen other people’s numbers. Of course that only applies if they came over the border illegally; legal immigrants and native born citizens get to go to jail when they steal someone’s identity.
A long line of Christian organizations, notably America’s Catholic bishops, backed amnesty this year. They made a lot of noise about how such reforms were a sign of loving one’s neighbor. When we reward lawbreaking on the part of illegals and the businesses that hire them we penalize businesses, workers and legal immigrants that follow the law. Aren’t they our neighbors too? Is shafting them the Christian thing to do? Is the cause of justice served by letting Mexico’s fatcats export their poor to the U.S. instead of enacting reforms at home?
Of course, despite my love of Christ, I’m not interested in governing by Bible verse. That’s theocracy, not democracy. Even if a principle is based in Christian teachings, one must win the public policy debate to implement it. That’s the real reason for Elvira’s shirt. If you can pretend the Almighty is your personal mascot, you don’t have to explain why rewarding lawbreaking is good for a society. You can just “win” the policy debate by saying “Thus saith the Lord.” When a conservative does that, he’s dismissed and rightly so.
We’re a nation of laws (not T-shirts), and our duty to enforce them in a just manner. Still, if Arellano and her allies want a verse to base immigration policy on, I suggest John 10:1.
Some interesting bits in the Comments section, as well. :)
Since most of the hospitals would be sending their patients to Him for healing, probably a lot of hospitals could close their doors.
Excellent point, but then, we have to run our hospitals without His physical presence for now. Arellano's question is like that...Who would Jesus deport? Well, maybe Jesus would deport so and so, but Jesus isn't in charge of enforcing the laws you broke, lady. We are, and we're deporting your law-breaking hiney.
We’re a nation of laws (not T-shirts), and our duty to enforce them in a just manner.O.K., I will admit that I did not get this reference when I first read it, so had to look it up.Still, if Arellano and her allies want a verse to base immigration policy on, I suggest John 10:1.
From www.biblegateway.com:
"Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber...":o)
If anyone wants on or off my column ping list, please notify me here or by freepmail. These columns run every two weeks.Please ADD ME to this ping list!
Or perhaps the following:
When Jesus was convicted by Pontius Pilote, did he:
a) wall himself up in a synagogue and plead for mercy
b) declare that this crimes weren't as great as some other person's
c) plead that this would inconvience his mother.
d) submit himself to the will of God and the decrees of the state.
And what would have happened if he had chosen a, b, or c?
Granted, that's a tough row to hoe, but there comes a point when you have to accept responsibility for your actions and trust in God to provide.
I have a rule: anyone with more than 3 bumperstickers on their car is officially declared mentally unstable.
Almost invariably, the 4+ sticker cars have an anti-W sticker or some other conglomeraton of "progressive" gibberish polluting my drive.
I honestly appreciate it.
"Render unto Caesar" comes to mind.
Yes, well, great 'article', but you know the churchcommies would turn it back around and will simply answer in all transgressions, "What would Jesus do......?"
"Jesus would forgive"
personally, I'd like to know what Jesus has to do with it in the first place. Illegal immigration is a problem of our governments, it is not a church issue.
Would Jesus even use the word, "illegal" when describing a human being?
Just a question from the sidelines.
I don't know about Jesus, but the Old Testament book of Leviticus, 19:33-35, gives this law to God's Chosen people:
'When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.It does not specify if it applies to legal or illegal aliens, it just uses the general term aliens.
Not that I think illegal immigration in the US today should be ignored. I am ll for strengthening and enforcing immigration control. I'm just saying...
Are you asking me? My whole point was that dragging Jesus into this was just a lefty tactic. My point was never to say "Jesus supports me on immigration" but to show how they try to use Him as a mascot to stifle debate and mislead the easily decieved.
1. Take a look at Romans 13:1-7. God gives nations certain powers that are theirs to exercise for the common good.
2. I've never considered enforcement to be mistreatment, and if one of our native-born breaks the law, they go to jail. Deportation's a picnic compared to prison.
Yes, I know you said you support enforcement, but I'm just saying...
Yes, and now those hospitals are being closed by moronic policies that stem from "mercy" that is really just license and Marxism.
Oh, I understood what you meant ;) My question was really meant to be a statement. I am furious that the church has gotten involved in this issue.
You're added, bud!
Well, I think that it would be great if the Church said, "Here's what the Bible teaches about being nice to aliens, so please make sure you're merciful toward these folks." That's the Church's job. But what is currently going on is the proclamation of the Gospel According to Marx.
bookmark
Thanks!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.