Posted on 07/12/2014 8:03:04 PM PDT by 2ndDivisionVet
There are pastors and bishops in Alabama who have attempted to turn immigration into a moral issue and have deemed it un-Christian to deal with illegal aliens and deport illegal trespassers.
But they are mistaken.
If we turn to the Holy Bible to learn what God says about this issue, we see that God himself established the nations after Noah’s flood, according to Genesis 10:32. And the Book of Deuteronomy tells us that not only did God separate the nations, but he also set the borders of the first nations.
This truth is further attested in the New Testament in the Book of Acts, which states that God made the nations and set the bounds of their habitations. So then, national sovereignty and national borders were ordained by Almighty God.
Also, the Bible tells us that God made a special nation — Israel — to be a blessing to all of the world. In order to ensure that Israel maintained its sovereignty and land, God issued strict national laws — including very strict immigration laws.
Permit me to cite specific passages from the Bible that support this assertion.
Immigrants to Israel were called strangers, and citizens of Israel were not allowed to marry strangers unless they became proselytes, or naturalized citizens (Deuteronomy 7:1-4).
Every stranger was obligated to obey the law just like natural-born citizens (Deuteronomy 31:12). Strangers in Israel received the same punishment as the home-born, including the death penalty (Leviticus 24:16-22).
No stranger could ever lawfully be king in Israel, only natural-born citizens (Deuteronomy 17:15).
In the Book of Ezra, we read that many Jews had married un-naturalized strangers and were made to send them home. Some of them had children by those wives.
Was it un-Christian for God to deport those illegal trespassers? Was it a lack of compassion by God himself?
No. God knew that allowing un-naturalized strangers to remain in Israel would compromise its national sovereignty.
Then, in the New Testament (John 2:13-16), we read that Jesus went to the temple and saw trespassers unlawfully buying and selling and exchanging money. They were not there to worship or offer sacrifice; they were there to merchandise the temple.
Jesus made a whip of small chords and violently turned over the tables and ran the trespassers out of the temple. He would have allowed them to come the right way and for the right purpose of worshipping, but he would not allow them to unlawfully compromise the sanctity of the temple.
Likewise, it is not un-Christian to deport illegal trespassers in America who are here only to merchandise our nation and are unwilling to honor our laws and way of life.
We open our arms to all who come legally and pledge allegiance to our flag, abide by our laws, uphold our Constitution, respect our traditions and learn our language.
It is not a lack of compassion to take an illegal immigrant away from his American family, subject him to our laws and send him back to his native country.
Do we not demand the same for our own citizens who are convicted of illegal activity? Do we not take them away from their families, subject them to our laws and send them to prison?
Is that unfair or un-Christian? Should we grant amnesty and pardon to all criminals in our prison system to prove we are Christians?
Of course not. Tolerance for illegal activity in the name of compassion is not Christianity.
America is a compassionate nation to foreigners. We help feed and protect many in the world who cannot take care of themselves. True Christian compassion is not political, but practical.
The worst travesty that could happen to all the unfortunates of the world who long to come to this great nation for freedom and prosperity would be for America to lose her sovereignty and national identity.
If America perishes, so do the hopes of all the world. That’s why keeping our borders secure, and upholding law and order for all people within our boundaries,are an act of compassion.
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The Rev. C.H. "Rusty" Johnson is pastor of Lighthouse of Hope Holiness Church in Irvington. His email address is bayoushepherd@gmail.com.
Well, this is the first I’ve heard of this, but I’d tell those Preachers, that they are NOT preaching Gods word. We, as the Bible states are subject to the Laws of God, but ALSO the Laws of Man.
I guess those “Preachers” here in Alabama have drunk the Obama Kool-Aid.
Barry’s “crisis” is nothing more than a political stunt. God and Christianity have nothing to do with it. If you really need to feel bad about something, feel bad for the uneducated illegal aliens being used as rubber chickens by the commie DemocRATS to beat the Republicans over the head.
For years I have taken up this issue with some of our interim pastors (previous church located overseas). They constantly tried to tell me how unChristian I was and that my own family was made up of immigrants, which they were, back in the late 1180s. However, they immigrated here legally and with documentation. Both my sons have married women from S. America. They are becoming citizens, one has her ceremony this coming Tuesday!
That said, I always stated that we have always been a nation of laws, and those who cross illegally are breaking those laws. In my opinion, especially knowing the high cost those illegals pay to coyotes to bring them over, they should go back to the border and request whatever paperwork needed to begin a legal application. They ALWAYS gave me he Good Samaritan story and the verse about how to treat the stranger among you, but both are taken out of context. And these are pastors, mind you! I also asked them about the lawlessness, murdering of border property owners, looting of their property, killing of their cattle and other animals, etc. It is all lawlessness. They said that it was unfortunate, but that these people probably provoked them.
People believe the set of facts that conveniently fit their ideology, or their social beliefs. It was so frustrating I could hardly stand it. I know they talked to others at the church about my being unloving, etc. I have done many mission trips, work with the poor, etc. They have NO IDEA. But in their minds, a true Christian cannot turn away an illegal without hurting God. There is this perceived Christian behavior that looks on the downtrodden and believe that they can do no wrong. Anyone who argues with them is wrong. I have compassion for the downtrodden, as well. But how do they get 6-10K to pay a coyote to cross over illegally? It doesn’t cost that much to file paperwork to come legally. They want to come over and not be beholden to our tax laws, to earn money to send back to wherever and to take advantage of our system of welfare, but not have to pay into it. I’m a very giving person, but this is lawlessness. PERIOD!
Joseph was ordered by Caesar to go back to his home town for the census.
So make them go back to Mexico for the 2014 DF census.
WELL put, Shery!
It is not really an issue that Christians have any say on because Christians are not running this world,
religion maybe but not Christians.
They should be deported ASAP — and cared for in the meantime. (And they should be monitored.)
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The immigrants are mostly from Central America.
Mexico gives their own citizens brochures with information on how to sneak into the USA.
It's my read that the ONLY way the Central Americans got permission to go through Mexico was the promise of NOT staying in Mexico (TOO many Mexicans living in D.F. already.) and going to the U.S. border.
The Valle de Mexico, the entire city of Mexico and its environs already has 40+ million Mexicans. They want NO poor immigrants from ANYWHERE.
John 10:1
The Good Shepherd and His Sheep
10 “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.
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