Baby Jesus In Cage As Part Of Dedham Church’s Immigration-Themed Nativity Scene

WBZ ^ | 12/05/2018 | Beth Germano

[sevinufnine]

It’s an unconventional take on the nativity scene at St. Susanna’s Parish Dedham. The baby Jesus is in a cage, the wise men are closed off by a wall. For the parish, the crèche is meant to be thought provoking. “We try to take a picture of the world as it is and put it together with a Christmas message,” said Pastor Fr. Stephen Josoma. That message this year questions “peace on earth”, since Jesus represents migrant children being held at the southern border separated from their parents. The wise men are the caravan of migrants behind the border wall. They believe it’s very much the message of Jesus. “Jesus was about taking care of one another. This is not the way to take care of one another,” said Fr. Josoma. “We’re not trying to scandalize anyone,” said parishioner Pat Ferrone, a member of the Pax Christi committee which came up with the idea for the display. “We’re trying to reflect back a reality that has to be looked at.”

[sevinufnine]

But mixing politics with religion isn’t sitting well with some who believe the nativity scene has crossed a line. “This is where you come to pray not to be preached at what you should think about politics,” said Helen Watson who drove to church to see the display. Fr. Josoma insists the scene is not a dig at Trump administration policies. Instead of political activism he calls it gospel activism. “We talk about Matthew 25 feeding the hungry and welcoming the stranger.”

Parishioner Phil Mandeville says Jesus was no stranger to politics. “Christ was political, he was hung on a cross for making political statements and bucking authority and that’s exactly why he died,” Mandeville said.

The nativity scene is meant to be a symbol of hope, and at St. Susanna’s the hope is that a conversation has begun.

[sevinufnine]

Merry Christmas???

[sevinufnine]

And this from the state of Mass....the place they burned witches with relish.

[humblegunner]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-chat/3710914/posts

[sevinufnine]

So it was posted yesterday. Big deal? I go back at least 2 or 3 pages, and I believe FR has a 4 hours limit for duplicates.

Regardless, I didn’t see it yesterday. But thanks for the heads up I suppose.

[Flick Lives]

This pastor puts the Baby Jesus in a dog crate as a message!?! The pastor needs to be stuffed into a dog crate.

[Tzimisce]

...Jesus obeyed the law.

Even when it condemned him to die for a crime he didn’t commit....

[rjsimmon]

Neither Joseph, Mary, nor Jesus were ILLEGAL immigrants. Egypt had exceptionally harsh penalties for those who entered their territory without permission.

[sevinufnine]

Ah, bringing up the obvious. Such things the liberals cannot stand. Truth and the letter of the law.

[Brooklyn Attitude]

The left does these outrageous and offensive things and there are never any consequences.

[OttawaFreeper]

So the left will find most recognitions of Christmas (particularly in public schools) offensive and therefore worthy of banning. However, constructing Nativity scenes like these perfectly suits their agenda to throw in the faces of people. Now I understand all of this, eh?

[Lou L]

“We’re not trying to scandalize anyone,” said parishioner Pat Ferrone

Oh yes, you absolutely are. You're making a cheap, political statement with this stunt, and people like you continue to conflate legal and illegal immigration.

Way to ruin Christmas, jerk.

[A_perfect_lady]

Why don’t they have the Holy Family being run over by a drunk driving illegal? I mean, if they want to tell it like it is...

[Doogle]

sacrilegious...

[originalbuckeye]

The Leftists will love this and the Conservatives will find another church in which to worship. Two decades ago, I attended a Methodist church in SoCal. The Sunday after 9/11, the minister went political about the terrorist attack...... ‘We MUST redistribute the wealth so that everyone has enough’.........Within a month, my church had lost half the congregation, including me. Maybe Catholics are more tolerant of politics in church. I wish those who leave, all the best. I must admit, I never did find another church in my valley, that WASN’T political. Sad.

[Pearls Before Swine]

Is that baby brownish enough (despite his blue eyes) for the statement the pastor wishes to make?

[Da Coyote]

And does anyone wonder why churches with such warped logic are dying?

Here’s a deal, Dedham. You take ALL of the migrants into your town. You support them - no welfare from the feds. You educate them (if we can use that word to describe the public school disaster).

Come and talk after ten years.

Dumbasses.

[kingu]

Wonder how well that church out in Claremont, CA is doing these days after the whole display of Trayvon Martin as Jesus thing. I did notice that the following year it was a much smaller display and extremely traditional.

Hmm, looking at their facebook page, they're still knee deep in supporting illegals and rainbow pride, and just about nothing about - well, you know, that whole pesky thing about God and church and stuff. I suspect that they'll be bankrupt in short order since they couldn't even hold a pot luck at the church this year...

[outpostinmass2]

Now do abortion.

[polymuser]

Best to search FR for the article’s title first, to avoid duplicating a thread. Top right, Search box, select Title in pulldown, type in the title.