Posted on 03/01/2017 7:10:51 PM PST by V K Lee
America is in the midst of an ideological civil war. The division is deep and wide and the refugee problem is the latest iteration of the chasm. Emotional arguments can generate justifications that are extremely hypocritical. The hypocrisy in this particular debate is that those who want an open door refugee policy are appealing to Christian morality, calling it unchristian not to let them all in. When the left starts appealing to Christian morality, it is worth taking note.
These are the people who want to banish Christianity from every aspect of American culture. Their leader and former President Barack Obama famously said, “we are not a Christian nation.” Suddenly his liberal cohorts are asserting Christianity to buttress their position. Nice try, but there is no biblical case for opening the floodgates to refugees infiltrated by Islamic terrorists.
Some Americans are making the dangerous mistake of applying biblical principles of personal morality to matters of national security. This is one of the passages being quoted in support of an open door refugee policy. “Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels.” [Hebrews 13:2] That verse imposes a moral obligation on individuals to be hospitable. Governmental policies are quite another matter. When these texts were written, cities were surrounded by walls and secured behind gates.
The highest moral obligation of the President of the United States is to protect our citizens. You cannot apply the personal ethic of turning the other cheek to national security any more than you can to the security of your spouse or child. No sane human being would say to a loved one under attack, “turn the other cheek so that you may be attacked again.” Just as it is your moral duty to protect and defend your loved ones, the President is under a sacred oath to protect and defend America.
If terrorists bomb a city, would we offer them another? The moral response, in defense of our people, would be to wage war against the perpetrators until they are captured or killed. The ethical imperative is to destroy their ability to do further harm. This is a Christian principle you will not hear liberal elites citing: “But if anyone does not provide for his own, and especially for those of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.” Providing for the safety, security and care of your own is a higher Christian responsibility than charity toward strangers.
Another argument we are hearing – offered by Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson – is that “Jesus was a refugee.” They reject what the Bible says about abortion, marriage, Israel and the Jewish people, but they are suddenly biblical adherents. Presumably, they are referring to when the holy family took refuge in Egypt during Herod’s mass infanticide. It’s an ironic argument since it is the left which is trying to kick Jesus out of America. If the word “refugee” applies to Jesus at all, it is in reference to the secularists who will not allow Him a home in their hearts.
That aside, it is a favorite tactic of the left to create red herrings, and respond to arguments that no one has made. No one has said all refugees are bad or that all refugees should be banned for all time. President Trump has said, and most Americans agree, that our government has a duty to protect its citizens from harm. Therefore, we should be careful about who is allowed into our country, particularly from places where Islamic terrorism is widespread. That is not Hitlerian, unchristian or anti-Jesus. It is a common sense response to the threat of Islamic terror.
Finally, the emotion surrounding this issue is driven in part by the specter of America turning away Jews escaping Nazi Germany. That was horrible and a source of national regret. We turned away Jews primarily because we did not want to get involved with Europe’s conflicts. In the end, we defeated the Nazis and took in the Jews.
Today’s refugee problem is different. There are Muslims from the Middle East who want to kill Americans and destroy our country. Since we cannot easily identify them among those who are legitimately escaping persecution, we must be extremely cautious. One or two terrorists can do enormous damage. Acknowledging this reality is neither Islamophobia nor religious bigotry. It is doing our Christian duty to protect innocent Americans from those who wish to do us harm.
By appealing to Biblical principle, liberals are unwittingly admitting that America is indeed a nation of Christian values. Instead of vilifying the President and smearing Christians, the left needs to work toward compassionate solutions that also make our citizens safe. The ideological civil war in our country is really a spiritual divide. It is time for America’s spiritual refugees to return to the faith and stand for the vision of “one nation under God indivisible with liberty and justice for all.”
Good article. Thanks for posting.
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Haven’t read the article (I will), but for years I’ve said the left bases many of it’s political views on Christian values, but only to apply to government. Christian values are not practiced and lived by governments - only people.
But as people the left rejects ALL Christian values, while claiming to hold to them - love, helping the poor, tolerance, charitable giving, etc.
It is the ultimate form of hypocrisy: feeling righteous in saying you believe in something because you support the government doing it, but refusing to live it yourself.
In fact, it is usually totally WRONG for a government to base its policy and actions on Christianity. E.g., whereas to turn the cheek is a true Christian virtue, for a government to NOT do everything possible to protect its citizens is a denial of its primary purpose for existing.
I could go on through a long list of Christian virtues where I can demonstrate this, but I think this makes the point.
Wow - just finished the article. E.W. (he is great) and I are saying the very same thing. No surprise here. Excellent article.
“Gates of Vienna” website (posted by Bodisseys) is a good
source for getting clued in on what Muslim Jihadists are
doing and what they’ve done over the centuries in the
Jihad cause. They were stopped at the Gates of Vienna. If
they hadn’t been stopped; Mohammedanism would have ruled
the world after slaughtering all the “infidels” who refused
their rule.
Why can't foreigners do the same in their countries? Yes there is great danger and personal cost. But that is the price of freedom. How does America gain by accepting their cowards?
PING!
Good article. Thanks.
The Secular left always uses and abuses religion to it’s advantage.
Foolish behavior and lack of wisdom is frowned down upon in multiple locations in Bible and especially Proverbs. Letting refugees who subscribe to an entity that advocates killing and raping people who don’t believe the same thing is FOOLISH BEHAVIOR. Pope does not understand this basic concept.
Thank you so much for this! Very helpful article!
Excellent distinctions between the Christian responsibilities of government and those of individuals.
EW is the man!! I know him.
I doubt it is ethics more like the MONEY the feds feed these charities.
To the tune of over $1 Billion.
This is not about flesh and blood, its a battle against spiritual wickedness operating on this Earth, and yes its about money, they were giving the Churches of Thyatira and Loadicea millions to aid their schemes,
That demonic Obama administration was was attempting to flood Western Christian nations with that evil spirit of Islam,
This is about a NWO Globalist anti-Christ Beast system rising up for the last days,
“And whereas thou sawest iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men; but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay.” Daniel 2:43
When the left starts appealing to Christian morality, it is worth taking note.
“. . and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; . .” Matthew 5:44
Any Church leaders for which these things are a mystery to them should inform themselves and pray for understanding,
Thanks for this Excellent article, logical and heartfelt. Bookmarked the source.
Thank you for the Ping, V K Lee.
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