Categories
church current affairs

Illegal Immigration Is Real. So Is the Moral Damage We’re Doing

Let me make the following two statements assuming the very best of intentions on both sides.

  1. Trump and his administration deeply care about enforcing the borders of our nation (they’ve added 10,000 immigration agents in a year!). Frankly, since the fatal attacks of September 11, 2001, our national borders have been a focus for several administrations. Indeed, Democrats praised President Obama for penalizing employers of migrants and his mass deportations —back then he had earned the title “Deporter in Chief”.
  2. The media (and here I include individual influencers and people posting footage) care deeply about the rights of our people to hear the truth and the danger to our nation. Their desire to have constant coverage on the topic that is of growing importance is critical for our nation and grounded in the US Constitution.

Those two statements, even if true and at their best of intentions, ignore that there is something profound happening right now. Profundity is not only about WHAT but in HOW.

Under President Trump’s second term, the topic of border control and deportation has been reinvigorated but now, with cruelty and gross rhetoric from both the administration and the media.

I would like those of us who are Christians to pause. Listen. We are being changed by this rhetoric, folks. What the government and the media emphasizes reflects what those in charge of the government and the medial care about. History will justify or condemn them. But what we the people have allowed (or applauded), even in the short term, shrivels our hearts and freezes the soul of our nation.

Moreso, as Christians, it spoils our unique voice.

Categories
current affairs history human rey's a point

Should Christians Rejoice Over The Death of the Wicked?

After some (long) time of hunting, the American special forces have successfully found and killed Osama Bin Laden, fulfilling the mission that was implemented under the command of President Bush. As President Obama echoed the words of said president, the American resolve remained united, and an enemy was stopped. And with the preparation for the announcement came a wave of rejoicing: “Ding Dong, Osama’s dead” and “Obama got Osama” and “Thank God, Osama’s dead!”

This is not the only death that revealed people rejoicing. Adolf Hitler. Saddam Hussein. Pol Pot. Qassem Suleimani. As life goes on and more enemies are killed people will rejoice.

In all this, an ethical question arises: should a Christian rejoice in the death of an enemy?

In this article I will argue that not only is it fine for a Christian to rejoice, but also it should be done—though not done in the gruesome way that I have seen it being done. I think it would also be helpful if the reader references my examination of an imprecatory Psalm (that is, when the Psalmist prays for the destruction of his enemies) and the post on Christian and Curses and my post on the image of God.

This article will be divided into four major sections: (1) Where Rejoicing is Wrong; (2) Where Rejoicing is Right; (3) Where Theology Meets Practice;  and (4) Conclusion. The first three major sections will each have a summarizing point to help the skimmers but I strongly encourage reading through them and the cited verses.

Categories
history human

Christians, Immigration, and the Law

My thought model sort of worked. It allowed me to see the driving principles that ran through Israel’s treatment of immigrants while yielding some information about how those principles might be applied today; but it kept catching one snag. Our problem isn’t immigration—it’s illegal immigration.

Because of that, I had to reflect on human laws, authority and a Christian’s responsibility.

Categories
church current affairs

Should Christians Vote?

Some time ago I wrote about how a Christian who stands on the Gospel is to act in regards to the government. But I want to address a different aspect by asking the following to us American Christians: should Christians vote?