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Bible’s response to immigration!
If anyone picked up Sunday’s edition of the Waco Tribune Herald, you saw the front page story about the deadly path many illegal immigrants must take to cross over the Mexico/Texas border in search of a better life. JB Smith did an excellent job of reporting the horrendous and sometimes fatal trips these folks take just to try and provide for their families. Days without sleep, dehydration and possible death, Coyote’s [people smugglers] who have no conscience and who charge $1700.00 per head are just a few traps they have to overcome in their trek to the land of the free.
Many say theses ‘Beaners” take jobs away from Americans but the fact is that many large Corporations report many of these jobs would remain vacant because Americans won’t do them. Others spew immigrants don’t pay taxes and are only a drain on local hospitals and school districts. The truth is that many pay taxes under a false Social Security number for which they will never get to collect thereby actually contributing to government funded programs. We’ve heard many responses from Americans who think these people should all be loaded on a bus and shipped back to Mexico.
But what is the bible’s response to our immigration issue? Well it starts with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ being rejected by his people, then moves to the Good Samaritan story, and concludes with God telling Peter not to call unclean what He calls clean. The Apostle Paul found himself an immigrant to a foreign land and as a result, felt the need to pen his experience in Acts 28:1 and 10: “[1] Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was called Malta. 2The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire and welcomed us all because it was raining and cold. [10]They honored us in many ways and when we were ready to sail, they furnished us with the supplies we needed”
I think God made us all a member of his household and therefore we should make every effort to open our arms in Christian love to those who seek refuge in our beautiful land. I’m in full support of the bible’s response to immigration reform. How about you? Do you have a different scriptural view of immigration reform?
Comments
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By Fred
January 14, 2008 5:15 AM | Link to this
We should welcome our brothers from the South. In the Bible, Abraham said: “I was a stranger in a strange land…” and Abraham welcomed and helped others who traveled from afar. We are all members on one race…the human race. May God soon end the suffering, pain, violence and anger on the border.
By Craig
January 14, 2008 8:15 AM | Link to this
I believe that as Christians we should treat everyone with dignity and love. The words “Beaners” and “W*****” should never come out of our mouths because it reduces a human life created by God to a mere cartoon to be ridiculed and feared.
But I don’t agree with the kind of proof texting of scripture you have done here. While the Bible is my guide for faith and practice, it’s intention was never to speak to the legal hot button issues of a country created 1700 years after it was written.
This gets into murky territory. The passage in Acts you used is about a group on a journey, temporarily stopping at a place before they arrived at their destination. If you are going to use the kindness of the people as a word to us to be kind to those who land on our shores, should you not also use Peter’s transience as a word that those who came into the country illegally should be given the things necessary for a safe trip back home? If you are going to proof-text, you have to be willing for others to take it to the next level in espousing a different position.
By Craig
January 14, 2008 9:48 AM | Link to this
Craig, Keep tuning in man, I love to hear people’s heart as to what they think and how that lines up with scripture.Craig, I will use scripture in my blog as a way of applying God’s word to today’s hot topics based upon “biblical principles”, not as a way to prove my thoughts by the word of God.I believe one can find an answer for any situation in life in God’s biblical principles therefore making God’s word relevant to my world today.Jesus said: “I am the same, yesterday, today and forevermore.This tells me that even though my world may change, his word and it’s principles can and should be used by his creation in searching for the hard answers in our life.Maybe my intentions are to allow people to espouse different positions but at least we are all allowing ourselves to do a heart seach as to why we belive the way we do right?
By Craig
January 14, 2008 10:25 AM | Link to this
Thank you for the reply.
So, does this then mean that you would be ok with someone using the same passage in Acts as you did, but to justify a different position on the immigration debate? Since Paul praised the people of Malta for taking care of them before they moved on to the next place, shouldn’t we then show unusual kindness to those who have immigrated here illegally, but then send them back?
How about this— When Jesus was asked about the proper relation of the Christian to the state, he replied by saying give to Caesar what is Caesar’s, give to God what is God’s. It seems that he is saying here, as well as in other places, that the law should be followed. Couldn’t the anti-immigration crowd use this passage to justify their belief? And, in doing so, would this be the same thing as them using scripture “apply God’s word to todays hot topics” in the same way you are?
By Pastor Joe
January 14, 2008 12:32 PM | Link to this
Craig- yes you are correct- I have no problem believing in the priesthood of every believer. The reason we have so many denominations is because people for centuries have had various “interpretations” of how they believe scripture should be interpreted and applied.But Jesus said: “That at the witness of two or three shall everything be established”. this to me seems to suggest that if I want to teach a “Principle”, I would look for one scripture. But if I wanted to teach it as a doctrine, then I must look for at least three scriptures to back up my belief. Time nor effectiveness does not permit me to put a lot of scripture into this blog.Thats why I limit it to one scripture then provide more examples as I did this morning when including the stories Jesus, the Good Samaritan, as well as what God said to Peter on the rooftop.I full well undertand that there will be those on the other side that will also have their views-I want that my friend! I’m not trying to get people educated or saved with my writings, just trying to get them to think! So let us continue the dialogue my fellow bloggers!Hope you tune in tommorow folks!
By Jess
January 16, 2008 12:22 PM | Link to this
Wow! After reading the responses posted I think the focus was lost for a minute. The question was “Do you have a different scriptural view of immigration reform?” I believe treating people with kindness and above all else love is ultimately what God intended for his people, but the Word also declares in 1 Peter: submit yourselves for the Lord’s sake to every authority instituted among men: whether to the king, as the supreme authority, or to governors, who are sent by him to punish those who do wrong and to commend those who do right. So scriptural I feel illegal immigrants, from anywhere, should have to follow the steps necessary to become citizens of our beautiful land. Our government instituted these laws for a reason not to be mean or keep people out of our country. If that was the case then there wouldn’t be a process to becoming a citizen. Immigrants who choose to come to our country by illegal means have the same choice come to our country legally. However, regardless of how they get here we should treat everyone with the kindness, respect and love that Jesus requires of us.
By Norma Torres-Vazquez
January 21, 2008 9:30 AM | Link to this
“Love Thy Neighbor” First let me introduce myself, my name is Norma Torres-Vazquez an American born Citizen. No my parents are not from Mexico but my grandparents were. I married Mario Vazquez who was born in Monte Prieto, Guanajuato, Mexico. When I met my husband he was on the waiting list to get his visa. He explained to me how his father had come over illegally and had worked on a visa in at the end had graduated to get his American citizenship. It took a period of about 25 years for the entire process. I then began to contact the immigration office to find out what was the waiting time to acquire his visa. I was surprised to find out that some people have to wait at least 10 years before they are able to get a visa for their family and they must have money and the correct documents on hand when they are called for the visa or they will loose there turn and all will be lost. I then explained to Mario that it would be faster for him to obtain his legal status if he were to marry me and I could reapply for his visa. Well we continued seeing each other and soon fell in love. I found he was a very respectable and hard working man with Christan values. Months went by and he asked me if I would like to get married. I accepted and we were soon married. Mario made it clear that he was not marrying me just to get his visa, he said he could wait until his father could get it for him. Now the drama was about to begin! We went down to San Antonio, Tx to fill out the necessary documents along with paying a large application fee. Then all we had to do was wait for the appointment. During the wait my husband was working in Dallas,Tx for a landscaping company. He would say that he would see the immigration come around to check on workers but because he spoke English they didn’t bother him. On his last day here illegally Mario was stopped by an immigration officer and this time they asked to see his visa. Mario was not able to produce a visa so they put him in jail in Euless, TX. I heard what happened and rushed down to the immigration holding tank in Euless to show the officers that I had already applied for a visa for Mario and that we were waiting for the appointment for his temporary visa. I was told by the immigration officer there that not unless he had a visa he was going to be deported. My heart was crushed! When I called the INS in SanAntonio they told me that he could be released once they would see that he had documents that were in the process. My husband was deported only after being married a few months. He was living in Laredo, Tx and I moved back to Waco to wait for his visa. Several months passed and we finally received an appointment to go to Juarez, Coahuila, Mexico just across the border from El Paso, Tx. I had to work hard to get the money, you see I was supporting my house here in Waco and my house in Nuevo Laredo, Tamaulipas, Mexico where my husband was living. Although my husband had a job where he was a supervisor at a plant in Nuevo Laredo it was barely enough to pay for a meal for me and my two boys. I remember when McDonald’s opened up it took his last “centavo” to pay for the meal. It was sad he had worked from 6am until 6pm for 6 days and it was all gone on one cheap meal. It was sad. I told him not to worry it will soon be over. He was denied the visa because he had to get a pardon from the U.S. Attorney General. This took some more money. About a year later he was granted a visa. We took the paperwork and he crossed over through Laredo,Tx. They stamped his passport and the nightmare was over. He was now legal. I told you this story so that people would understand that getting a visa it not an easy process like most people think. Its takes alot of time and money. An now we are truck drivers both my husband and I. We travel all over the U.S. We run into white people daily who compliment us on English. They often ask me “How long have you lived here? You speak very good English.” They are shocked because when they look at me and my husband they see two Mexicans, not a Mexican American and a Mexican. These people think all Latinos are “W*****” and that we came here illegally. We face this on a daily basis. Even our Puerto Rican friends tell us that they have experience this. Now I will let you know what is my biggest problem. I get very upset when I tell people that my husband is from Mexico. They look at him like he has a contageous disease. I have found out that American born Mexicans have a problem with Mexican Nationals. I get the impression that American born Mexicans feel they are above or at a much higher class than the Mexicans from Mexico. Are they forgetting that this is where our grandparents came from and because of someone’s deep suffering and determination to make a better life for their family they did whatever seemed necessary to cross that border. I guess what the message that I’m sending out is “Love thy neighbor”(Mexico or Canada) And for the American born Mexicans these people could be your relatives! Fod Bless all of you we are all God’s children.