Let's say that you took the job of a judge in the North in the year 1790, a few years before the first Fugitive Slave Act was enacted in 1793.
What would you have done in the year 1793 then? Would you have sent the man back to the south into slavery, or would you have refused to enforce the law because it is inconsistent with Christian principles, and resigned from your office?
Well, perhaps you were sick that day during history class. Yes, there were plenty of laws like that. They are generally referred to as Jim Crow, the Black Codes, etc. Some of these laws made it illegal to even teach a black person to read or write. In many places, for example, if you owned a restaurant, the law would require you to have separate sections for black and whites to eat separately.
Well, choosing not to rent to a person simply because of the color of his skin, would generally fall under the category of racism.
It is your view that Christians are free to be racist?
I think we may be talking past each other here. You indicated that a Christian does not have to submit to a moral law that requires him to sin. So that means that if an immoral law is enacted that requires you to sin, then you do not have to submit to it.
I think the only substantive point on which we disagree is whether or not certain laws like that exist (or existed in the past).
So you do think that God does not abhor the form of modern slavery that existed in the southern United States. Thank you for clarifying your view on that.
I think you scan find support for the principle all over Scripture. Much has been written about it. The author of this thread posted some verses. Here are some other verses:
‘Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.’
sojo.net
Bible verses about Immigration
www.openbible.info
READ MORE: Saint Mark’s Pledges Support for Immigrants and Refugees | White Paper from the Church Council of Greater Seattle: Sanctuary in Faith Community (PDF) Love Refugees As Yourself When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must...
saintmarks.org
How should Christians view refugees? What does the Bible say about refugees? What should be the Christian response to the refugee crisis?
www.gotquestions.org
I think that men have a natural right to go where they please, and to do as they please, as long as that activity is not sinful and does not harm other people. All throughout the Bible (see the verses above, for example) you see men traveling to different locations, and you see that God commands people to welcome the stranger and to treat him fairly. To me, it seems a rather logical conclusion that man has a right to travel. It is a bit difficult to love the stranger and to treat him fairly if the first thing we say is "Get away from us. We will not allow you to enter or even be on the same continent as us".
You seem to adhere to that principle of freedom yourself. You even went so far as to say that a person can refuse to rent to people simply because they are black.
Yes, generally I believe that more fortunate people, or wealthy people if you will, have a moral obligation to help the poor. Have you noticed anything in the Bible instructing us to help the poor?
Now, does that mean that a doctor or a country, must bankrupt itself to take care of others? No, of course not. There is a thing called prudence and moderation. A person, of course, may attend to his own needs first before helping others. But that does not mean that the wealthy billionaire is free to do nothing to help the poor, just because "it is my money, I earned it the good old fashioned American way, and I can do what I want with it."
I would say roughly 50 hours a year and perhaps around 5% of my annual income.
Yes. There is.
Because I am a sinner. Because of greed. Because of my inability to totally rely on the Lord. Because of fear. Because of things like that. I certainly am not a perfect person, nor do I expect others to be perfect. But we should do what we can.
I would prefer that God heal me, though the graces won by our blessed Lord by his death on the cross.
In the same way that they did not want to share the land with us, it seems that some of us do not want to share it with others, and are fighting to remove them.
Is it fair for us to have come to this land, say "we as foreigners have a right to come to this land and live here" and then once we have the land turn around and say "you as foreigners have no right to come to this land and live here?"
I am not sure where you are getting that from. To be clear - I am in favor of immigration laws. I am in favor of things like checking the backgrounds of people, to screen out criminals and terrorists, and other bad people. If you are a terrorist you have forfeited your right to travel freely. I think that should be rather obvious to everyone.
But I do think that it would be improper to have a blanket prohibition on all people who want to come here. There are plenty of good people who come here, work hard, integrate themselves into society, pay taxes, and become good citizens who contribute to the well-being of everyone. I think that such a person should be able to come here and live among us.
Well, I live in Virginia. Several generations ago my ancestors were slaves right here in Virginia. And my parents and grandparents grew up under the Jim Crow laws right here in Virginia. I will take the "coming nightmare" over those conditions personally, but I can see how you would have a different perspective on the direction in which you think society is moving.