Should we allow immigrants into our country?

[Howard Beale]

Christians have a reason for encouraging immigration that others do not. We have been commanded to preach the gospel to the whole world. When immigrants come to our country we can reach them more easily than we could if they had remained in their home country. Most immigrants maintain some connection with their former home so if they are converted they can share the gospel with their friends and relatives who have remained at home. We need to always keep in mind that we are citizens of Heaven first and that is the place our primary loyalty lies. I have written a post on this subject in my blog.

Immigration and evangelism

Dearest Samwise,

I made sure to read your blog as well as your writings on the thread and I agree with much of what you said. However I think you may be missing a basic teaching of Jesus’ which is also in the verses from Leviticus and Deuteronomy. Jesus clarifies that OT commands like these are commands to each of us as individuals as well as communally. It is not a command to take some political or ideological stance. It is a command to walk the walk of loving our neighbors not talk the talk.

If we understand the OT through the lens of the words and teachings of Jesus (which as Christians we must) then the question to each of us is how many illegal immigrants we will give room and board to in our own homes. How much will we give personally from our pockets and our hands into the hands of the immigrant? How many homeless will we take into our homes to offer them food and a shower and clean clothes. This is Christian Charity - from one human being to another - face to face, hand in hand, soul with soul.

Jesus never commanded that we lobby a government to do that work. It has become a way for today’s Christians to make themselves feel good while ignoring Jesus' teachings and side-stepping His exhortations.

If you were to set a Christian example to other Christians in Kansas and bring some homeless or destitute individuals or families into your home and provide their sustenance then you would be showing them the true meaning of Christianity, the stunning power of God’s love and that is what those helped by us would take back to their homes and homelands. That is the example of Jesus and His disciples.

I leave you with the opening words of Thomas a Kempis’ The Imitation of Christ

HE WHO follows Me, walks not in darkness," says the Lord.(John 8:12)
By these words of Christ we are advised to imitate His life and habits, if we wish to be truly enlightened and free from all blindness of heart. Let our chief effort, therefore, be to study the life of Jesus Christ.

The teaching of Christ is more excellent than all the advice of the saints, and he who has His spirit will find in it a hidden manna. Now, there are many who hear the Gospel often but care little for it because they have not the spirit of Christ. Yet whoever wishes to understand fully the words of Christ must try to pattern his whole life on that of Christ. [The Imitation of Christ by Thomas a Kempis]

With love,
Howard

 

[New Birth]

I say put a stop to all immigration for 12 years.

 

[FEZZILLA]

Yes, as long as they enter legally. America is a sovereign nation and living in a dangerous time with Islamic terrorism and ruthless gangs that jump the border. Ancient and modern Israel had restrictions as well. Immigrants were allowed in ancient Israel but entire armies were fought at God's command.

 

[FEZZILLA]

I say put a stop to all immigration for 12 years.

I wouldn't take it quite that far but I would like to see illegal immigration end, and a complete and permanent cease to Islamic emigration. But I would allow peaceful immigrants that love this country in.

 

[Jonathan Walkerin]

The religious composition of our immigrant population should be 100% Christian. Muslims, atheists, and other non-Christians shouldn't be allowed to immigrate to the US. After all, America is a Christian majority nation, and it's best if we stay this way.

Bit of thin edge of the wedge there...if you would apply that to immigrants how long until they would start measuring how the current citizens compare to that ideal after next right wing nut grabs power.

Maybe some deportations would be in order. Perhaps establish a Christian police force to help with those since regular lawkeepers are infested with heretics and atheists.

Bright Christian future for all true americans. They could even reuse MAGA hats , just shave the G letter a bit and you would have a bonafide Make America Christian Again or MACA hat ready to go.

 

[New Birth]

Bit of thin edge of the wedge there...if you would apply that to immigrants how long until they would start measuring how the current citizens compare to that ideal after next right wing nut grabs power.

Maybe some deportations would be in order. Perhaps establish a Christian police force to help with those since regular lawkeepers are infested with heretics and atheists.

Bright Christian future for all true americans. They could even reuse MAGA hats , just shave the G letter a bit and you would have a bonafide Make America Christian Again or MACA hat ready to go.

wouldn't it be great if the USA were a Christian country!?

 

[FEZZILLA]

Bit of thin edge of the wedge there...if you would apply that to immigrants how long until they would start measuring how the current citizens compare to that ideal after next right wing nut grabs power.

Maybe some deportations would be in order. Perhaps establish a Christian police force to help with those since regular lawkeepers are infested with heretics and atheists.

Bright Christian future for all true americans. They could even reuse MAGA hats , just shave the G letter a bit and you would have a bonafide Make America Christian Again or MACA hat ready to go.

I would also like to disagree with his statement as in the past I would have. But after seeing all the extreme hatred against Christianity and our deeply held values, and how radical atheists have become since 2014, I'm starting to believe that allowing non-Christian immigration into this country was a huge mistake. Maybe I'm just blowing smoke here, but I'm not happy with this extremely hateful march against all Christians and their right to live and exist.

 

[Jonathan Walkerin]

wouldn't it be great if the USA were a Christian country!?

Right, however there are around 30 000 - 40 000 Christian denominations around so then we could start really finding whose teachings are correct and who is the heretic especially since now people would actually have a great tradition of persecution and hate.

Personally I would prefer to see USA to stay a nation of immigrants and freethinkers ; well what is left of it anyway.

 

[New Birth]

Right, however there are around 30 000 - 40 000 Christian denominations around so then we could start really finding whose teachings are correct and who is the heretic especially since now people would actually have a great tradition of persecution and hate.

Personally I would prefer to see USA to stay a nation of immigrants and freethinkers ; well what is left of it anyway.

I guess I would have to start by removing the single largest "Christian" denomination in America. That would be a good start as for heretics.

 

[Newtheran]

Is this a Christian thing to do or not?

There are a lot of flawed concepts regarding immigration and Christianity being promoted these days. I would point you to scripture.

The great commision says to"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20).

It does not say go bring all other nations to Israel so that they can learn about me.

Additionally, Ruth 1:16-17 sets forth the Biblical model for the immigrant:

"For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
17 Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.”

So, at the very least there is absolutely zero room in the Biblical model of immigration for foreigners to come live with another group of people and promote their own languages and religions. So no pressing #1 for Spanish and #2 for English and no mosque construction in America.

 

[A_Thinker]

There are a lot of flawed concepts regarding immigration and Christianity being promoted these days. I would point you to scripture.

The great commision says to"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20).

It does not say go bring all other nations to Israel so that they can learn about me.

Additionally, Ruth 1:16-17 sets forth the Biblical model for the immigrant:

"For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
17 Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.”

So, at the very least there is absolutely zero room in the Biblical model of immigration for foreigners to come live with another group of people and promote their own languages and religions. So no pressing #1 for Spanish and #2 for English and no mosque construction in America.

Problems with your conclusions ...

God said to "Welcome the foreigner who comes to your land ... "

Leviticus 19

33 When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him. 34 You must treat the foreigner living among you as native-born and love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

America isn't ... and has never been, a nation of ONE people and ONE language. Even from the beginning, settlers "shared" the land with Native Americans, and shortly thereafter, shared it with enslaved Africans, and, ultimately, foreigners from every corner of the earth. Some may argue that such a spirit of harmony is why God ultimately bestowed such a blessing upon our land.

 

[BNR32FAN]

Is this a Christian thing to do or not?

Absolutely

 

[BNR32FAN]

There are a lot of flawed concepts regarding immigration and Christianity being promoted these days. I would point you to scripture.

The great commision says to"Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you" (Matthew 28:19-20).

It does not say go bring all other nations to Israel so that they can learn about me.

Additionally, Ruth 1:16-17 sets forth the Biblical model for the immigrant:

"For wherever you go, I will go;
And wherever you lodge, I will lodge;
Your people shall be my people,
And your God, my God.
17 Where you die, I will die,
And there will I be buried.
The Lord do so to me, and more also,
If anything but death parts you and me.”

So, at the very least there is absolutely zero room in the Biblical model of immigration for foreigners to come live with another group of people and promote their own languages and religions. So no pressing #1 for Spanish and #2 for English and no mosque construction in America.

Still we shouldn’t reject people who are trying to make a better life for their self. As for Muslims, coming to America gives them the freedom to learn about Christ without fear of risking their life by persecution. If God will not turn anyone away who comes to Him neither should we.

 

[Newtheran]

God said to "Welcome the foreigner who comes to your land ... "

Citation and translation, please. I'm guessing you're talking about something like Leviticus 19:34.

"The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you,"?

Which is consistent with what Ruth said. Furthermore, that is specifically a portion of the Levitical law unlike the citations I provided from Matthew and Ruth. Are you encouraging the application of the Levitical law to our civil affairs?

Even from the beginning, settlers

An additional problem is the inability to distinguish between a frontier that was being settled and a completed nation. The mainland United States was completed on Feb. 14, 1912 with the admission of Arizona to the union. And what happened shortly after that? "If you look at the numbers of immigrants prior to 1924 and after 1965, you find the chart is so small as to be statistically zero. Between 1921 and 1940, less than 50,000 people immigrated."

The concept of America as "a nation of immigrants" is propaganda put forth by individuals who typically support one of two political agendas and doesn't square with the historical record. We were a frontier settled by immigrants, and became a nation of citizens.

 

[BNR32FAN]

How many should we allow in? The Christian thing to do would be to open the borders but then we would then have 2 billion poor people coming in. At (a current) 20 trillion dollars in debt our economy will collapse. How will we take care of them then?

The economy would only collapse if it is God’s will.

 

[BNR32FAN]

Citation and translation, please. I'm guessing you're talking about something like Leviticus 19:34.

"The stranger who dwells among you shall be to you as one born among you,"?

Which is consistent with what Ruth said. Furthermore, that is specifically a portion of the Levitical law unlike the citations I provided from Matthew and Ruth. Are you encouraging the application of the Levitical law to our civil affairs?



An additional problem is the inability to distinguish between a frontier that was being settled and a completed nation. The mainland United States was completed on Feb. 14, 1912 with the admission of Arizona to the union. And what happened shortly after that? "If you look at the numbers of immigrants prior to 1924 and after 1965, you find the chart is so small as to be statistically zero. Between 1921 and 1940, less than 50,000 people immigrated."

The concept of America as "a nation of immigrants" is propaganda put forth by individuals who typically support one of two political agendas and doesn't square with the historical record. We were a frontier settled by immigrants, and became a nation of citizens.

Your still saying we were settled by immigrants. How is that different from saying we are a nation of immigrants? A nation settled by immigrants is a nation of immigrants.

 

[trophy33]

Should we allow immigrants into our country?

Just wondering... is the country "yours"?

Because to come to someones house, kill them (native indians), bullying the rest or stealing from them and took the house by force, is not a proper process of ownership, right?

If you will look at the USA as at an established political body of invaders, then its quite funny to tell others "get out of our country".

 

[Newtheran]

Just wondering... is the country "yours"?

Because to come to someones house, kill him (native indians) and took the house by force, is not a proper process of ownership, right?

Tell you what. Get back to me as soon as you get the Turks to give back Constantinople and Byzantium. We'll all leave and go back there the minute you do.

If you will look at the USA as an established political body of invaders, then its quite funny to tell others "get out of our country".

If you view it this way, the last thing you see as morally appropriate would be to invite more invaders in.

 

[trophy33]

Tell you what. Get back to me as soon as you get the Turks to give back Constantinople and Byzantium. We'll all leave and go back there the minute you do.

Do you think that you based a moral argument by this? There are many examples of stolen lands and cities around the world. That does not make it right.

If you view it this way, the last thing you see as morally appropriate would be to invite more invaders in.

If you have the "right" to stay just because you came in large numbers and natives could not (and from the beginning did not want to) stop you, then they have the same right today. They are no worse and the country is of who will come.

 

[Newtheran]

Do you think that you based a moral argument by this? There are many examples of stolen lands and cities around the world. That does not make it right.

And yet your outrage seems selective, overlooking the most longstanding and violent cases of it.

If you have the "right" to stay just because you came in large numbers and natives could not (and from the beginning did not want to) stop you, then they have the same right today. They are no worse and the country is of who will come.

The difference between colonizing an unsettled frontier and invading an established nation.

However the bottom line is this: rather than destabilizing our own nation and limiting a limited number of people from other nations by allowing them to come here, we should be aggressively fulfilling the great commission and exporting those ideas that can help turn their nations into the sorts of places they want to stay thereby helping even more people.