Now our church leaders are speaking up on the immigration issue, and I for one don’t like what they have to say. I understand the whole ‘help those in need of help’ philosophy. It truly is a Christian concept. Yes, the Bible does tell us to care for our neighbor, but it also tells us to care for our family and it appears that the church leaders have missed the point.
They see the immigration problem as a human rights issue. I see it as a national security issue. As long as that border remains open, then my family is in danger, as are many others across the nation. I’m sorry that living conditions in other countries stink. I’m sorry that people are starving and can’t find work. If I could change that, I would. But the US can’t help the world’s impoverished if we are in danger of being attacked. And I’m not interested in helping people when I’m worried about the safety of my loved ones. Sorry if that sounds selfish. We have to secure our homes first, before we go out to minister to the sick, hungry and jobless.
This is just another example of a parade of errors that our church leaders have made recently, and it has really started to aggravate me. Not long ago, the Catholic leadership established a policy that if a priest admitted that he were homosexual, he would be allowed to continue in the priesthood (but they did say that homosexuals would not be allowed to enter the seminary).
This announcement led me to stop giving money to the Catholic church, and I will continue my boycott until such policy is reversed. Either it’s wrong or it isn’t, and if it’s wrong then it’s wrong for EVERYONE including priests. This article says conservatives applauded the announcement, but I see hypocrisy. Instead, my tithe is going to other charitable organizations and protestant churches. I think God will understand my position. Now, the recent actions of church leaders regarding immigration only enforce the idea that I’m doing the right thing and if it continues then I may have to boycott the protestant faith as well. Illegal immigration is illegal, even if the people doing it are in need. Helping those who are committing crimes is not how I want the church to spend its money. I’m not going to give money to churches when I disagree with the message that they send. I’ll find other ways to help fund God’s work.
4 comments:
Very true. But don't worry. I don't think you'll have to abandon the church all together. I think the piece you read represents a small number of protestants, not the majority. It is ironic how we are the only country with a border control problem, but so many countries are filled with jealosy and hatred for us.
I don't have a clue as to why I am up this late, but I am glad that I am; otherwise I might have missed this post.
I agree with Nathan. I am an Episcopalian in Texas and my Priest happens to be a liberal. But I refuse to renounce my faith because of that. He doesn't seem to mind that the Episcopalian Church in Massachusetts ordained Robinson, a homosexual, as a priest, but none of the Bishops in Texas condone it. So I know that this one priest does not represent the majority of the Episcopalians in Texas. Nor does it represent the majority of Episcopalians who attend my church.
As for the immigration issue, I don't know what he thinks, nor do I care. I know what I believe, and it's exactly what you believe: it is without a doubt a national security issue. I have been harping long and hard about it, because it looks as though nothing is being done about it. Not enough anyway. And because I live in Texas, it's extremely close to home, as is the drug problem coming up from the southern border.
What if both sides are right? What if it is both a national security issue and a justice issue? I think a logical and unbiased observer of the issues could see both points.
And if so, where do we go from there? Do we put our concern for national security first or our concern for human rights first? Or do you simply not see it that way?
Speaking as one who sees the immigration as a human rights issue, I think I can safely say that most who agree with me see both sides of the issue and would appreciate some resolution that dealt with both sides.
Just to clarify, I have not renounced my faith as a result of any of these issues. My wife is Catholic and I am Protestant, so we attend and tithe (at one time) to both churches. I am concerned that politics has infected the Christian church and this is affecting the decision-making of many of its leaders. I am on the lookout for this and will hold them accountable which is why I choose not to give money to the Catholic church. I am still true to my faith, but I won't hesitate to name a hypocrite when I seen one.
Dan, it may be both, but the most important to me is the national security issue. Why? Because my FAMILY is threatened by this open border. We can weep for the poor immigrants all day long, but what happens when a nuclear or biologic attack occurs as a result of our open border? What if one million AMericans were killed in an attack, simply because our enemies have easy access? Do we still weep for the immigrants? What if YOUR family is part of that one million? It's a tough question with an easy answer, at least for me.
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