American is a Christian country, founded by Christians sent here by God to save them from persecution. It really doesn’t matter that this isn’t how history really went down. What matters is that this is the narrative 67 percent of Americans believe. But I don’t.
Now to be clear, I don’t simply understand this just because we don’t have a declared national religion. Nor is it because I realize there are other faiths in the United States that are growing and deserve their place in a free and open society. I don’t believe we are or can be a Christian nation, because I’m a Christian, and the Bible is clear on this: “by their fruits ye shall know them” (Matthew 7:20, KJV).
Today, I’d like to look at one fruit in particular. America’s inability to to give human beings basic human rights. No, I’m not talking about the legal death panels that decide if saving or taking a life will be more profitable — our corporate run healthcare system. I’m talking about taking children away from their parents for the very minor crime of coming into the United States either as refugees or illegally. You know, those people God didn’t bless to be born here.
Coming into the US illegally, or coming in legally and staying illegally, is a crime leaders have equated with jaywalking. Yet the current administration has ripped families apart, holding the children in an old Walmart, as one example. And as if this former superstore isn’t big enough, there is now talk of adding “tent cities” to “accommodate” all the children they’re abducting.
As a Christian, this is horrible. This is a direct violation of the Law of Moses:
“Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself: I am the Lord… And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” -Leviticus 19:18, 33-34
Yet Attorney General Jeff Sessions had the audacity to state, “I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained them for the purpose of order.”
Apparently he missed verse 8: “he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law.” And, he seems to have missed verse 10: Love worketh no ill to his neighbour: therefore love is the fulfilling of the law.” And he missed verse 12: “let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light.” He also missed the fact that Paul wasn’t talking about worldly leaders, but ministers teaching their sheep to avoid sin (Romans 13:4, 6).
Yes, one may argue that Leviticus 19:19 states “Ye shall keep my statutes” (KJV). However, the list that follows this talks about not letting cattle or plants mate or sow with cattle or plants not of their kind, forbidding mixing linen and wool, and not having sexual relationships with a woman that man doesn’t own, etc. Seeing that these are all Biblical laws okay to violate for Republicans, this argument is weak.
To be fair, there are Republicans against what is happening. The question is: can they work with Democrats to stop this, or would that be political suicide? This is the type of policy voters wanted when electing our current president. I’m sure that, to the Trump administration, they’re just doing the will of the people. By their fruits…
Bringing this back to what it is — a minor violation of the law on par with jaywalking — the next question should be: when will the Trump administration start ripping families apart for other minor infractions? Will they take my kids if I jaywalk? What if I park illegally? What if I forget to return a library book (imagine that we remember libraries)? We’re talking zero tolerance, and that means you and I will not be tolerated at some point, as well.
The reality is that this current “zero tolerance policy” proves yet again that this administration doesn’t care about children, families, or the Christian God. To them, children are the bulletproof vest, dying to keep our poor gun regulations. They are mouths to starve. They aren’t the future — they are a nuisance to be tolerated at best. Thus, we cannot be a Christian nation, because love isn’t spoken of here.