Jesus Was An Illegal Alien?
September 6, 2006 by Laura | Trackback URI
A recent post on faithfuldemocrats.com contended that, because Mary and Joseph took Jesus and fled to Egypt, that Jesus was an illegal immigrant. I can certainly understand the desire to use the Bible to buttress your political philosophy - for Christians there is no higher authority. But, really, that’s just weak. And the commenters don’t hesitate to say so. Another example, but this time one whose conclusions I largely agree with, is this post.
So, what does the Bible teach about immigration? While it does not directly confront illegal immigrants, it has some basic principles we can follow. Hebrews 13 provides us with one of the most common verses on the issue of obeying and submitting to leadership. The over-all context is mainly recognized as referring to spiritual leaders, but I think the general principles found in the Bible can be applied to everyday situations. Verse seventeen reads: “Obey your leaders and submit to them, for they are keeping watch over your souls, as those who give an account. Let them do this with joy and not with groaning, for that would be of no advantage to you.”
[...]Some believe we should reach out to illegal immigrants. Of course, we must share the Gospel with them, and show them the love of Christ, but beyond that I feel inclined to think this strategy will only place us “in harms way.” After all, by breaking the laws of our nation (which is rebellion against government), these people ultimately are breaking God’s laws of submission.
Interesting perspective. Chuck Colson has warned about the “demonizing” of illegal aliens, and of course we must remember that they are fellow human beings. Joel Belz had a column in World Magazine that bluntly stated “The big fear for evangelical Christians should not be the ire of Hispanic voters, but the wrath of God.” Mr. Belz’s problem is that he views illegal immigrants as immigrants, and not as colonizers. It’s an important distinction, and Jay Tea at Wizbang summed it up well.
Immigrants leave behind their native culture and society to join another. They might bring pieces of it, but their main motivation is to be a part of that society, perhaps improve it a bit with parts of their own, but the mainly intend to assimilate. They see something better for them, and want to be a part of it.
Colonists, though, intend to extend their homeland. They feel an obligation (”white man’s burden”) to bring the benefits of “civilization” to a new land. They come bearing all the baggage from home that immigrants leave behind, determined to recreate the best parts of home. And if there happen to be people already there, why then they must be made to share the blessings of liberty.
[...]Nowadays, in America, we are being colonized again. We have groups coming in and establishing their own little ghettos and havens, where their own language, customs, and beliefs reign supreme. In one town in southern Texas, the local government passed an ordinanace proclaiming Spanish as their official language.
Something to think about… as Christians, we are obviously required - and should want - to share both the Gospel and the love of Christ. But nowhere in the bible does it say that we must allow our culture and society to be overtaken by colonizers - especially when these actions will hinder our continuing to feed the hungry and help the poor. Mexico is not poor because it lacks resources - it has oil, plenty of arable land, and many other blessings. It’s poor largely because of corruption and bad government. For example, a Mexican illegal immigrant left California and moved to Kentucky, saying, “California now resembles Mexico — everyone thinks like in Mexico. California’s broken.” That woman has assimilated, but far too many others have not, and California and other parts of the country have paid the price.
Is a failure to welcome illegal aliens going to invite the wrath of God into my life, as Mr. Belz contends? Or as C.S. Lewis contends in “Why I Am Not A Pacifist,” is “the suppression of a higher religion by a lower, or even a higher secular culture by a lower, a much greater evil.” ? Although he was referring to war as being preferable to some alternatives, I think the concept of one culture taking over another can still apply here. Certainly this is a bloodless takeover of land, and with all due respect to Mexican heritage, the current culture in Mexico is obviously lacking or its citizens would stay and fight for it. And the current culture in California and the border states is now also lacking, or illegal aliens wouldn’t be moving inland to escape it.
Do religion and politics mix? Certainly, because religion mixes with everything, if you truly believe in your faith. It’s not possible to truly believe, and yet somehow segregate that belief from another part of your life. My faith influences my politics as it does everything else from my clothing choices to the stores I patronize. But I think we need to be very careful not to allow political doctrine to influence our theological doctrine.
This was a production of The Coalition Against Illegal Immigration (CAII). If you would like to participate, please go to the above link to learn more. Afterwards, email the coalition and let me know at what level you would like to participate.
An excellent article and something we should all think about. It is true that our faith does influence every aspect of our lives, as it should. Thanks so much for this. Sometimes we are ridiculed to being against ILLEGAL immigration, called racist, etc. That could not be further from the truth for me. It is a matter of obeying our laws so we know who is here in our borders.
IF YOU ARE A FOLLOWER OF JESUSCHRIST YOU SHOULD ALLWAYS APPLY GRACE BEFORE LAW (MATTHEW 5:43,48)SPECIALLY WITH THIS SECULAR GOVERMENT “WICH BY THE WAY IS NOT KEEPING WATCH OVER YOUR SOULS” ,SEE MALACHI 3:5 GOD BLESS YOU.
If grace was all that counted, there would have been no need for Jesus to die on the cross. God could simply have forgiven our sins and let that be the end of it. Instead, He chose to fulfill the law by paying for our sins.
And by the way, ALL CAPS MEANS SHOUTING!!!!!! and is considered a serious violation of netiquette.
This is a great discussion. Lets look at the plain facts:
- Mexico’s government is corrupt, their peoples human rights and basic protection are violated every day
- Drug dealers/farmers and gangs are allowed to circulate parts of Mexico (like little corrupt governments under the already corrupt hierachy)
- Mexican peoples/families are enslaved and threatened by drug farmers or they work an honest days labor somewhere else only to be robbed of it by tax collectors/drug dealers.
- Mexican government officials are paid off with drug money
- Drugs are smuggled across our borders by legal citizens or illegal immigrants acting as “mules” to escape poverty, enslavement or eventual death. (mules may even be shipped or paid for by drug cartels).
In essence the most corrupt people in our society are funding the destruction of Mexico
Buying drugs, selling cocaine etc etc
Which leads to the immigrants crossing our borders illegally seeking sanctuary, a new life, jobs
I would say that Mexicans see themselves as Jesus Mary and Joseph did endangered by ungodly leader.
Rather then sell their souls to the devils trade they take a risk on a dream of a new life serving God. They may have broken some of God’s laws and the laws of man to start their new life in the US but they carry that cross with them. A cross not many of us ever have to carry. Some fail to carry the cross, but some also fight to carry that cross same cross in hopes of earning their place in heaven.
The name of the game is “survival.” Survival of their faith in God, Family, and fellow neighbor…
I just wnat to put this thought out there. Illegal immigrant have broken the law, true. But I know for a fact that God looks at the heart. They do this for the most part for the love of their families to be able to provide SOMETHING for them. For many it is an unselfish act. Also they come here and keep a low profile and try just to do the best they can to survive and are still poor. I know that not everyone believes this way but God says that we should help those who are poor. Rather than continue quoting this article I found I will post the link here. Please read it make up your own mind what you think God really says about those who are less fortunate than us and what we should do to/about them:
http://www.zompist.com/meetthepoor.html
God is also quite specific that those who help the poor will be blessed by Him in return.
One last thought, God’s way of giving more to us is by teaching us to give in return. This is why its more blessed to give than to receive. Proverbs 11.24 One man gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.
What bible verse gives one government the imperative to forcibly redistribute my money to nationals of another country? This is not charity as described by the bible. It’s theft. You are free to give all you want of your own money. Neither you - nor anyone else - should be free to give of mine. I give to my own church and to the ministries God leads me to, including regular support of an orphanage in Mexico. That is charity, and has nothing to do with illegal immigration.
Here’s some of those unselfish, loving people you’d like to support and enable. Not to mention the drunk who rammed into my mother’s car, driven by my sixteen year old daughter. I don’t like to be harsh but you are obviously not well informed about the economic and societal costs of illegal immigration, nor about the parts of the bible that deal with justice and obedience rather than mercy.
Let me toss a concept out there for you, There but… a Dallas man evidently just murdered his two teenage daughters. He broke the law, true. But his motivation was completely pure - defending his honor and his faith. Should he have let his daughters continue in what he considered sin? If God looks at the heart, how can He possibly condemn this good man? And if God won’t, should we?
Laura, I think I will let God be the judge of that man that killed his daughters, and as for all the illegal immigrants that are here merely to improve their families’ quality of life, I will also let God be their judge and defender as well. I hope that you never find yourself in a situation as desperate as the illegals’.
Okay, so correct me if I’m wrong, but is what you’re saying that you’re not in favor of enforcing man’s law?
How is that consistent with this passage from Romans 13?
I have been desperately poor. I’ve lived without electricity for the better part of a year and was often hungry. I did not break the law, and if I had broken it, I would expect to pay the price for doing so.
Your position is unsupportable, both practically for our future as a nation and biblically.