Friday, April 19, 2013

God on immigrants--2

The Torah

"As for the assembly, there shall be for both you and the resident alien a single statute, a perpetual statute throughout your generations; you and the alien shall be alike before the Lord You and the alien who resides with you shall have the same law and the same ordinance." Numbers 15:15-16

"I charged your judges at that time: 'Give the members of your community a fair hearing, and judge rightly between one person and another, whether citizen or resident alien.'"  Deuteronomy 1:16

". . . who executes justice for the orphan and the widow, and who loves the strangers, providing them food and clothing. You shall also love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt."  Deuteronomy 10:18-19

"You shall not withhold the wages of poor and needy laborers, whether other Israelites or aliens who reside in your land in one of your towns."  Deuteronomy 24:14

"You shall not deprive a resident alien or an orphan of justice; you shall not take a widow’s garment in pledge. Remember that you were a slave in Egypt and the Lord your God redeemed you from there; therefore I command you to do this." Deuteronomy 24:17-18

“Cursed be anyone who deprives the alien, the orphan, and the widow of justice.” All the people shall say, “Amen!”  Deuteronomy 27:19

21 comments:

Anonymous said...

I can only imagine how difficult it must be for these Marxist Liberal media people to have to report the ideological bent of these bombers.

Anonymous said...

We should treat everyone citizen or non-citizen with kindness and respect. That does not mean we have to throw open our borders and pay for their health care, schooling, jail time, etc. we have had amnesty once, how many times are we going to do this. What is it about securing our borders that is not understandable?

Anonymous said...

The religion of peace strikes again. What do you bet Obama will go on TV and defend Islam?

Larry James said...

Anon11:31, I can't imagine how disappointed you must have been with President Obama's comforting, pastoral message at the end of the ordeal.

Larry James said...

Anon 7:27, every wave of immigration has faced the same attitude/questions you throw up here, including my and your relatives. Mexican immigration is driven by economics. Our nation has benefitted greatly from the arrival of these people. America has never been about "just us." That is our great strength and, in my view, is tied to our faith.

Anonymous said...

Like Charles Krauthhammer's said, "Obama wouldn't be tripping all over himself to avoid mentioning Islam if it was not significant."

Anonymous said...

Obama probably will not speak of Islamic Jihad because it would not be politically correct. It will be very difficult not to speak about it though. Remember the murders at Fort Hood was classed as "workplace violence."

Anonymous said...

Anon7:37 & 8:14' you are both so whacked! Where did you go to college? Oh, of course, you dropped out just like your master, Rush!

Anonymous said...

Where am I wrong?

FYI, I graduated from an Ivy League school in the East.

Time will tell, will it not?

Rosten said...

Larry, though it isn't from Torah, nor is it written with God as the speaker, it is worth mentioning that if the first century Egyptians or Israelites would have had firmer borders, the world could have missed out on the Messiah (Matthew 2). Granted, they were both in the Roman Empire at the time, but they still had their national kings.

I don't necessarily consider that an argument against border control. But think about it from this perspective...considering what beautiful things God has brought about in the past regardless of our borders, what beautiful things might God do in the future regardless of our ridiculous attempts to separate ourselves from each other and from God?

Larry James said...

Rosten, good point! My interest in the texts is to convey an attitude toward people. My intention wasn't to start an argument re border control, but to question the spirit of our debates and the approach we take toward subjects that affect so many people, all made in God's image.

Anonymous said...

The immigration mess started in 1965 when Congress enacted the Immigration Reform Act of 1965. The National Orgins Quota System was abolished and the door was wide open for enormous unskilled workers from the third world. They have brought with them their languages, traditions,, habits, mores, and religions. By 2050 the average U.S. citizen will trace his/her descent to Africa, Asia,the Pacific Islands, Mexico, Arabia, almost anywhere but Europe.
No matter what you think about this, it will, and already has, changed the fabric of American culture. It has caused the "Balkanization" of America with the widening gap between rich and poor with its surplus of cheap immigrant labor.

In our 400 years of history, it has been the wish of newcomers to assiimilate into the common culture, but no more. the emphasis is on pluralism and diversity.This will not be good for the country, where the Anglo-Protestant culture once reigned supreme, and an object of praise from Tocqueville.

The Immigration Reform Act was passed, I might add, in the absence of public debate or vote, as a tribute to the slain President Kennedy.

We are not living with the unintended consequences I am afraid to think what the future will bring.

Anonymous said...

That should read, "we are now living with the unintended consequences."

Anonymous said...

How can one talk about Islam in connection with the bombings in Boston when we do not yet know their motivation? You have leapt from the fact that the perps are/were Muslim to that being their primary or sole motivation. No authority, such as the FBI, has said any such thing. Why speak before you know the facts? (Unless, of course, you are Rush or Fox news.)


As to immigration in general, every new immigrant group faced the same kind of hatred Hispanics do now. Irish, Italians, Chinese, and to a lesser extent, Germans and Jews. This, too, I am sure will pass, and we will realize Hispanics are no greater threat to us than these other groups just looking for a better life.

Anonymous said...

The media"prayed" the guys would be white Americans. If they had been white Southern Baptists from Dallas do you think the media would wait for the facts before having a field day?

Anonymous said...

Anon:.10:39

"Why speak before you know the facts"

You do know, don't you, that within an hour the media was speculating about the tea party being responsible?

Anonymous said...

"If they had been white Southern Baptists from Dallas" I think we would be utterly bewildered and have no idea what their motivation might have been. Just because they are Muslim does not automatically make that their motive. It could be; it might not be. We have one alive, so I'm betting we'll find out. But I cannot see what advantage there is to specualting before we know.

And I don't know what news sources you use, but I was watching NBC, CNN, etc. and heard NO ONE speculating the tea party was involved.

Anonymous said...

Chris Matthews:

Normally domestic terrorists people tend to be on the far right.

CNN National Security Analyst Peter Bergen:

The bombings could be the work of right extremists as easily as the work of Al Qaeda

Esquire's Charles Pierce:

I would caution folks jumping to conclusions about foreign terrorism--the actual date,April 19, was of some significance to Tim McVeigh...

Tom Brokaw:

The U.S.may be partly to blame for the attacks in Boston because young Muslims feel alienated and angry.

In 2008, he referred to Obama's inauguration as a " Velvet Revolution" and equated him to Jesus Christ, while comparing Sarah Palin to Pontius Pilate.

So much for objective journalism.


Anonymous said...

Tea Party, conservatives--- same thing.

Anonymous said...

No one I know equates the Tea Party/Conservatives with Timothy McVeigh or other "far right wing extremists" such as militia. If you connect them, I think that's your issue to work through.

Anonymous said...

I don't connect them at all, but the left would like nothing better than to connect the Boston bombing with domestic terrorist on the far right and the tea party by extension. That way they don't have to say the words, "Muslim terrorist" which Obama jumps through a lot of hoops not to say.