My Angry Voice Siren Call

Okay, now I am one of the “angry voices” that my governor, Nikki Haley, spoke about.  But it has become obvious that being soft and gentle is not working.  It’s not working partly because even some of my “brothers and sisters in Christ” look at me sideways, insinuate my bent toward being “unloving” (among other things), and say disparaging things that are not true.  Am I calling them liars?  No, I choose to think the best of them and will say they are ignorant about what they speak.  I have also seen and read several blog posts and opinion columns equating Jesus as a refugee.  Sadly, the theology (or lack thereof) in these has been at the very least poor. 

So I take it upon myself to write this, not because I believe I am anyone important, nor do I think I have superior knowledge.  It is just that my heart cries out for truth, for correct thinking, for understanding, for freedom of speech, for the ability to express thoughts and ideas without being labeled as bigoted, unloving, uncaring, xenophobic, hateful, and worst of all non-Christian. 

Please understand that I have no problem giving safe harbor to true refugees.  Would you be shocked to know that America currently takes more refugees from the world’s ghettos than all other refugee resettlement countries in the world combined?  But all refugees are not equal in the sense of the danger they might bring.  And unless and until we in the United States of America can find a way to accurately and fully assess them (vet them), we owe it to our children, our loved ones, our fellow citizens, and those very brave men and women who have given the most to keep us safe, to hold back the surge of refugees.

“There is no right to emigrate to the United States. And the fact that one comes from a country or territory ravaged by war does not, by itself, make one an asylum candidate. War, regrettably, is a staple of the human condition. Civil wars are generally about power. That often makes them violent and, for many, tragic; but it does not necessarily make them wars in which one side is persecuting the other side. (James Simpson)

I ask often, why there are so many young men who are the refugees.  It doesn’t make sense to me that so few women and children are in these groups.  Why aren’t these young, strong, fit men staying in their own country to fight for what they believe, or to defend their homeland?  We fought a war in this country, an “Un-civil” war,"The War Between the States."  Don’t you think it would have turned out very different if many of the young men had fled to England or Europe? I think our country wouldn’t be the same today had that occurred.

Do you know what happened in Cologne Germany, other parts of Germany, and throughout Europe on New Year’s Eve?  Have you educated yourself on the many attacks, ravaging sexual attacks, happening to women in far too many places across the globe?  Places filled coincidentally (I think not) with particular kinds of refugees?  If you believe this is just rhetoric and “right wing” paranoia, then I suggest you tell that to the many wounded women who will never be the same.  And to those who are rightfully afraid to leave their homes right now.

You do know that the two perpetrators of the San Bernardino terrorist attack were immigrants who were supposedly run through our vetting process.  Apparently it isn’t working.  “FBI director James Comey said during a House Committee on Homeland Security hearing that the federal government does not have the ability to conduct thorough background checks on all of the 10,000 Syrian refugees that the Obama administration says will be allowed to come to the U.S.” (The Daily Caller)

All I’m really trying to say is, yes I am angry.  One of the very few actual responsibilities of the US government is to protect the homeland.  They are doing a very poor job.  I am angry that the lives of people I love and even ones I don’t know are being put at high risk.  I’m angry that when I voice this belief I am marginalized and branded.  All of us need to use the common sense given to us, inform ourselves, and start actually observing as opposed to being indoctrinated.

Christians, please stop saying and insinuating Jesus was a refugee, He was not.  He is God and the Son of God.  Satan was trying to destroy Him.  There is no other person who comes even close to that.  So please stop, it is disingenuous and poor theology.

We are all image bearers of God and by all means let’s bring to our shores the truly persecuted, the truly needy, the ones who cannot defend themselves.  But our first responsibility it to our own families, our own nation. 1 Timothy 5:8 “But if anyone does not provide for his relatives, and especially for members of his household, he has denied the faith and is worse than an unbeliever.”

#refugeecrisis