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I didn't try to list all kinds of witnesses there might be, but mainly Bee and Cee to try to illustrate what I meant -- and threw in Dee for good measure. They could have been tweaked better with more thought. I'd say Witness Aaa and Witness Bee could easily be the same person, unless Witness Aaa never intends to share the gospel with anyone, or Witness Bee only helps meet human needs when he accidentally happens upon it. The Witness Cee type could go either way. There can be a very fine line between “tactical” and “disingenuous” -- maybe at times only visible in the heart of the one being “tactical” or “disingenuous,” or maybe not even clearly known to that person. Even if Joe really needed the nourishment, but Witness Cee didn’t bring the nourishment for nourishment’s sake it would be disingenuous (and I would call it tactical, though you apparently would not). In my life I’ve seen lots of people who appeared to do good deeds, but in truth their good deeds were a tactic for the purpose of “reeling in people to a church.” Witness Dee is a whack job, but I’ve known a few people who I am at least able to imagine doing what I described.

While there can and should be a difference in approach based on our belief systems, all too often in real life terms both the conservatives and the liberals have already determined which cherries are good and do not intend to be convinced otherwise.

In accord with your wishes, for my part I'll leave it be with this last comment. If liberals think they select the cherries with no inconsistency to their presumptions, they may be as poor judges of themselves as conservatives are. Further, I don't understand how they think they find as their criterion the one they know about through a book with "so many contradictions and absurdities and moral duplicity."

Regarding the original topic of DACA, I was pleased that someone from my representatives office called regarding the letter that I sent to him. He left a message and asked me to call him. Then I was disappointed when he was unavailable when I called back. I don't recall having ever been called in response to correspondence I've made to my elected officials.

Jon, you make an assumption that doesn't wash. Many of those refugees whom I have met are Christians from traditions far older than our Baptist tradition (unless you subscribe to the spurious "trail of blood" theory). I have met Egyptian Copts, Syrian Orthodox, Greek Orthodox, and various stripes of Catholics including those in the Middle East who have married priests. Just because they did not come from America does not mean that are not my brothers and sisters in Christ. I welcome hearing their testimonies to faith in different communions of the faith.

Dave, I'm not following why you believe Jon thinks refugees are not Christians. To what are you referring?

Thanks.

I received an e-mail reply from one of my Senator's yesterday. Some parts of it sounded like a generic response that they include in responses about immigration, yet it seemed to hold out hope, saying, "We now have an opportunity to resolve this issue in a way that is constitutional. These children, who were brought to the United States illegally through no fault of their own, continue to make positive contributions to Texas and the nation. We should find a way to allow them to continue to contribute to American society."