Global Refugees

[KeithE]

[Dave Roberts]

So much for our specious claim to be a "Christian nation."

[Jon Estes]

[Haruo]

[Jon Estes]

[Dave Roberts]

I remember the rhetoric when I was growing up that said, "We put God in our pledge and on our money to show we are a Christian nation, as opposed to those godless Communists." That is still the logic of David Barton and his popular "historical fiction" that is read by so many in our evangelical wing. Our actions, not just our words, count.

[KeithE]

Whether or not we are (or were, ala Barton) an overtly Christian nation, many of our current leaders have lost any empathy for refugees. In fact immigrants/refugees are demonized and used as a scapegoat for economic problems (both individual and collective).

Don’t use the doctrine of the separation of church and state as a basis for being heartless.

[Jon Estes]

[Sandy]

[Haruo]

I know that Roger Williams was in favor of a secular polity in which Muslims had an equal say with Jews and Christians. I don't recall if he wrote about the atheists. I'm also not familiar with Barton's position in any detail, and have never to my knowledge even started one of his books. Should I?

[Rvaughn]

[Jon Estes]

[KeithE]

[Rvaughn]

Ethical behaviour is right for everyone, but the ethical behaviour of each one will be based on his or her standards of right and wrong. Acting in ways consistent with one's view of right and wrong will (or should), for example, be based on the understanding of the Old Testament for the Jew, the Bible (OT & NT) for the Christian, the Qur'an for the Muslim, the Bhagavad Gita for the Hindu, and so on. Since the U. S. of America is neither Jewish, Christian, Muslim, or Hindu, it seems to me that the ethics of the nation must be based on its laws and Constitution, and acting in ways consistent with that. So, imo, the ethical argument here is not whether the U.S. should act like Christians should act, or even according to what 181 other nations do.

[KeithE]

[Rvaughn]

People have hearts. Nations have laws. The laws of 181 nations (mentioned in your original post) are not the laws of the U. S. of America. Where we are not following our own laws, we should hope to correct that. Where our laws are not good, we should try to change that.

[KeithE]

[Rvaughn]

I have said nothing against refugees. You are apparently reading what you think into my statement about "Christian nation".

[Sandy]

[Rvaughn]

[Haruo]

[Rvaughn]

Interesting thought, Leland. It would be fascinating to see a list of the 181 nations who voted for it, and compare to nations from which people are fleeing for refuge!

[Sandy]

[Jon Estes]

[Jon Estes]