Vince Deagler

hi everyone.  it has been awhile since i blogged.  largely b/c i rarely hear from any of you and find myself wondering if this is even a worthy use of my time.  feel free to chime in on that, but with all the buzz over the arizona law on illegal immigration, and the cultural relevance of this topic to us folks who live in california, i found myself itching to blog…so blog i will.  now, before i start let me remind you that basically i am gonna look at things through the lens of christianity and scripture.  as a result i may, probably will see things differently than some of you, but you’ll have to take any disagreement you have up with god since he wrote the scriptures and defines xtian belief (unless of course i am really off base in my understanding of scripture, then, by all means feel free to correct me).  so with that in mind, let me begin.

first let me point out god is the author of human gov’t.  we see the first trace of this after the noahic flood account with the instruction regarding capitol punishment (see genesis 9:5-6).  we see gov’t evolving throughout old testament history in its various forms (no one form is specifically endorsed in scripture).  we see paul explaining its purpose clearly in romans 13 where he says gov’t is to act in behalf of god to protect the righteous and punish the unrighteous.  b/c of this, we as xtians are to submit to gov’t authority, except where the gov’t would require us to disobey god (see acts 5:29).  now, let me illustrate what this means.  in america abortion is legal.  if i were a woman i could get an abortion, but for me that would be an act of disobedience to god, he is the higher authority in my life, i must obey him first.  but, whether someone else gets an abortion has no effect on my obedience to god, i may not like the fact that it is legal, but it in no way causes me to be disobedient.  i will readily acknowledge the possibility…probability of imperfect human governance, but please remember when paul wrote these words rome was the governmental authority over these believers.  history is filled with the injustices of rome.  at this time slavery existed.  not only does scripture not call believers to resist this law, it actually calls believers to accept it (see 1 corinthians 7:17-24), and even calls run away slaves to return to their owners and accept the consequence of their rebellion (see the book of philemon).  at this time xtianity was a persecuted minority.  again the scripture nowhere calls for some kind of protest or confrontation of this injustice.  in fact the opposite is true, we are to pray for those who govern us, submit to those who govern us, and give them the honor they are due as governmental authorities.  to disobey law on the basis i feel it isn’t right or i don’t like it or its not fair, doesn’t jive with scripture.

now, how does this all effect our present reality?  there are many well meaning xtians who in the name of compassion for the illegal immigrant would turn a blind eye to the breaking of our immigration laws by entering the country illegally.  if their illegal behavior was an act of civil disobedience because to obey that law would result in them being disobedience to god, i could scripturally support them.  but their illegality is no such thing.  first, they are governed by another authority, the country of their origin.  they should be obeying the law of their land.  second, upon entering the u.s. they are further obligated to obey u.s. law.  third, why did they come?  overwhelmingly you hear the same reason…to have a better life.  in other words, and i know this sounds really mean, they are motivated by selfish interests.  although selfishness seems to be culturally acceptable these days, it is never, i repeat, never justified in scripture.  our 2 greatest commandments are to love god with all our heart, soul, strength, and mind.  according to john this is demonstrated by our obedience.  then we are to love our neighbor as ourselves.  this obligation falls on the illegal immigrant as much as it falls on everyone else.  how can you say you are entering into another country unlawfully, to have a better life for yourself, where, by your very presence, you are utilizing resource you are not entitled to by law, and some how spin this as an act of love to those who are rightful citizens?  it is impossible to look at scripture and come to another conclusion when you look at the illegal.

but what about me and you?  rightful citizens who are called to love our neighbor and that includes the illegal immigrant doesn’t it???  what should our attitude be?  again, i’m gonna look at this through scripture.  first, i have to distinguish between my responsibility as a christian, and my expectation as a citizen,  let me explain.  if you mug me…if you break into my home and steal my tv…if you commit a crime against me…the scripture clearly teaches i am not to hold a grudge, seek vengeance, or grow angry and bitter.  instead i am to forgive you.  that has nothing to do with my expectation for my gov’t.  i would rightfully want them to arrest you and prosecute you to the full extent of the law.  so, i can see the illegal immigrant through the lens of compassion/forgiveness and at the same time expect, rightfully so, that my gov’t protect me by enforcing the law.  that is the very reason the government exists according to romans 13.  if the gov’t will not enforce the law, society will eventually disintegrate into anarchy.  to some extent, this is what we now have in many western/border states.  arizona is simply doing what the federal government ought to be doing.

i know this view may not be popular.  especially in an area with a large hispanic population.  but i would argue it is based in the scripture.  if you disagree, please explain why.  i for one am very tired of a politically correct jesus, or a social justice jesus, or lets ignore clear scriptural teaching forms of xtianity.  if you claim jesus, follow him.  where does he advocate anyone break the law?  especially for selfish reasons?  where does he advocate his followers ignore those that break the law?  where does he teach the role of gov’t is social justice?

as i have blogged many times, jesus entered the human arena, a world filled with all kinds of injustice, and often times did not address them.  as i mentioned earlier, slavery was a part of the roman world, jesus did not address this.  he had a bigger mission.  it is that mission he commissioned the church to fulfill.  it is my belief that when that mission is fulfilled, and as that mission is fulfilled, life will greatly improve for those individuals and regions where this happens.  i believe this explains the prosperity of america, and i think it explains many if not all the problems in the world.  if our desire is to really help those who suffer around the world and bring about social justice.  to me, the best way to do that is to fulfill the great commission.  bring to them the very thing that made america what it is.  this is my conclusion, i am interested in hearing your thoughts on the matter.  blessings.  vince