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Immigration and the Bible

 

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Immigration and the Bible

James R. Aist

“Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are appointed by God.” (Romans 13:1)

For what it’s worth, I’m going to talk about immigration. In particular, I’m going to discuss immigration, both legal and illegal, from Mexico into the United States of America. This is a contemporary issue that has legal, cultural and religious implications. So it is important, insofar as possible, that we develop our understanding, and base our stand, on God’s word, the Holy Bible. So, to get us started, here are three of the most relevant passages in the Old Testament: “You must neither wrong a foreigner nor oppress him, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.” (Exodus 22:21); “When a foreigner sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The foreigner who dwells with you shall be to you as one born among you, and you shall love him as yourself for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God.” (Leviticus 19:33-34); and “It shall come to pass that you shall divide it by lot for an inheritance among yourselves and among the aliens who sojourn among you, who shall bear sons among you. And they shall be to you as born in the country among the sons of Israel. They shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel, (Ezekiel 47:22).

Now, these are, of course, instructions given by God to the Israelites concerning the treatment of foreigners (aliens). Apparently, there were no “immigration laws” regulating immigration itself, and there was no such thing as an “illegal alien.” Within that context, God is saying that aliens residing among the Jews – and their offspring – are to be treated the same as natural-born citizens. Our immigration laws, while regulating the flow of immigrants into the country, are compatible with these scriptures; once naturalized according to law, immigrants are to be treated the same as natural-born citizens.

The problems arise, of course, when aliens enter the country illegally and take up residence here without going through the legal, naturalization process. Currently, we have about eight million illegal aliens in America who are otherwise hard-working, law-abiding people, and our border with Mexico is woefully ineffective in regulating the influx of additional illegal aliens. So, there are really two problems: 1) how to effectively close the border and stop further illegal immigration; and 2) what to do about the very large present population of illegal immigrants (i.e, export them back to their country of origin, or, instead, develop – insofar as possible – an equitable path to naturalization and citizenship).

I’m all for closing our borders to minimize illegal immigration as much as possible. If that requires an actual, physical wall, then so be it. And, I’m all for jailing or deporting all illegal immigrants who have committed other crimes (e.g., felonies) on U.S. soil. But, when it comes to the otherwise law-abiding, illegal immigrants, I believe we can and should find a way to citizenship for them, for the sake of compassion, mercy, grace and family unity. I’m not talking about a free pass here; I am talking about a new approach to naturalization. We need to make the path to citizenship easier, quicker and cheaper for all aliens seeking to live in America legally. I am suggesting that the legal process be improved to benefit all new immigrants, and that the illegal aliens then be given a chance to pay their dues too, just as all others have. So, after the border is secure and the criminals are dealt with appropriately, let’s give the present illegal aliens a window of time to sign up for and complete the new and improved legal process, with the same legal rights and benefits already afforded to our present legal immigrants. Then, let’s deport those who choose not to participate, and try to stay here illegally; consequences of their decision will then be entirely on them, not us. This would be a one-time opportunity; after that, both present and new illegal aliens should be dealt with by either jailing (if criminals) or deportation, with no provision for future, legal re-entry for any of them.

How does this approach relate to God’s will as revealed in the Bible? Romans 13:1 says “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God, and those that exist are appointed by God.” This tells me that God can extend His mercy and grace to us through the actions of our governing authorities, because they are appointed by God, who is full of compassion, grace and mercy (Psalm 86:15), to govern over us. Therefore, it is possible, and necessary, for a human government to grant mercy and/or grace in some circumstances, in order for it to honor the God who gave it authority over us in the first place. Human “governors” are responsible to God for how they represent God, the very One who chose them to govern. Refusing to ever extend compassion, grace and mercy to our illegal aliens would be, therefore, a dereliction of duty. God gave them the power and the authority to govern; therefore, it is, in fact, within the power and the authority of human government to extend compassion, mercy and grace to our present illegal aliens on behalf of God. Moreover, we are made in the likeness and image of God (Genesis 1:26), and Jesus himself commanded us to “Be therefore merciful, even as your Father is merciful” (Luke 6:36). Are we then to withhold compassion, mercy and grace from our present illegal aliens? Heaven forbid!

But, you may object, wouldn’t this approach be unfair to the millions of naturalized citizens who immigrated and took up residence in America legally? Here’s my reply to that objection. First, the rights and privileges of the earlier, legal immigrants would not be compromised or diminished in any way. Second, the illegal aliens would be naturalized in essentially the same way as were the earlier, legal immigrants. And third, but perhaps most importantly, God does not always deal with us fairly; and we would not want Him to. All of us deserved to be condemned to hell, because we all have sinned and fall short of the righteousness that God requires (Romans 3:23). No, we want God to deal with us, not with fairness, but with mercy and grace, so that we can be saved. In the same way, then, I believe that God wants us to treat our illegal aliens with compassion, mercy and grace, even if that seems unfair to some of us. It would seem to be the Godly thing to do.

(To read more of my BIBLICAL TEACHINGS, click HERE)

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What Is “Freedom in Christ”?

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What Is “Freedom in Christ”?

James R. Aist

“If you remain in My word, then you are truly My disciples. You shall know the truth, and the truth shall set you free.” (John 8:31-32)

Freedom has been defined as the right of enjoying all of the privileges of membership or citizenship, the right or the power to engage in certain actions without control or interference. The Bible says we (Christians) have freedom in Christ, and that it is for freedom that Christ has set us free (Galatians 5:1). We have this freedom if we remain in (believe, adhere to and obey) His word. But what, exactly, is this freedom that we have in Christ? Even apart from Christ, mankind has a natural freedom to make decisions and choices and to think and say most anything he wants. Our freedom in Christ must be a different kind or expression of freedom.

So then, in Christ, what exactly are we free from? Here is a short list I have put together for you to ponder:

1. We are free from the “law of sin and death.” This law is stated succinctly in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death…” So, if you die in your sins, your payment will be (spiritual) death. But, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus, who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set me free from the law of sin and death” (Romans 8:1-2). Therefore, we no longer have to fear death (1 Corinthians 15:55)!

2. We are free from bondage to sin. Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin” (John 8:34). Who among us has not experienced the grip that sin can have on a person? If not “nipped in the bud”, sin can become more powerful than our will to resist it. Thankfully, Paul has pointed us to the solution to the power of sin, “For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless, that we should no longer be slaves to sin, because anyone who has died has been freed from sin” (Romans 6:6-7). How glorious it is to walk in the freedom from sin!

3. We are free from the burden of the Law. The Old Testament Law served to convict mankind of sin, but did nothing to save him from the consequences of it, because “…all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). The Law is a burden too heavy for anyone to stand up under, but Jesus has made a way out of this dilemma for us, as Paul explains, “When we were in the flesh, the passions of sin, through the law, worked in our members to bear fruit leading to death. But now we are delivered from the law, having died to things in which we were bound…” (Romans 7:5-6a). The burden has been lifted!

4. We are free from our past. Because we have all sinned (Romans 3:23), most of us have built up a backlog of unforgiven sins by the time God saves us. In the “conversion” process, we confess our sins to God and repent of them. And, “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). At that moment, all of our past sins are forgiven and we are set free, forever, from the guilt and shame of our past life. This is what we refer to as “justification”, and our relationship with God is, at that point in time, “Just as if we had never sinned.” We are freed from our sinful past because Jesus paid the price for our sins by His substitutionary death on the cross. There is no other way for us to be freed from our past; Jesus made the way for us!

5. We are free from the veil of separation. Until Jesus was nailed to the cross, there was a veil in the Temple separating the people from the presence of God in the Holy of Holies (Exodus 26:31-33). But while Jesus was still on the cross, that veil was torn in two at the middle (Luke 23:45), giving us free access to God, so that now we are instructed to “…come with confidence to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). No more layer of priests standing between us and God’s throne of mercy and grace!

6. We are free from self-serving motives. I was blessed beyond words when this revelation was given to me. All religions, except Christianity, teach that our good works earn us a place in heaven with God when we die. This false doctrine of “salvation by works” makes it virtually impossible to do a good work that is not, at least in part or at some level, motivated by the perceived need to earn your way to heaven. Thus, apart from the uniquely Christian doctrine of salvation by grace alone, good works are done with a self-serving motive, not with a pure love for either God or for the one being blessed. But, Jesus already did the work – all of it – that is required for a born-again Christian to qualify for heaven (click HERE), and there is no good work we can do that will improve on that. Jesus declared from the cross “It is finished” (John 19:30), and so, it is finished! Since we are already guaranteed a spot in heaven (1 John 5:13), we are now free to do good works for pure, unselfish motives, e.g., it will please God, it is the right thing to do, someone needs help, etc. And that, my friends, is what “love your neighbor” is really about! Paul put it this way, “But now we are delivered from the law, having died to things in which we were bound, so that we may serve in newness of the Spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter of the law” (Romans 7:6). Jesus “paid it all”, that we may be free to truly “love one another” with pure motives!

My friends, I believe that these are six of the most important freedoms in Christ that we have as born-again believers. Perhaps you will want to add to the list. In any case, I trust that you have been blessed, as I have, by thinking on these things with me for a few moments.

(To read more of my BIBLICAL TEACHINGS, click HERE)

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Hush Little Baby…Uh-Oh, Run!

tobacco-barn

Hush Little Baby…Uh-Oh, Run!

James R. Aist

This true story is one of my earliest memories, having taken place when I was just three years old and my older brother, Johnny, about four and a half. We spent a lot of time playing together, so what happened to one of us usually happened to both. The year was 1948, and we lived on a dairy farm in rural Maryland. To supplement the family income, we grew and processed tobacco on the farm and then sold it at a local auction.

It was early Fall, time to harvest the tobacco and hang it to dry in the tobacco barn. For this, it was customary in our region at that time to hire temporary farm help, so this particular year we hired a young “colored” couple, let’s call them William and Mary, who had a small baby boy, probably about six months old. Well, one afternoon this couple drove their black Ford Coupe into the barn to keep it cool while they worked on the tobacco and the baby slept peacefully on the back seat.

Out of curiosity, Johnny and I decided to mosey on down to the barn and find out for ourselves what the heck they were doing. There in one corner of the barn they were, William as skinny as a rail and Mary almost as wide as she was tall. They were standing at a work bench with their backs to us, busily slicing off the green tobacco leaves from the stalks with machetes and hanging the leaves on slender poles for drying. We had never seen such really big, long knives!

After a few minutes of watching them do the same thing over and over again, we got bored and decided to entertain ourselves by playing tag around the car. It was so much fun that we began to laugh and giggle loudly as we chased each other round and round the car. Mary heard our noise and turned around, machete in hand, and warned us to be quiet, because the baby was sleeping in the car. To make sure that we understood the gravity of the situation, she (jokingly) promised to cut off our heads if we wake her baby up. Well, that put the fear of God in us, but we were, nonetheless, confident that we could play quietly enough to keep our heads attached.

After a quick peek into the back seat of the car to verify Mary’s story, we were right back at it, very quietly at first, but gradually louder and louder as we were pulled increasingly into the joy of the game, oblivious to the sleeping baby in the car. Next thing we knew, there came from the car the ominous sound of a baby crying, softly at first, but quickly rising to the amplitude of a full-blown tizzy-fit. Whereupon, we froze in our tracks and looked straight at William and Mary. What was she going to do? By that time she had already swung around, waving her machete in the air, and she was coming right at us scolding angrily, “I TOLD you not to wake up my baby!”

Well, Johnny and I were convinced that we were about to be murdered right then and there, and so, without the need of prior survival training, we instinctively began to run lickety-split out of the barn and toward the house, yelling repeatedly at the top of our lungs, “Mama help, she’s going to cut our heads off, she’s going to cut our heads off!” We ran like the wind all the way up the farm road to the long, wooden gate, at which point we each took a “rut” and dove under the gate. Picking ourselves up, we looked back, only to see Mary in the farm road, chasing after us, (innocently) waving her machete in the air and yelling, “Y’all come back, I was just kidding, I’m not going to cut your heads off, I was just kidding!” Well, that just convinced us all the more that she really was going to cut our heads off (What would you think?). So, we continued our flight toward safety, still yelling, “She’s going to cut our heads off, she’s going to cut our heads off!” By the time we reached the front yard, Mama had heard the ruckus and was out the front door to rescue us. After enjoying the humor of the situation for much too long, she hugged us and reassured us that Mary was not really going to cut off our heads, and that she really was just kidding all along. Needless to say, Johnny and I were very glad to hear that, and Mary was relieved to be exonerated!

And that’s why I survived to tell this terrifying tale. As it turns out, William and Mary were the nicest folks you would ever want to meet, but for a couple of minutes there, it sure didn’t seem like it to Johnny and me!

(For more of my TRUE TALES, click HERE)

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Transgendered Men in Women’s Facilities?

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Transgendered Men in Women’s Facilities?

James R. Aist

Scientific studies have found that 73%-81% of male-to-female transgendered “females” are still sexually attracted to females.

Introduction

This article is about why men of any gender – real or perceived – should not be allowed in women’s public facilities. I will begin with two brief, complementary explanations of what gender identity disorder is, and then explain why allowing transsexual men into such facilities is a freedom way too far. Sprigg (7) has presented pertinent facts and strong arguments along the same lines.

What is Gender Identity Disorder?

Gender Identity Disorder (GID) – often called “Gender Dysphoria” to de-emphasize the mental delusion involved – is a mental disorder characterized by the feeling and belief that you are not really the gender of the body you were born in, but that of the opposite gender. Thus, a person born a male feels and believes that he is really a female trapped in a male body and identifies his gender as female, and a person born a female feels and believes that she is really a male trapped in a female body and identifies her gender as male. Such a person is said to be transgender, because he/she perceives their real gender to be opposite (trans) their birth gender. Conversely, a cisgender person feels and believes their real gender to be the same (cis) as their birth gender. Transgender people experience intense anxiety, distress and inner conflict, because their perceived gender does not match their actual, birth gender. These feelings and beliefs are, themselves, very real to the person experiencing them, but they do not correspond to the actual, biological gender. Therefore, they represent a virtual, rather than an actual, reality. That is to say, persons with GID are delusional with respect to their gender. The best estimates of the prevalence of GID put it in the range of 0.33%-0.47%, or less than one-half of one percent, of the general population (8). Thus, GID is not “normal.”

A Family of Psychoses

As Barber (3) and McHugh (5) have pointed out, GID belongs to a family of mental disorders, or “psychoses”, which are characterized, in part, by a mental departure from reality, referred to by psychiatrists as “delusion” (4). Perhaps the best known mental disorder of this family is anorexia. Anorexic people are actually skinny, but they feel and believe that they are grossly overweight. Transabled is another mental disorder belonging to this family of psychoses. Transabled people feel and believe that they are disabled, yet they are, in reality, physically whole and healthy people. And that brings us to transgender people. As mentioned above, they feel and believe that they are not really the biological gender of the body they were born in, but that of the opposite gender. This delusion has been likened to that of the Emperor in Hans Christian Andersen’s tale, “The Emperor’s New Clothes” (5). In that tale, the Emperor, believing that he wore an outfit of exquisite beauty imperceptible to the common man, paraded naked through the streets of his town for all to see. The people knew very well that the Emperor was deluded, but they were afraid to say anything to him about his nakedness, for fear of retribution.

A Freedom Too Far

For purposes of clarity, let me first point out that I am using the term “public facilities” to refer to all shared restrooms, locker rooms, changing rooms, dressing rooms and shower rooms (Did I leave anything out?) in the public arena (i.e., outside of private residences).

The review article (6) touched on this issue briefly, pointing out that male-to-female transgendered “females” are perceived to be less of a threat to real females in public facilities than are gender-normal males pretending to be transgendered, and that may be true. The threat is not only regarding actual sexual assault, but also voyeurism, where a gender-normal male would behave as a “peeping Tom” (a person who gets pleasure, especially sexual pleasure, from secretly watching others), as it were, and thus invade the bodily privacy of unsuspecting females. As Sprigg (7) put it, transgender activists are putting gender ideology above public safety and the fundamental right to bodily privacy.

And here’s an eye opener for you. I have discovered a couple of little-known facts that should, perhaps, be of even greater concern than the “transgender pretender.” Let’s assume, for a moment, that transgender activists are correct in asserting that the male-to-female transgendered “females” using women’s public facilities are going to outnumber the transgender pretenders. Then, the greatest threat could come, hypothetically, from the male-to-female transgendered “females” themselves, based on sheer numbers. But, you may ask, “Why would the male-to-female transgendered “females” pose a threat to the real females in women’s public facilities?” Here’s why: scientific studies (1, 2) have found that 73%-81% of male-to-female transgendered “females” are still sexually attracted to females! Moreover, only 25%-30% of transgender people having undergone gender re-assignment have had any kind of gender-confirming surgery, meaning that more than two-thirds of male-to-female transgendered “females” using women’s public facilities will still have their God-given, male genitals intact (9). Think about that for a moment, and then let me ask you this: Do you want male-to-female transgendered “females” with fully functional male genitals getting “turned on” sexually by your wife or daughter while using women’s public facilities? I didn’t think so. Moreover, it’s not difficult to guess what else they might feel compelled to do once they are sexually “turned on.” This is why I believe that male-to-female transgendered “females”, rather than transgender pretenders, could prove to be the greatest threat to women using unrestricted public facilities.

At present, we have laws against “peeping Toms.” They are arrested, tried in a court of law, and, if found guilty, given an appropriate jail sentence. But if male-to-female transgendered “female” peeping Toms can legally be in women’s public facilities and are, somehow, “caught in the act” by the victim, they could get off scot free, because it would be virtually impossible to prove that they were actually peeping, and they would have a legal right to be in the facility. Thus, legally enforced, unrestricted access to public facilities, in effect, legalizes voyeurism. And that just isn’t right!

The absurdity of shared public facilities has to stop! Gender-normal persons outnumber gender-deluded persons by a ratio of about 250:1. It makes no sense to put the personal interests of such a tiny minority above the personal interests of such a vast majority. Gender-normal persons’ safety and feelings matter too! Accommodating the needs of transgender persons by providing gender-neutral facilities is going far enough. Surely they can deal with their feelings and distress privately for a few minutes while they “do their business”, without having to victimize the gender-normal public to accommodate their mental disorder in the process! Furthermore, a policy of shared public facilities opens the door to sexual perverts and sexual offenders, making it easier for them to gain access to their potential victims and, potentially, to get away with it. No one is even allowed to ask about their perceived gender status. To force the gender-normal majority to compromise their safety (real or imagined) and their very real right to bodily privacy in public facilities is clearly “a freedom way too far!”

Transgender activists accuse gender-normal activists of creating an anti-transgender hysteria based on fear mongering, rather than real-life events, concerning unrestricted public facilities. So that you will know the truth, I have assembled just a few of the many recent reports where real-life conflicts have been caused by unrestricted public facility policies. You can decide for yourself if you think this is just anti-transgender hysteria based on fear mongering:

  • Sexual assault victims speak out (click HERE)
  • Man lounging around naked in girl’s locker room at college (click HERE)
  • Man strips in front of girls in locker room at pool (click HERE)
  • Nine-year-old girl in boys bathroom at school (click HERE)
  • Store lets men use women’s dressing room (click HERE)
  • “Transgender” sexual predator in women’s shelter (click HERE)
  • Men in women’s restroom prompts ACLU leader to resign (click HERE)
  • Finally, a tried and convicted case of rape of  a 10-year old girl in the bathroom of a private home (click HERE).

References Cited:

  1. Auer, M., et al., 2014. Transgender Transitioning and Change of Self-Reported Sexual Orientation. PloS One. (click HERE)
  2. Author unspecified. 2016. Transgender sexuality, References 7 and 8. Wikipedia. (click HERE)
  3. Barber, M. 2015. Transwhatever. RenewAmerica. (click HERE)
  4. Definition of Psychosis, New York Times Health Guide. (Click HERE)
  5. McHugh, P. 2015. Transgenderism: A Pathogenic Meme. The Public Discourse. (click HERE)
  6. O’Leary, D. and P. Sprigg. 2015. Understanding and Responding to the Transgender Movement. Family Research Council. (click HERE)
  7. Sprigg, P. 2016. Transgender Activists Put Ideology Above Safety. Family research Council. (click HERE)
  8. Yarhouse, M. 2015. Understanding the Transgender Phenomenon. Christianity Today. (click HERE)
  9. Bernstein, L. 2015. Here’s how sex reassignment surgery works. The Washington Post. (click HERE)

(For more articles on transgenderism and homosexuality by Dr. Aist, click HERE)