I think the heart of the matter is in how the debate is framed. You mention the word “immigrant” numerous times throughout this piece. We are talking mainly about “illegal immigrants,” people that have crossed our borders illegally in an effort to immigrate here. Primarily these immigrants are from China, Russia, Mexico and other countries- which you will notice, some on this list are countries that are openly hostile to our nation. The Christian’s duty is to care for his neighbor yes, but there is no category for illegal immigration in Scripture. All immigrants did so without legal ramifications beyond challenging the sovereignty of borders, which in the case of the ANE and Hellenistic contexts, the powers of the day (Assyria, Babylon, Greece, and Rome) owned most of the known world anyways.
The fact that the word “Illegal” is left out of these discussions is disheartening. It disenfranchises those following the proper channels of immigrating to this country. Is that process easy? No it is not, and reform should happen to make it easier, which President Trump and Vice President Vance have stated their desire to do so for those wanting to immigrate here and make our nation a better place. Otherwise, the majority of immigrants are here illegally and by definition have broken laws and threatened the sovereignty of our boarders.
What is worse, in the cities where deportations are being protested, millions of American citizens sleep in the street, are impacted by human trafficking and drugs and drug trade, and yet the Church and Government has done next to nothing for them. Can we focus on our own people for a bit and get that right?
Just some thoughts. Thank you for the article- It was well written
Sure, I understand and agree. The problem is that in the past administration, the government literally made it legal for immigrants who would otherwise be illegal to be in our country. It’s hard to call them illegal when we were handing out asylum claims to them like Oprah hands out cars. There are now illegal immigrants, none of which have a right to be here and many of which should be deported. Some may add value to America and that can be discussed. But we also have immigrants who are here legally who should not be who were let in by bad policy. It’s not as simple as saying “illegal immigrants”—the problem is far broader.
I come from an immigrant family. My family has added a ton of value to the American economy. Though they were not at the beginning, they are all legal now. Most are now citizens. Several are business owners and employers. They are all hard workers who pay their taxes. They have a strong familial bond and have something to add to American culture that is beautiful. Immigration can be a wonderful thing if handled correctly. We are not handling it correctly right now. But hopefully that is changing. I support what Vance has said and I agree that ordo amoris means deportations and sealing our borders.
Great insights here Joshua! Honestly I knew a little bit on the "ordo amoris" principle, but you helped give depth to my understanding on its origination. I loved how you said its not only "biblical, but observable."
I’m happy the article helped, bro. Rightly ordered love is the ultimate goal. The goal is to apply this principle correctly in every part of life. We fail, but we still strive through the power of Christ.
I think the heart of the matter is in how the debate is framed. You mention the word “immigrant” numerous times throughout this piece. We are talking mainly about “illegal immigrants,” people that have crossed our borders illegally in an effort to immigrate here. Primarily these immigrants are from China, Russia, Mexico and other countries- which you will notice, some on this list are countries that are openly hostile to our nation. The Christian’s duty is to care for his neighbor yes, but there is no category for illegal immigration in Scripture. All immigrants did so without legal ramifications beyond challenging the sovereignty of borders, which in the case of the ANE and Hellenistic contexts, the powers of the day (Assyria, Babylon, Greece, and Rome) owned most of the known world anyways.
The fact that the word “Illegal” is left out of these discussions is disheartening. It disenfranchises those following the proper channels of immigrating to this country. Is that process easy? No it is not, and reform should happen to make it easier, which President Trump and Vice President Vance have stated their desire to do so for those wanting to immigrate here and make our nation a better place. Otherwise, the majority of immigrants are here illegally and by definition have broken laws and threatened the sovereignty of our boarders.
What is worse, in the cities where deportations are being protested, millions of American citizens sleep in the street, are impacted by human trafficking and drugs and drug trade, and yet the Church and Government has done next to nothing for them. Can we focus on our own people for a bit and get that right?
Just some thoughts. Thank you for the article- It was well written
Sure, I understand and agree. The problem is that in the past administration, the government literally made it legal for immigrants who would otherwise be illegal to be in our country. It’s hard to call them illegal when we were handing out asylum claims to them like Oprah hands out cars. There are now illegal immigrants, none of which have a right to be here and many of which should be deported. Some may add value to America and that can be discussed. But we also have immigrants who are here legally who should not be who were let in by bad policy. It’s not as simple as saying “illegal immigrants”—the problem is far broader.
I come from an immigrant family. My family has added a ton of value to the American economy. Though they were not at the beginning, they are all legal now. Most are now citizens. Several are business owners and employers. They are all hard workers who pay their taxes. They have a strong familial bond and have something to add to American culture that is beautiful. Immigration can be a wonderful thing if handled correctly. We are not handling it correctly right now. But hopefully that is changing. I support what Vance has said and I agree that ordo amoris means deportations and sealing our borders.
https://substack.com/inbox/post/156466844 This one is also a good peace.
Love it- this is the way!
Great insights here Joshua! Honestly I knew a little bit on the "ordo amoris" principle, but you helped give depth to my understanding on its origination. I loved how you said its not only "biblical, but observable."
I’m happy the article helped, bro. Rightly ordered love is the ultimate goal. The goal is to apply this principle correctly in every part of life. We fail, but we still strive through the power of Christ.