Jesus Wept
Guys, I truly wish I could be funny or snarky about this. I cannot.
Homeland Security buses carrying migrant children and families were rerouted Tuesday to a facility in San Diego after American flag-waving protesters blocked the group from reaching a suburban processing center.
Many of the immigrants were detained while fleeing violence and extortion from gangs in Guatemala, El Salvador and Honduras.
After the buses were blocked, federal authorities rerouted the vehicles to a freeway and then to a customs and border facility in San Diego within view of the Mexico border.
But Jesus said, Suffer little children, and forbid them not, to come unto me: for of such is the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 19:14
First, the people on these busses are not immigrants. They are refugees.
Second, Jesus was a poor immigrant child.
And when your judgement day comes (either in your heart or your religion), you will not be judged by the number of flags you have, you will be judged by whether you are a sheep or a goat.
And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.
How come those who want to call America a Christian nation are the same ones who act so damn mean, hateful, and Unchristian? When did they shove Christ out of Christianity?
I am convinced that Sweet Jesus was on those busses and was turned away by a crowd of Herods.
I know I am commanded to pray for the armed mob who turned those busses away. I know that. And in due time, I will. Just not today. Today I pray for those children and families on the busses who are the least, the last, and the lost.
One of the saddest stories on TV yesterday. Your analysis is spot on. Let’s all copy it and send it to our Congressvarmit.
1JJ – You put it very eloquently and you’ve just describe the reason why I’ve grown so tired of these so-called American Christians.
2I am truly saddened for our country.
3Whenever you see someone waving a flag in one hand and a Bible in the other, you know they are not Christian by their acts. No one needs to wave a Bible in someone’s face to prove that they are Christian. You will know them by their love, not their Bible waving
4Crap like this is the reason I do not belong to an organized church any longer. I get too mad at the lame, pious drivel I hear, see, and feel… the vibes. Meditation is my sanity, has been for years. Only way to release all that negativity. Certainly cannot do it when I am sitting in a pew boiling mad at some stupid statement I’ve heard that morning from some self-proclaimed happy Christian. No thank you.
5“If Christ were here there is one thing he would not be—a Christian.”
― Mark Twain, Notebook
6To begin with, the Christian or Religious Right was never Christian, nor has it ever been right!
7I have no words to describe people who are too stupid to acknowledge that they are here, because of immigrants.
Heck, it’s San Diego. You can expect the worst from all the RWNJ that live there.
I’m with Miss Prissybritches. Not only do I no longer belong to an “organized” church… I no longer attend church at all. Not good for either my physical… or mental health.
8This is the way the conservatives want our country to go, with ignorance, hatred and exclusion. The bible thumpers don’t understand the message of the New Testament. The Lord must be tearing his hair out. Why did He bother??????????????
9Well, the same thing happened here in Virginia. Homeland Security Office of Refugee Resettlement wanted to place a group of kiddies in the vacated St. Paul’s College. It was perfect for this situation but the local townspeople defeated the effort in a town meeting that was called AFTER Homeland Security actually made this decision. The little town where the college is located is really very, very small. This townies felt disrespected that they weren’t asked or even notified about this. They found out by accident. Now look. This is one situation that would never had flunked if it had been run by a Grandmother. We know how to do these things without screwing up. St. Paul’s is now up for auction with a starting bid of 12.5 million. In governments, that is chump change! The guv could just make a phone bid and get it. The 185 acres could be safely fenced off overnight by Marines on exercise. The refugee kids are entitled to classroom education which is a no brainer on the campus. The local school system wouldn’t be overwhelmed. And at least 200 jobs come with the establishment of the school as a refugee center! Hope that little town rethinks and approaches the guv on a re-do!
10Some time ago I learned to try to separate the message from the messengers otherwise I would likely blame the wrong entity. At the beginning of Jesus’ ministry, he gave a little talk on this hillside on how to follow God. Is not the essence that sermon to love all, forgive all and take care of the have-nots without exceptions, unconditionally? And does one even have to be a Christian to try to do this?
11Why do those children risk their lives to come here? Are these christianists in some fashion responsible for the conditions in their homelands that drive people to do desperate things?
Is not what we see here more of a symptom rather than a problem with us?
Many religions seem to start out as cults. Then, as (if) they grow, they become mainstream.
Our current radical-right “Christians” seem to be heading in the other direction. They are taking a mainstream religion and reverting to a cult. The first thing cults do is shun and blame outsiders.
12I can’t understand these people! Our governor is also against moving refrgees into our state. I have always felt myself a citizen of the World and little children from central America are as important as those here in Oklahoma. As for religion, I am an atheist but joined the Unitarian church because they seem to be the most open minded around here. God, when will self avowed Christians start acting like real Christians.
13They are refugees. Spot on. And no doubt our government and corporations are at least to some extent responsible for the conditions they are fleeing from.
14Children seeking asylum predominantly are coming from three countries in which we have US Embassies. We could solve much of the problem diplomatically and far more humanely processing requests at the embassy level. The children would fly direct to the US to avoid the dangerous ~1000 mile overland journey. Plus, we could plan ahead and have staff and facilities waiting to receive them. Get on it John Kerry, and ask for help if you need it.
15The chorus from an old John Prine song immediately came to mind:
16But your flag decal won’t get you
Into Heaven any more.
They’re already overcrowded
From your dirty little war.
Now Jesus don’t like killin’
No matter what the reason’s for,
And your flag decal won’t get you
Into Heaven any more.
“Today I pray for those children and families on the busses who are the least, the last, and the lost.”
Yes, Jesus wept and those of us who profess to be Christian and actually act like one, weep, as well for these children.
With the way this country is going, I believe we should petition France to repossess their Statue of Liberty because she simply does not stand for what she use to stand for!! It simply breaks my heart!!
17At the “all about me” camp, I have to say that this certainly isn’t a new phenomenom – in the second WW, as a child with a german surname the ones throwing the tomatoes at the house, pulling my hair and calling me a “dirty little nazi” (I was 7) were ALL from church. My dad was in the Navy for 6 years but that didn’t count. Not knowing anything about “rights” I fervently wished I was Japanese, and safe from Americans
18JJ, I couldn’t have said it better! Willing to house a couple of those babies right here in Mission Bend!
19“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.” — Sinclair Lewis
Came across this one recently: “I can’t salute the flag until I know who’s holding it.” Because it’s been made to stand for ugly stuff like this. The Bible ditto.
20Well said. Thank you.
21The Christian Bible starts out the size of the Houston phone directory. If you added up the parts many Christians really agree with, you’d have the phone listings for a small burg in the Hill Country. Letters A through maybe D or E.
22Crying here. Shame.
23We’ll take a family. I don’t know Spanish but we can manage.
24great idea sent to me by my friend:
Where is Jesus? Bless the children. All the people that want children, but cannot afford the high adoption fees should be able to adopt these at zero fees.
H&L,
Diana
25—–and your huddled masses. Imprecatory prayer has it’s place.
26Get mad. Protest. Raise hell. Tell these people they are wrong Wrong WRONG. Find a charity that is actively helping them and donate. Above all, dig in and VOTE. Talk to people about voting! Remind them that they need to VOTE!!
27(marge honey you can skip this rant 😉 )
Ok that was muddled, but I’m angry!! The flag wavers need to go away. The charities that will help need money. Izzat clearer?! We all need to vote.
I’m still angry. And muddled, probably 😛 But I’ve talked about voting to a lot of people lately, and i’m going to keep on talking, too!
28One Texas city with a big heart – Dallas! Dallas is preparing to take 2000 of these children by the end of the month. Many non-profit organizations are coming together to help and many people have also volunteered their services. They are not taking donations yet, but when they do, I know they will come pouring in. Texans are showing how to do the right thing.
29Carol Blakely, thank you for the highlight of my day. Politically and literally, the children seeking asylum are caught in the middle. If only we could move the GOP; forget that, I’ll take President Obama on the phone and with his pen. I’m all for preparation and providing humanitarian services on our end. But again I cannot reiterate the importance of our embassies doing their paid jobs at the other ends. Much of the processing could be done at the embassy level sparing the children that 1000 mile or more trek and the fun with guns idiots at some of our borders.
Please Carol, when the non-profits find out they need support, let us know. Tell us who is doing the good work, so that we know what we send actually benefits the children. You seem to be on top of this, so please advise of any grifters known to you who are among the bad making profits off a bad situation. Or, just keep the good news coming and give us a list of the great people doing good things e can support.
30Where was law enforcement? If this had been a group of “Occupy” protesters, the cops would have been there with pepper spray, billy clubs, and they would have gone to jail.
31Thankfully there are two things I am sure of:
(1) Baby Jesus was on those buses caring and loving the least
(2) Those protesters should be grateful Baby Jesus is all about forgiveness lest they be judged by Him.
I have prayed for those children all day and before I go to bed I’m gonna pray for me because right now, there’s not a lot of love in my heart for those horrible people. If I am lucky, Baby Jesus will forgive me for being unable to love enough.
32Jason Elsome, “Baby” Jesus? If the folklore is correct, Jesus was a man who lived over 2000 years ago. But, we are not here for a religious dispute. Please do not worry about not praying for the same people Christ would castigate, if he was here to do so.
WWJD? Please consider that part of your belief system and follow your beliefs to do what you know in your heart He would want you to do. He’s not here to do the heavy lifting for us, so please in true respect I beg you to get up off your knees and do as you believe Christ would want you to do.
Can’t disagree that a number of Jesus-es were on the buses, but in Spanish that’s a name pronounced “Heyzeus.”
Embrace those Jesus-es or Heyzeus, then what you believe might be possible for you. Or, just do it. Inspire your church and fellow congregants to help the children, please.
33Ouch! Offering the sincere apologies to all who thought my last two posts were terse. Momma wouldn’t approve of what my wife Jane said to me as to how those posts might be received. Really, sincere apologies to any and all who were offended. (Reminder to self, when the issue is this important, write it out on paper, sleep on it, then comment.)
In particular to Carol Blakely, sincere apologies to you and any who might have thought my cynicism regarding charity was a little over the top suspicious. My comment was truly poorly worded. Again, I apologize.
Jason Elsome, where do I begin to apologize to you? Rereading my comment, I cannot apologize enough, if you felt it was a personal attack. I am truly sorry, for the ham handed comment I made. It is not your responsibility to read all my comments and guess the trend of my thoughts. It is my responsibility to make each and every of my comments reflect the my true thoughts. BTW One of those thoughts is respect for the comfort religion gives to individuals and those individuals like yourself pass that comfort on to others. My bad man, please accept my apologies.
34Once again … you just can’t make this stuff up.
35“How come those who want to call America a Christian nation are the same ones who act so damn mean, hateful, and Unchristian?”
Because they are in fact not Christians, they have been deceived:
2 Corinthians 13-15: For such men are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. No wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. Therefore it is not surprising if his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will be according to their deeds.
Anton LaVey, founder of the Church of Satan: “I give people Ayn Rand, with trappings”
36But the idea that millions of Dollars are going to be spent to prevent these unbelievably brave, innocent children from getting across the border, instead of investing in ways to help their countries to combat the violence and poverty…. of course, if they had oil refineries and were sitting on big oil deposits, Old Dicky would be screaming for boots on the ground……It’s our on damn back yard…..OK, I gotsta go to bed afore my pressure starts climbing…again
37Give me your tired, your poor,
Your huddled masses, yearning to breath free,
The wretched refuse of your teeming shore,
Send these, the homeless, tempest tost to me,
I lift my lamp beside the golden door.
Author: Emma Lazarus
This is what greeted a many of the grand parents and great grandparents of the folks waving the flags in this picture.
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