Fred Clark at Slacktivist linked last week to an Ethics Daily post about the immigration bill recently passed in Alabama. The governor, who signed the bill into law, is a member of the First Baptist Church of Tuscaloosa. One of the bill's sponsors is a member of another First Baptist Church, in Gardendale, AL.
Recently, Roger Olson commented on a similar law in Oklahoma: "I would even go so far as to question the authenticity of the Christian faith of those who wrote the law." To Olson, the fruit that was produced by Christians who support this law does not match up with the Bible's commands to welcome the stranger. The Oklahoma law makes it a felony to transport or shelter undocumented immigrants, but allows emergency room medical personnel to provide life-saving medical aid. The Alabama law goes even further, requiring schools to verify the immigration status of its students.
Clark is similar to Olson in his questioning of the authenticity of these lawmakers' Christian faith (and what about the Christians who sat on the sidelines in both Oklahoma and Alabama--and Arizona too?). I can't go that far, as I don't feel it's my place to question whether anyone is a true Christian. I can only examine myself. As Streak said, I'm loathe to speak for God. However, I do think it's a very valid and proper question to ask why those who claim to follow Christ would promote hate and simply fail to act like they follow him at all?
How is it that the largest denomination in the U.S., with such a strong presence in both Oklahoma and Alabama, and who places so much importance on "literally" believing the words of Scripture and reading those words every day, can allow these laws to pass? I simply do not understand the disconnect here. Which Bible are they reading?
@na1alieNatalie Burris
When I love my neighbor as myself, am I supposed to ask for her immigration papers first?
I suppose with the SBC, and with many other Christians, it is completely acceptable to deny medical care, schooling, dignity, and economic opportunity to the most marginalized people in our country. As long as these Christians intellectually assent to certain propositions of the faith they have constructed, any fruit they produce is irrelevant. I will be the first to admit that my actions are woefully far from lining up with Jesus' teachings. I struggle with loving God and loving others. But a basic thing, such as offering aid to others, should be an action that we can all agree on as Christians.
It saddens me that my fellow Christians are allowing their American citizenship to overpower their status as a Christ-follower (I just gave my answer to my "why" question above). Again, I'm certainly not one to judge, but it does confuse me to think that an active member of a church has no problem with explicitly and purposefully pushing more people into the shadows of our society. This disconnect not only saddens and confuses me, but it just pushes me further away from identifying myself as a Christian.
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