Bootstrap wrote:Valerie wrote:Bootstrap wrote:
One kind of separation says "this world is not our home, we are members of another kingdom, we are pilgrims and aliens here". The other kind of separation says "this is our country and our kingdom, it is not your home, go back to your own kingdom, we have no room for pilgrims and aliens here".
Or, it can be that we welcome pilgrims and aliens who respect the needful process in place for valid reasons.
This thread is about Anabaptist separatism versus alt-right separatism. I'm guessing you are neither a conservative Anabaptist nor a member of the alt-right. Conservative Anabaptist separatism, at it's purest, would not presume to tell the government what the needful process is. Alt-right separatism does not want to welcome pilgrims and aliens who respect the needful process.
I'm mindful of my nieces good friend whose family is from Iran (been here a few years). She is a senior in high school, and is getting an entire college education for free and yet spent a good part of Christmas day bashing our government and pointing out that it needs 'changed'. So is it good for others to leave their own country, get free rides and then bite the hand that feeds them? What kind of 'changes' do these pilgrims and aliens want to make in our country after leaving their own country?
Most Americans I know think the government needs changing, including Americans who have received significant government assistance. Even conservative Anabaptists who don't vote might think our government needs changing - surely you aren't proposing that your niece's good friend should be sent back to Iran. I assume you would say the role of Christians is to love and serve refugees, just like we love and serve other groups. Regardless, I think Petr started this thread to imply that there is no difference between Anabaptist separatism and white supremacy. I doubt you would agree with him.
The separatism of conservative Anabaptism is not about government policy or how refugees should act in America. It belongs to another kingdom. I am not a conservative Anabaptist, but I agree with them on this. And my main job is to be a servant of others, including refugees.
Sorry for sidetracking, I just felt you were painting with perhaps a broad brush when there are legitimate concerns with refugees, pilgrims, aliens in these days we live- not because of 'color' but there are very legitimat concerns. Yes I know there are Americans wanting to change our governement, who also 'take' from it- there's never been a year, where the American people didn't complain about our government- but we are taxpayers as well-do you recommend us going to other countries, taking from them, and then try to change their government? I understood when we took in ALOT of Viet Nam refugees, and was glad we did- yet they were given MANY advantages and handouts that American taxpayers couldn't begin to hope for- since I lived in CA, an expensive state- I knew many people who couldn't afford to buy a home but refugees were given 0% interest loans and could buy homes-
No I was not suggesting the young lady from Iran go back- BUT- while bashing our govenrment who was helping her get a completely FREE college education- you have to admit it was somewhat difficult to hear from those who had been paying taxes all their life and try to figure out how to pay for their own children's expensive education-
Back to OP, sorry for sidetrack I didn't feel the point about us seeming less than hospitable to pilgrims & aliens was really fair in light of how much we do help so many- some are thankful, to some it will never be enough- PLUS if they want to turn our governemnt into Islamic sympathizers and implement things like Shariah Law (like has been tried) then we need to be wise about all this-