Immigration ... Maybe They're Both Wrong

Support for immigrants cost him his party's nomination for President. Lincoln went on to become President in 1860 instead of William Seward, who became the Secretary of State in Lincoln's administration.

Later, Republicans opposed illiterate immigrants; Democrats opposed importing "pauper labor" to do the menial jobs. That was the 1896 election between William Jennings Bryan and William McKinley.

Teddy Roosevelt said, "Every immigrant who comes here should be required within five years to learn English or leave the country." Franklin D. Roosevelt, disagreed saying, "Remember, remember always, that all of us, and you and I especially, are descended from immigrants and revolutionists."

Little has changed in one-hundred years with respect to politics and immigration.

Conservatives say, "Close the borders and restrict immigration to individuals with the skills and talents to make our society thrive. They, in turn, can benefit from the American Dream."

Progressives say, "Do away with borders. We are all citizens of the world. Let anyone who wants to, come and benefit from the American Dream."

What both are really saying is, "We've got it pretty good here; the only question is who and how many are we going to allow in to enjoy it?"

But the men and women who founded the United States were missional - both in their faith and in their form of government. They believed that, to have a good government, you needed to have citizens who were grounded in the Christian faith. Their ultimate dream and ambition was to see their faith and their form of government spread to every nation around the world.

"You do well to wish to learn our arts and ways of life, and above all, the religion of Jesus Christ. These will make you a greater and happier people than you are." - George Washington.

"…we cannot better express ourselves than by humbly supplicating the Supreme Ruler of the world… that the confusions that are and have been among the nations may be overruled by the promoting and speedily bringing in the holy and happy period when the kingdoms of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ may be everywhere established, and the people willingly bow to the scepter of Him who is the Prince of Peace." - Samuel Adams.

"…the religion which has introduced civil liberty is the religion of Christ and His apostles… This is genuine Christianity and to this we owe our free constitutions of government." - Noah Webster.

"…the Christian religion – its general principles – must ever be regarded among us as the foundation of civil society." - Daniel Webster.

Rush County was named after one of the three most notable Founding Fathers, Benjamin Rush. In 1791 he wrote, "Christianity is the only true and perfect religion; and… in proportion as mankind adopt its principles and obey its precepts, they will be wise and happy."

These statements show that the founders believed that Christianity was the only foundation that would make a democratic republic work. And they longed for the day when every nation around the world would follow their lead. But statements like these are not politically correct. How could we impose our belief system on others?

But, if we've found something that works, why is it okay to keep it to ourselves? How self-centered, and uncaring are we to let other people struggle with oppressive governments while we enjoy the fruits of our founders' vision and labor?

If the Bible really is the Word of God, if it really can transform the human spirit, if it can take spiritually dead people and make them live again, why wouldn't it impact our everyday lives? Daniel Webster said, "Whatever makes men good Christians, makes them good citizens." If that's true, won't good citizens make good governments?

What would it be like if every leader around the world prayed like Solomon, "…give your servant a discerning heart to govern your people and to distinguish between right and wrong"? 1 Kings 3:9a

We can take part in the immigration debate that has been argued for many decades, or we can recapture our founders' vision by becoming missional both in our faith, and how it can impact our everyday lives. The choice is yours. Choose well.

Questions? curtisferrell1962@gmail.com

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It's Time To Vote

It's time to vote. As a citizen, it is your duty, privilege, and right. You hold it in your hands; you are responsible for it. It is also a tool that you must use to shape our nation. That is how it has always been used.

When the Founders were forming the U.S. Constitution, they voted. These votes came after long, deliberate, and sometimes heated conversations. They wrestled with great ideas and thorny problems. And then they voted.

They agreed with the passage in Jeremiah 17:9 that states, "The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?" So they decided not to put too much power into any one person's hands. Then they voted on Separation of Powers.

They saw the government envisioned in Isaiah 33:22, "For the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our lawgiver, the Lord is our king; it is he who will save us." With that vision, they separated the powers into the Judicial, Legislative, and Executive branches of government. Their votes created the first three articles of the Constitution.

The Founders agreed with the wisdom revealed in Exodus 18:21: "But select capable men from all the people — men who fear God, trustworthy men who hate dishonest gain — and appoint them as officials over thousands, hundreds, fifties and tens." So they decided to create a republic, where we select leaders who then represent us and are constrained by the law and the Constitution. And they voted to affirm Article 4, Section 4 of the Constitution.

They understood the command of God in Leviticus 19:33-34 - "When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the Lord  your God." In obedience, they agreed to an orderly accommodation of foreigners in this new country, Rules of Naturalization. Then they voted and approved Article 1, Section 8 of the Constitution.

They agreed with the warning found in Deuteronomy 17:15 - "Be sure to appoint over you the king the Lord your God chooses. He must be from among your own brothers. Do not place a foreigner over you." In light of this they decided that the President should not be a foreigner. Then they established Article 2, Section 1 by a vote.

Over and over, the Founders used the truths they found in scripture to inform their deliberations and their votes. They weren't perfect. Sometimes they got it wrong. In 1784 Thomas Jefferson introduced a bill in the Continental Congress that would have banned slavery in the entire United States. It was strongly supported by George Washington, Benjamin Rush and many of the other Founders. Unfortunately, it failed to pass by only one vote. The nation became misshaped.

For nearly 200 years this nation would struggle with an issue that led to things like the Civil War, the Birmingham Church Bombing, and the Watts Riots in L.A. Each of these scars might have been avoided if there was just one more vote in 1784. A vote that was informed by the truths we find in scripture. A vote that would have helped shape our nation for the better.

Now it is your turn. How will you use your vote? You hold it in your hands; you are responsible for it. It is a tool that you must use to shape our nation.

Some day you will have to answer for how you used your vote . . . even if you choose not to use it. It's your choice. Choose well.

You can find me on FACEBOOK at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719). Here's a link to my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/) Thanks for reading!

Forgotten US History and the Church

Would it surprise you to know that George Washington refused to call anyone a patriot who worked to remove religion and morality from public and governmental life?

What would you say if I told you that the United States Congress tried to import 20,000 bibles from Europe, but then decided to endorse a version printed in America and recommended that version to every American?

Did you know that 27 of the 39 signers of the U.S. Constitution had seminary degrees?

Each of these statements are true, but they have been cleanly scrubbed from our history books and from our public memory.

If you become a student of pre-1900 U.S. History, you might be surprised at how influential Christianity has been in the foundation and maintenance of the federal government. Christianity was not only foundational to the United States, it was strongly promoted by many of the Founding Fathers, sometimes using government funds to advance the faith.

Thomas Jefferson, the author of the supposed "wall between church and state", authorized payment of funds by the United Sates to the Kaskasia Indians to help them build a church. He also approved seven years of financial support out of the government's coffers to pay for a priest! So how does this square with Jefferson being the creator of the concept of the separation of church and state?

By the way, the words "separation", "church" and "state" cannot be found in the First Amendment, the Constitution, or any other official founding document.

Why is it important to discover, recover and remember this information? Because the founders of this nation understood that a republic, like the United States, would never work, and would eventually fail if the People rejected morality and a Judeo-Christian understanding of God.

John Adams, the Second President of the United States and a crafter of the Declaration of Independence, stated, "We have no government armed with power capable of contending with human passions unbridled by morality and religion . . . Our Constitution was made only for a moral and religious people. It is wholly inadequate to the government of any other [people]."

Unfortunately, there has been a consistent attack on the public demonstration and declaration of our faith for several years, sometimes by people who have sworn to "preserve, protect and defend the Constitution." There are even some, in the highest offices in the land, who think that the constitution is fundamentally flawed and that we need to break free from its basic limitations.

However, the Constitution was written and designed to list a handful of things that the Federal Government had the power to do. Any authority, action, or power, other than those things specified in the Constitution, was to be determined by the States or the People. In short, it was intentionally designed to limit the power of the Federal Government. Modern political thought seeks to limit the People and give power to the Government.

The church has an opportunity to speak into this culture and remind it of the moral and religious foundation of the nation. No one else will do it. And when we do, we will not be wrapping the church in the American flag. Instead we will be wrapping America in the truths found in Scripture.

Truths like, "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery."

"For lack of guidance a nation falls, but many advisers make victory sure."

"Hate evil, love good; maintain justice in the courts."

"He has showed you, O man, what is good. And what does the Lord require of you? To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God. "

"Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people."

"Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord."

Consider these parting words of George Washington: "Of all the dispositions and habits, which lead to political prosperity, Religion and Morality are indispensable supports. In vain would that man claim the tribute of Patriotism, who should labor to subvert these great pillars of human happiness."

Questions or comments? Email me at curt@smdcog.org


You can find me on FACEBOOK at my Facebook Page (http://www.new.facebook.com/profile.php?id=504321719).

Here's a link to my Flickr.com Page (http://www.flickr.com/photos/curtisferrell/)

Thanks for reading!