June 16, 2018

Jeff Sessions is making us talk about what the Bible says.

I'm reading "Sessions says the Bible justifies separating immigrant families. The verses he cited are infamous" by Kyle Swenson in The Washington Post. Asked to defend the separation of children from parents taking them illegally across the U.S. border, Attorney General Jeff Sessions said:
“I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained the government for his purposes... Orderly and lawful processes are good in themselves. Consistent, fair application of the law is in itself a good and moral thing, and that protects the weak and protects the lawful.”
Swenson observes:
The passage — “Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God” — has been read as an unequivocal order for Christians to obey state authority, a reading that not only justified Southern slavery but also authoritarian rule in Nazi Germany and South African apartheid.
And what about other things in the New Testament? Stephen Colbert joked darkly:
“Hey, don’t bring God into this. I don’t think God picked you, because I don’t worship Vladimir Putin... Jesus said, ‘Suffer the children to come unto me.’ But I’m pretty sure all Sessions saw was the words ‘children’ and ‘suffer’ and said, ‘I’m on it.’ ”
Swenson collects other pro-immigrant Christian responses
“I guess Sessions forgot about the Gospels part of the Bible. Matthew 25:35 says ‘For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me,’ ” Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.) said on Twitter. “Nothing in the Bible says to separate kids from parents. It teaches the opposite.”...

Theology scholar Mike Frost wrote in 2016 that Romans 13 should not be used to quell dissent because it comes from a period when Christians faced persecution from the Roman Emperor Nero.

“This is the guy who was said to have had Christians dipped in oil and set on fire to light his garden at night,” Frost wrote. “It makes perfect sense that Paul would commend the fledgling church to keep its head down, to avoid rocking the boat, to submit quietly to the prevailing political winds. They had no choice. They lived under the authority of a dictator.”
Quite aside from what the Bible says, should the Attorney General be using the Bible to defend a government policy? One might answer yes, because the policy was challenged morally, and even though it is theoretically possible to discuss morality without religion and some people can only discuss morality without religion, for many people morality is bound up with religion, and it should be at least permissible to discuss the morality of a public policy in terms of religion. There are consequences to using religion this way, though, of course. It may feel exclusionary to those who don't share the religion or who have a religious problem with interpreting scripture for a political purpose. And if you've got a passage for your position, then I'll have a passage for mine, and I can reinterpret yours and you can reinterpret mine, and we may find ourselves making garbage out of what we were only using in the first place because we posed as believing it was holy.

By the way, we all feel bad for the children, but I'm seeing a spotlight on the point when the children are removed from parents who are being sent to prison. If the separation is wrong, what is the less wrong thing that ought to be done instead?  I'm not seeing anyone talking about that. Am I missing everything that answers my question or are there reasons why no one wants to talk about that?

ADDED: At National Review, Rich Lowry explains the limitation imposed by the Flores Consent Decree (from 1997):
It says that unaccompanied children can be held only 20 days. A ruling by the Ninth Circuit extended this 20-day limit to children who come as part of family units. So even if we want to hold a family unit together, we are forbidden from doing so.

251 comments:

1 – 200 of 251   Newer›   Newest»
CJ said...

Every time Progs talk about the Bible or Christianity in general, all I can think of is this:

https://imgur.com/a/MkCzxWf

John henry said...

For all those who think it morally wrong for President Trump to continue President Obama's separation policy:

What alternative do you suggest?

H/T Scott Adams

John Henry

Paco Wové said...

To be honest, I just assume that this issue is what the permanent outrage machine has chosen to latch onto this week, and as such I ignore it. Enforcing the law is cruel? Well, get the law changed, then. Was it cruel when Obama enforced it, too?

Bill, Republic of Texas said...

Sessions should go away. He's been a huge disappointment. He's energized about making marijuana illegal and forfeiture easier. He's asleep about the biggest issue of our day. The fight between accountable government and an unrestrained unaccountable government.

I would love to see Trump call in Sessions, Wray and Rosenstein and say "you're fired!" The IG report and their tepid response to it is more than enough justification to get rid of them.

How about Dershowitz for AG? He'd stop a lot of the civil right abuses.

James Pawlak said...

The prior Cardinal-Archbishop of Los Angeles (Since removed from office for "gross misconduct") and many other Catholic “leaders” have made claims that Jesus the Christ would have supported open-borders and free immigration into the USA.

That is a lie!

First, Jesus' kingdom was NOT of this world. How do I know? He said so himself! There is very little in the Gospels with direct application to government as opposed to the great number of verses addressed to the redemption of individuals and preaching His Word to the nations.

The most direct statement as to government was the classic “Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's”. At the time of Jesus citizenship and residency in the Empire did, in fact, belong to Caesar and the Roman Senate. Through time that, in the USA, has passed to The Congress.

gcarroll said...

'By the way, we all feel bad for the children, but I'm seeing a spotlight on the point when the children are removed from parents who are being sent to prison. If the separation is wrong, what is the less wrong thing that ought to be done instead? I'm not seeing anyone talking about that. Am I missing everything that answers my question or are there reasons why no one wants to talk about that?"

I'm awaiting the blowback for a similar comment I made on fb. A true Trump hater posted some article about the cruelty of separating the children at the border and I pointed out that children are removed from their homes everyday when parents break the law. I also said, and I stand by it, that we should be thanking the Trump administration for highlighting an ongoing issue and if the outrage is dialed back a bit, perhaps some steps can be taken towards resolving the issue.

The Godfather said...

If you don’t want to separate illegal aliens from their children, you could either send the children to jail or let the parents and children go free. Which approach will encourage more illegal immigration?

BUMBLE BEE said...

That there are protocols for Legal immigration annoys some/all folks on the left. Biblical guidance in matters is old as well. This is the NEW AGE as brought on by NEW THINKING. Live in the now, no boundaries progressive thinking, mostly by those who ignore consequences, like "who pays for it". Europe is likely toast, lets follow.

Darrell said...

Children belong with their parents. Just not in this country.

Rob said...

Clearly the less wrong thing, according to the critics of the policy, is for a woman who arrives with a child to be given a pass, allowed to enter the country and disappear into the world of undocumented immigrants. Left out of the equation, of course, is that if separating children from their parent is so awful and traumatic and destructive, why are the parents coming here with them, knowing that will happen? Shouldn't some opprobrium attach to the parent? And why, pray tell, aren't these asylum seekers making lives for themselves in Mexico, which has a decent economy, speaks the language they do and in which their tuchuses are already located?

Loren W Laurent said...

"...but I'm seeing a spotlight on the point when the children are removed from parents who are being sent to prison."

This occurs with US citizens, too.

Seems like there are three possible solutions:

1. Send the children to prison with the parents so that they will not be separated.

2. Never send a parent to prison.

3. Parents should not commit crimes that have serious consequences.

-LWL

exhelodrvr1 said...

Democrats don't want to solve these problems (immigration as a whole or this particular issue) - 1) they really need to keep them alive as talking points, and 2) at all costs they absolutely can't afford to have Trump be involved with the solution. We see that is this issue, we see that in how they are dealing with the NoKor summit/denuclearization, we see that with their coverage of the administrations work on prison/sentencing reform.

Curious George said...

"To be honest, I just assume that this issue is what the permanent outrage machine has chosen to latch onto this week, and as such I ignore it."

This. They don't care about these kids anymore than they care about women or minorities. They're just pawn to their wedge issues. They'd allow them to be put through a wood chipper if the end result was no more Trump.

BUMBLE BEE said...

I would guess most illegals can prove nothing about their "children", or even that they are theirs and. So many "children" in progressive Europe being found to be adults. Unprepared for the 20th century, illegals are thrusting them into the 21st. Incalculable future liability. Risk assessment is off the table.

Kevin said...

+1 Paco.

mockturtle said...

CJ opens with the definitive comment and link.

Kevin said...

The authoritarians who spread the approved memes want their followers to be outraged at Trump’s “authoritarianism” and the willingness of his supporters to submit to authority.

exhelodrvr1 said...

How much coverage has this been getting?

https://americanmilitarynews.com/2018/06/breaking-north-korea-begins-returning-remains-of-missing-us-troops-from-korean-war-trump-says/

RichAndSceptical said...

I think you missed the point. Sessions quote refers to government and none of the others do. Sessions wasn't saying what a Christian should do or what society should do, but what government should do, and that's follow the law.

Oso Negro said...

How about deport ALL of them? How about streams of weeping, bedraggled children marching back across the fucking border where they belong? Why do I have to give a fuck about someone else's children? Hint: I don't.

h said...

Of course there was no "democracy" as we understand it today in Jesus' time on earth. He could not have thought of government as a representation of or agent of individuals. His calls to help the poor and outcast were admonitions to individuals about their behavior as individuals, not to individuals about their behavior as voters or supporters of government, because individuals did not have any of the second type of behavior. The passage cited does seem to reflect the opinion (of Paul, not Jesus) that individuals had an obligation (religious or ethical or moral) to abide by the laws of their society.

Michael K said...

I agree that children should not be separated from the parents. Send them all back to where they came from together and immediately.

Mary Beth said...

I'm outraged that people are outraged over families being separated. I got the impression from news stories that were coming out a few years ago that there was an increase in child trafficking. People wanted something done about that. Now, we have people coming across the border with children. They say the children are theirs, but how can you be sure? It's better to separate them temporarily and find out rather than to do nothing to stop children from being exploited.

I'm a parent and it's hard to think about having to be separated from your children like that. It would be harder to lose a child permanently to forced labor or sexual exploitation.

RigelDog said...

The ACLU is bringing a suit now where a woman appeared at the border and claimed asylum. In that case it's alleged that we are supposed to set up a hearing and not separate the families. What we are supposed to do with the people who show up without an asylum claim when they have dragged their children along is not being discussed, that I've seen. Presumably the people up in arms about this would like us to quit enforcing the law that says such people should be incarcerated, but they don't say this.

Tommy Duncan said...

I greatly appreciate Ann's comment below and the thoughtful responses to it. It is the crux of the issue.

"By the way, we all feel bad for the children, but I'm seeing a spotlight on the point when the children are removed from parents who are being sent to prison. If the separation is wrong, what is the less wrong thing that ought to be done instead?"

Matt Sablan said...

"They don't care about these kids anymore than they care about women or minorities"

-- If they did, we'd have had this conversation under Obama.

I'm all for some better oversight and structure. Some of the facilities have looked draconian and like they were designed to punish the children. But, you also can't leave kids with parents who might be going to jail. And even if you solve THAT problem, what do you do with all of the unaccompanied minors coming?

There's a better way, I'm sure. But if we only focus on these terrible problems when a Republican is president, I can't help but feel we'll never solve them.

Fernandinande said...

Jeff Sessions is making us talk about what the Bible says.

No he's not, because it doesn't matter what the bible says....

Swenson collects other pro-immigrant Christian responses

...since the bible says whatever you want it to say - "Works like an anecdote!"

Quite aside from what the Bible says, should the Attorney General be using the Bible to defend a government policy?

It's not part of his job description.

Paco Wové said...

"Won't you think of the children!!" with full ruffles and flourishes:

https://youtu.be/ejcUwTQAq7k?t=43

rehajm said...

All y’all lefites could have sat with the on power GOP and hammered out a solution. You chose to have an issue. Fuck the kids, you said.

dbp said...

I am old enough to remember when Democrats were terrified that the Bible might be used by Republicans as a guide to US law.

It is embarrassingly obvious that they are arguing in bad faith.

mockturtle said...

If Progs in the US really cared about children they wouldn't favor killing 3,000 of them every day.

Otto said...

So Ann thinks the Bible is garbage.

Darkisland said...

I blame th IG report for this all of the sudden being an issue.

Why has it never been mentioned before?

Why did Obama do it?

Sessions should enforce all laws. If people don't like the law, pressure pols to change then.

John Henry

Dust Bunny Queen said...

.....when the children are removed from parents who are being sent to prison. If the separation is wrong, what is the less wrong thing that ought to be done instead?

Somehow this doesn't seem to be a problem when we remove children from their parents who happen to be legal citizens. Parents who have committed crimes go to jail and the children are placed in foster care with strangers....for their own good of course :-|

In the case of the "families" (yes I used scare quotes) who have committed the crime of illegally crossing over the borders into this country and who have also committed other crimes on their way and who will likely continue to commit crimes, the better solutions are

1. Send the whole damned family back across the border.

2. Depending on young the "children" are,(yes more scare quotes) separate the innocent young ones from their criminal parents.....for their own good of course. Place them with certified and vetted foster parents....And then

3. Send the parents back or send the parents to jail.

The really less wrong thing to do is Don't break the law in the first place.



rhhardin said...

Religion is the poeticization of ethics, whatever you believe.

An argument from dogmatics isn't much good, so it depends on what you argue from. You have to argue from the metaphor's tenor, not its vehicle.

rhhardin said...

Rush started yesterday's program with a breaking news flash: Paul Manafort has been separated from his family.

Chuck said...

This was a particularly good post, Althouse.

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Mary Beth at 8:17 sums up the REAL problem with illegals bringing young children across the border and why we must separate them, from the adults who may or may not be the parents.

Child sex trafficking.

Yet another lovely by-product of turning a blind eye to the illegal and criminal activity at the borders.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

As a Christian, I'm going to say no, he shouldn't be quoting Bible verses to justify policies. He could have just said that the government is reacting to the law breaking of the parents. If the parents weren't breaking the law, then it wouldn't be necessary to separate the children from them. My guess is that he quoted the verse because, get ready to have your world rocked and mind blown resident leftists, lots of Christians, including Evangelicals, are pro-immigrant and are effectively open border supporters. Most churches in the US above a certain size have Spanish language services and are constantly reaching out to the Hispanic community, even ones that are otherwise quite conservative. He was probably trying to communicate with those people and not the secular community.

As for the verse itself, its basically a call to obey legitimate authority that enforces order within a society as long as obeying the authority does not conflict with with God's word. In Acts Peter is ordered by the Sanhedrin to stop preaching about Jesus and the Gospel and he tells them that he can either obey them, men, or God and he is going to obey God. Paul's admonition to obey secular authority has to be interpreted in light of that.

Birches said...

The search to turn white women against Trump continues by our media.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

You also have to remember that there was, and still is, a tendency in Christianity towards antinomianism, "relating to the view that Christians are released by grace from the obligation of observing the moral law." That was what Paul is addressing in Romans 6. " What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase?" The answer to that by the way is no.

Jason said...

How dare he bring up Scripture while addressing a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops!

Unknown said...

SIMPLE

Any immigrant bringing kids should be given amnesty

while we retain open borders

We must lead the world in kindness as we did form 2008 to 2016

Ron Winkleheimer said...

How dare he bring up Scripture while addressing a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops!

I was not aware of that, that would explain his use of the Bible then. The Catholic Catechism teaches that nations should be welcoming towards immigrants, but it also states that immigrants should respect the country's laws and customs. Catholic Bishops have a tendency to ignore the latter part.

Lyle Sanford, RMT said...

Scott Adams asked the same "What's the alternative?" question in yesterday's periscope.

Ron Winkleheimer said...

So, as a Christian, I have no problem whatsoever with Sessions using the Bible to support a policy when he is addressing a group that is Christian by its very nature. That would seem completely non-controversial to me.

jwl said...

I agree with John Henry, it is suspicious that this has become an issue now even tho separating kids from their parents started during Obama presidency. It is convenient that progressives are enflamed about this right at same time the IG report on nefarious actions of FBI is released.

Trumpit said...

"By the way, we all feel bad for the children..."

To that I say that some people hate kids. Sessions and Trump won't defend kids who are hungry, homeless, or need medical care. However, they suck up to the religious fringe nuts, and anti-abortionists. Brown kids are second-class munchkins who come from sh*thole countries like Mexico. Where's the WALL to stop the infiltration and invasion by these undesirable brats.

Trump: Mexico is not sending us their best (kids); criminals, drug dealers and rapists are crossing border. (I like white kids from Norway anyway.)

Inga...Allie Oop said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Fernandinande said...

Jason said...
How dare he bring up Scripture while addressing a meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops!


Well, in this case he didn't.

His speech was to "law enforcement officers", and it begins with:

"Thank you to the Fort Wayne Rotary Club, the Fort Wayne Business Forum, the Allan County Bar Association—and most of all thank you to law enforcement officers from the federal, state, and local levels"

Inga...Allie Oop said...

I recall reading that there are many asylum seekers who have crossed the border for the first time which is considered a misdemeanor. Because it’s a misdemeanor, arresting them and separating them from their children seems like overkill. As for the policy, AG Sessions announced a “zero tolerance” agenda on the border on May 7. This wasn’t happening in this way under Obama, this is a new policy. From mid April to the end of May over 1,900 kids were separated from their parents. Why not keep the children with their parents and detain the family together, if they must be detained. There is no reason they need to be held in a prison like setting either. When all the Cuban balseros were being detained they held them in camps on Guantanamo until they were given asylum. Why the different treatment for asylum seekers from South America as opposed to asylum seekers from Cuba?

Inga...Allie Oop said...

Also the new zero tolerance policy under Sessions states that even those with no previous criminal history are to be arrested. The change in policy is now referring all the arrestees to the DOJ for prosecution. This is new, wasn’t happening under Obama.

Bilwick said...

Re the immigration issue, I think the essence of it was pretty much captured by the joke, "If illegal immigrants tended to vote Republican, would 'liberals' care about them?"

As for the Bible stuff, I'm a non-believer; but I wish "liberals" (and by that I mean of course "tax-happy, coercion-addicted, power-tripping government sniffers and State humpers") would keep in mind the commandments "Thou shalt not steal" and "Thou shalt not cover thy neighbor's goods." They should also take a closer look at "Thou shalt not murder" (erroneously translated as "Thou shalt not kill") since it would seem to imply a non-aggression ethic, and without aggressive force, and the threat of aggressive force, modern statist "liberalism" would cease to exist.

Anonymous said...

Using children as emotional wedges to change policy is cold-hearted.
Tug at the ole heart strings to get a couple of hundred thousand more unregistered Democrats
on to the government tit.

Build that wall and this problem disappears.

William said...

They entrust themselves and their children to cartels and coyotes prior to reaching the border. They're already putting their children at risk, and some are using their children as bargaining chips.......You will never hear a bad word said against these families. At one time, you never heard a bad word said against Ortega no Chavez. I suffer from propaganda fatigue. The detention centers are not concentration camps.

narciso said...

well liberals don't believe in the Constitution, or the Bible, except for Leviticus 19, so feelings is what determines, and we know where that leads,

Mark said...

"Sessions says the Bible justifies separating immigrant families."

Sessions never said any such thing. And when the premise of the discussion is an out-and-out lie, there can be no honest discussion on what he actually said.

Lucien said...

Just asking, but how does a line about obeying the civil authorities provide guidance to the people who ARE the civil authorities?

gspencer said...

Would liberals be bothered if Sessions used the Qur'an as the basis for law?

Sebastian said...

"we all feel bad for the children"

I don't. I refuse to be blackmailed.

I favor the forceful and immediate return of anyone caught entering illegally.

I favor the immediate and firm denial of all asylum claims made by people entering from safe third countries.

narciso said...

now it's about how people are to behave, now in mexico, they use to the army to make the point, and sometimes as with those 47 students, things get out of hand,

Mark said...

The prior Cardinal-Archbishop of Los Angeles (Since removed from office for "gross misconduct"

That is false. Cardinal Mahoney stepped down upon reaching the mandatory retirement age.

gilbar said...

LWL said: "Seems like there are three possible solutions:"

A Modest Proposal for A Fourth Solution

Facts (according to the Social Justice Warriors):
* these poor children!! Something must be done to ease their suffering!
* Over 300 MILLION Americans are just ONE MISSED MEAL AWAY FROM BEING HUNGRY!

Solution:
* Seems Pretty Clear; doesn't it?

Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...

Unforced error by Sessions. Biblical reference was unnecessary and - in these secular times - inappropriate.

Separation policy itself is right and proper.

Hammond X. Gritzkofe said...

..and not the first unforced error by Sessions as Atty Gen

Dust Bunny Queen said...

Also the new zero tolerance policy under Sessions states that even those with no previous criminal history are to be arrested.

First of all......there is no way to know that these ILLEGAL Aliens do not have a previous criminal history in the place that they came from.

Second....they have committed a verified crime (ILLEGAL immigration) and probably several crimes along the way before they are caught.

Third.....just how many crimes are you allowed to get away with before being finally arrested.

Can I rob a liquor store 3 times and not get arrested? Break and enter property to steal things, 4 times? 6 times? How many laws am I allowed to break before being arrested?

Why do we even have laws if you aren't going to arrest people for breaking the laws. Can all these people live in YOUR neighborhood?

chickelit said...

Althouse wrote: “...what is the less wrong thing that ought to be done instead? I'm not seeing anyone talking about that.”

What I see people avoiding is what Tucker Carlson said quite a while ago now:

If you live in an affluent ZIP code, it’s hard to see a downside to mass low-wage immigration. Your kids don’t go to public school. You don’t take the bus or use the emergency room for health care. No immigrant is competing for your job. (The day Hondurans start getting hired as green energy lobbyists is the day my neighbors become nativists.) Plus, you get cheap servants, and get to feel welcoming and virtuous while paying them less per hour than your kids make at a summer job on Nantucket. It’s all good.

Carlson puts his finger on where the staunch political support for open borders comes from: DC swamp dwellers. I’ll add a new one relevant to the children being discussed: Support for open borders also comes from white, mostly female public school teachers who worry about their own sinecure.

Jason said...

https://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/right-turn/wp/2018/06/15/leave-the-bible-out-of-it-child-separation-is-not-christian/?utm_term=.055f4cab46d5.

Per the Washington Post, Sessions was addressing the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.

chickelit said...

Inga: Janet Reno knew how to deal with underage Cuban refugees. She also dealt pretty effectively with uppity Texas Christians. Remind me for whom she worked.

Otto said...

I always ask Bible scoffers , where is your 8 1/2" by 11" crib sheet. Are your moral rules written somewhere so you can refer to them?. Always never take Bible versus out of context if you seriously want to understand their meaning.

Anonymous said...

"If illegal immigrants tended to vote Republican, would 'liberals' care about them?"

In that case there would already be a wall comparable to the Great Wall of China, with machine gun turrets and land mines.

Mark said...

Theology scholar Mike Frost wrote in 2016 that Romans 13 should not be used to quell dissent because it comes from a period when Christians faced persecution from the Roman Emperor Nero

This Frost guy is a poor theologian -- and poor historian -- then if he wrote that.

Paul's letter to the Christian community in Rome was written before Nero became emperor and was written as an introduction before Paul's planned journey to Rome. When the Nero persecution did later begin, Paul was in Rome. And he was a victim of that persecution as well, being executed by beheading (the method for one having Roman citizenship), while Peter across town and across the river was crucified up on the Vatican hill.

Humperdink said...

Front page of the local newspaper: Yesterday in front of the courthouse, a group of the local activists staged a protest of Trump's parent/child separation actions.

Page 2, same day, same newspaper: Inside the courthouse, it was sentencing day. All were of parental age who were being separated from their chill-ren for executing illegal activities.

Funny.

gilbar said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Luke Lea said...

Moral hazard? Abusing the asylum laws, meant to protect those facing true persecution, could end them altogether. Also, immigration fueled by a desire to move to the richest country in history retards the development of the poor countries from which most immigrants come. A photograph at the border stops us from thinking about these unseen consequences, which nobody wants.

gilbar said...

chickelit mentions Janet Reno: "She also dealt pretty effectively with uppity Texas Christians."

Hey! Be Fair! there were serious accusations that there might have been indications that child abuse could have possibly been something that those Texans might have been thinking about considering to maybe do at some time.

What Alternative to incinerating those children was available to Janet? I mean; Really? What else could she have done?

narciso said...

well the Cuban adjustment act, was cancelled on the way out by Obama, there's your answer,

there is a place for social justice, in scripture, but not mandated by govt,

Jason said...

Hey, Fernandistein! Next time you try to tell me Sessions was addressing a group of law enforcement officers and not Catholic clergy, maybe don't include a link to a video in which he specifically addresses his audience as "church friends," mmmkay?

M said...

The press and their lower level Twitter twits have been pushing the “this isn’t a Christian thing to do” meme for the last couple weeks. THAT is why Sessions spoke on this issue. It’s disingenuous of you to pretend he just brought Christianity up out of nowhere. Personally I think if he was going to speak to the Christian morality of it he should have quoted the many Judeo Christian teachings about property rights, and especially land ownership and national sovereignty. The Old Testament and the Talmud have a lot to say about those issues and none of them support the wholesale invasion of sovereign nations. Then there’s that whole THOU SHALL NOT COVET thing. Everyone seems to forget it wasn’t just about your neighbors wife.

Jason said...

"Leave the Bible out of it, child separation is not ‘Christian’"

Actual fucking headline.

Washington Post

Mark said...

Jason - Sessions gave the speech in Fort Wayne, Indiana. The bishops were at the time meeting in Florida.

JMS said...

FWIW, https://www.nationalreview.com/2018/05/illegal-immigration-enforcement-separating-kids-at-border/
Here's a few paragraphs, but read the whole thing:

"When a migrant is prosecuted for illegal entry, he or she is taken into custody by the U.S. Marshals. In no circumstance anywhere in the U.S. do the marshals care for the children of people they take into custody. The child is taken into the custody of HHS, who cares for them at temporary shelters.

The criminal proceedings are exceptionally short, assuming there is no aggravating factor such as a prior illegal entity or another crime. The migrants generally plead guilty, and they are then sentenced to time served, typically all in the same day, although practices vary along the border. After this, they are returned to the custody of ICE.

If the adult then wants to go home, in keeping with the expedited order of removal that is issued as a matter of course, it’s relatively simple. The adult should be reunited quickly with his or her child, and the family returned home as a unit. In this scenario, there’s only a very brief separation.

Where it becomes much more of an issue is if the adult files an asylum claim. In that scenario, the adults are almost certainly going to be detained longer than the government is allowed to hold their children.

That’s because of something called the Flores Consent Decree from 1997. It says that unaccompanied children can be held only 20 days. A ruling by the Ninth Circuit extended this 20-day limit to children who come as part of family units. So even if we want to hold a family unit together, we are forbidden from doing so.

The clock ticking on the time the government can hold a child will almost always run out before an asylum claim is settled. The migrant is allowed ten days to seek an attorney, and there may be continuances or other complications.

This creates the choice of either releasing the adults and children together into the country pending the adjudication of the asylum claim, or holding the adults and releasing the children. If the adult is held, HHS places the child with a responsible party in the U.S., ideally a relative (migrants are likely to have family and friends here)."

In April, the New York Times reported:

"Some migrants have admitted they brought their children not only to remove them from danger in such places as Central America and Africa, but because they believed it would cause the authorities to release them from custody sooner.

Others have admitted to posing falsely with children who are not their own, and Border Patrol officials say that such instances of fraud are increasing."

Seeing Red said...

Was it 50,000 illegals a month for the last 3 months stopped at our southern border?

DEEBEE said...

I strongly suspect that Jeff Sessions is the insurance policy that Strzok and page were talking about. A brilliant move to neuter Trump just in case he won. Out of the blue Sessions cuddles up with Trump and bang — perennial Investigation, perennial blocking and goofy recitations, make Trumps tweets look less unhinged

Big Mike said...

Should we keep children with parents who are heading off to jail?

“For I was hungry ...”

Well, you know, if we canceled AFDC we could easily afford to feed immigrant families. California could feed everybody with the money they are spending on high speed rail from Nowhere to Noplace.

Fernandinande said...

Jason said...
Per the Washington Post, Sessions was addressing the US Conference of Catholic Bishops.


He was criticizing "Church leaders" ("Conference of Catholic Bishops", I suppose) in a speech to police.

That's why his speech was titled:

"Attorney General Sessions Addresses Recent Criticisms of Zero Tolerance By Church Leaders"
and he thanks the police for coming.

When the WaPo clumsily wrote "Speaking to a meeting of the [Bishops]" they meant "referring to a meeting".

In your WaPo link the "Session proclaimed" link, also WaPo, says "Sessions said during a speech to law enforcement officers in Fort Wayne, Ind. ..."

rcocean said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
rcocean said...

Leftists and Greed-head, Cheap labor lobbyists quoting the scriptures!

It makes me want to puke.

In 1924, the USA was a much more Christian society and had zero problems with restricting immigration.

Lets act like men and fight over politics instead of dishonestly dragging in Jesus or the Ancient Hebrews. God doesn't care about immigration policy.

Fernandinande said...

Jason said...
Hey, Fernandistein! Next time you try to tell me Sessions was addressing a group of law enforcement officers and not Catholic clergy, maybe don't include a link to a video in which he specifically addresses his audience as "church friends," mmmkay?


OK!

Now you can apologize for wasting people's time because of your poor reading comprehension and, even far more worser, doubting my veracity.

Mark said...

You know, before using the Washington Post as the starting point of discussion, much less citing the MSM or especially the Washington Post -- the actual fucking Washington Post -- to justify anything, people might try going to the original source.

Attorney General Sessions Addresses Recent Criticisms of Zero Tolerance By Church Leaders
Fort Wayne, IN ~ Thursday, June 14, 2018
Remarks as prepared for delivery


Thank you, Tom for that kind introduction; thank you for your eight years of service to the Department of Justice, and congratulations on your appointment as United States Attorney.

Thank you to the Fort Wayne Rotary Club, the Fort Wayne Business Forum, the Allan County Bar Association—and most of all thank you to law enforcement officers from the federal, state, and local levels.

Thank you all for being here. . . . This is an exciting and important time. We have an historic opportunity to—finally—fix an immigration system that has been broken for decades.

The American people have been begging and pleading with our elected officials for an immigration system that is lawful and that serves our national interest—one that we can be proud of. There is nothing mean-spirited about that. They are right, decent and just to ask for this. . . .

Unfortunately there has been a lot of misinformation out there on what we at the Department of Justice are doing. The reports have been so wrong that some people might even call it “fake news.”

So let me clear a few things up. . . .

However, we are not sending children to jail with their parents. The law requires that children who cannot be with their parents be placed in custody of the Department of Health and Human Services within 72 hours. . . .

Let me take an aside to discuss concerns raised by our church friends about separating families. Many of the criticisms raised in recent days are not fair or logical and some are contrary to law.

First- illegal entry into the United States is a crime—as it should be. Persons who violate the law of our nation are subject to prosecution. I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained them for the purpose of order.

Orderly and lawful processes are good in themselves and protect the weak and lawful.

Our policies that can result in short term separation of families is not unusual or unjustified. American citizens that are jailed do not take their children to jail with them. And non-citizens who cross our borders unlawfully —between our ports of entry—with children are not an exception.

They are the ones who broke the law, they are the ones who endangered their own children on their trek. The United States on the other hand, goes to extraordinary lengths to protect them while the parents go through a short detention period.

Please note, Church friends, that if the adults go to one of our many ports of entry to claim asylum, they are not prosecuted and the family stays intact pending the legal process. . . .

I have given the idea of immigration much thought and have considered the arguments of our Church leaders. I do not believe scripture or church history or reason condemns a secular nation state for having reasonable immigration laws. If we have them, then they should be enforced. A mere desire to benefit from entry to the nation does not justify illegal entry. And, there are of course adverse consequences to illegal actions.

Once again, let me state that this nation has perhaps the most generous laws in the world.

My request to these religious leaders who have criticized the carrying out of our laws to also speak up strongly to urge anyone who would come here to apply lawfully, to wait their turn, and not violate the law.

rcocean said...

BTW, if you think the Catholic Church and all these Protestant Minsters are disinterested parties just giving us their "Christian thoughts" on Immigration - you're wrong.

The Catholic Church and the Protestants get tens of $millions to aid refugees and immigrants. They make $$$ off immigration. Not to mention that immigration helps fill the pews.

Howard said...

Trump and Sessions are using children in the immigration battle to keep the cucks happy because the wall isn't going to be built and Mexico won't pay for it. It's also a barometer to measure the degree to which cucks will enthusiastically support inhumane cruelty of brown skinned people.

rcocean said...

I'm waiting for Chuck Schumer to start telling us that Jesus would support open borders.

Fernandinande said...

Mark said...people might try going to the original source.

I beatcha to it twice.

Seeing Red said...

I’m glad Colbert cares. What he can do is “adopt” a family, go thru the proper legal process with DCFS, leave 3 years of tax returns with the proper agency and sign the paper that sez he will be totally responsible for them for 5 years. Or he can support them in Mexico “shepherd” them thru our legal process then be responsible for them for 5 years.

Those were the rules for me. He’s not special, he can follow them too.

Unknown said...

OK, solution -- give a bus pass home to illegal immigrants with children who will take them back to their home, and separate only those who refuse the free transportation.

Seeing Red said...

Mexico is paying for the wall, it won’t be how they think they are.

Mark said...

I beatcha to it twice

Fine. Let the record so reflect, so that Fernandistein gets the credit of linking the DOJ website first.

Fernandinande said...

@rcocean
Catholic Church collects $1.6 billion in U.S. contracts, grants since 2012

Seeing Red said...

All those church leaders can build churches or sanctuary buildings in Mexico, fund them and shepherd that flock thru the legal process. That’s all they have to do.

Fernandinande said...

Mark said...
Let the record so reflect, so that Fernandistein gets the credit of linking the DOJ website first.


I object! Opposing counsel is not argumentative.

Unknown said...

Making a religious argument to a religious group who use a religious argument to protest a legal practice taken in response to an illegal activity, I'm not sure I see a problem.

Jason said...

Ferd: I am satisfied that while Sessions was specifically addressing a scriptural criticism of the policy, he was in fact directing his comments to the Catholic Bishops while in front of an audience of law enforcement in Indiana.

My reading comprehension was fine: My mistake was believing a single word written by that idiot Jennifer Rubin.

hombre said...

Not all Americans follow the admonitions in the New Testament. All Americans, however, are required to follow the law as decreed in the United States Code.

Sessions was foolish to make himself and our faith a target by citing Romans. He provides ignoramuses like Swenson and Colbert with opportunities to distort Christianity and ignore history (Wilberforce and other Christian abolitionists, lack of evidence of collusion between Trump and Putin) to score political points.

Sessions is not our warrior pastor.

rcocean said...

Thanks Fern.

Over $1 BILLION$ from the Feds.

Its worse than I thought.

Jason said...

To be a libtard means to think that biblical arguments can only be made one way. Liberals can make all the biblical references they like (now do marriage and abortion, shitheads) and somehow the very conservatives being criticized on Biblical grounds are obligated not to respond, or even to say "you have it wrong, and this is why."

Liberals are getting more retarded by the minute.

Anonymous said...

Jason:

"Leave the Bible out of it, child separation is not ‘Christian’"

Actual fucking headline.

Washington Post


Wait a minute. How can we talk about whether it's Christian or not if we leave the Bible out of it?

(IOW: See CJ's link at first post on thread.)

Achilles said...

If Trump fires Sessions for being an idiot and sucking at his job democrats would call it obstruction of justice and demand his impeachment.

Anonymous said...

rcocean: The Catholic Church and the Protestants get tens of [$billions] to aid refugees and immigrants. They make $$$ off immigration. Not to mention that immigration helps fill the pews.

And then dump them on the over-burdened welfare systems of communities, whose members they proceed to harangue for being unChristian bigots and xenophobes if they presume to notice any little problems arising from the virtuecrats vast generosity with other people's money and communities.

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

I can understand an atheist using the bible to justify this policy. Hard to the see the upside for a believer.

chickelit said...

@Jason: Jennifer Rubin is exactly who Tucker Carlson had in mind when he wrote what I quoted at 9:36.

Humperdink said...

"I can understand an atheist using the bible to justify this policy."

Really? Really?? So the Bible is now the go-to source for atheists? I like it. Are they going to use it for all policies? My guess is prolly not.

Jason said...

Prediction: This issue will vanish from the public eye completely next time a Democrat is elected President, along with the national epidemic of homelessness. However, as soon as a Republican enters the White House again, the very same issue will return to the major news networks with a vengeance, like a comet returning on its elliptical orbit, causing mass panic among the superstitious.

Seeing Red said...

How many elderly are eating dog and cat food? Has it doubled or tripled since Reagan?

buwaya said...

The "children" issue is the current propaganda line.
On TV news and Facebook.
Part of the perpetual ongoing propaganda campaign.
All part of the old ploy of "pay attention to this, not that".
The system is completely transparent once you have it figured out.

Otto said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Seeing Red said...

Third.....just how many crimes are you allowed to get away with before being finally arrested.



Maybe we should just go with British law since people don’t like US law. One can steal up to 500 pounds with no ramifications. $810. Unless it’s changed?

Comanche Voter said...

Children are separated from their fathers (and sometimes mothers) every day in California--when the prison bus takes newly convicted felons off to one of California's numerous gray bar hotels.

Seeing Red said...

Some of those children could be classified as adults.

Bates said...

The Christian promise is to use hardships as the vessel for the spirit of god. Paul thought marriage was an obstacle to being fulfilled by the spirit. The mechanism is to have a faith that loves constantly and to endure the life on earth. The effect is to set up a society where the good news can travel widely and freely. Should there be boundaries to that? Are the boundaries what informs good news?

traditionalguy said...
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Inga...Allie Oop said...


“ The Catholic Church and the Protestants get tens of [$billions] to aid refugees and immigrants. They make $$$ off immigration. Not to mention that immigration helps fill the pews.”
——————-
“And then dump them on the over-burdened welfare systems of communities, whose members they proceed to harangue for being unChristian bigots and xenophobes if they presume to notice any little problems arising from the virtuecrats vast generosity with other people's money and communities.”
——————————-
Jordan Peterson got into some hot water with his followers a few days ago when he posted a chart on Twitter showing that immigrants use less welfare and entitlement benefits than people born here in the third or higher generations.

Seeing Red said...

So, Trumpit, it sounds like you want to bring back orphanages.

traditionalguy said...

Paul was 100% for spreading the Gospel across the Empire. For that, he needed a Pax Romana social order without bandits or tribal wars. So Paul told the new Christians to pray for those in authority, to submit to authority, and to pay taxes, and finally to honor all men. He said their war was a spiritual war going on in the Heavens and not against the flesh and blood of the Romans.

Inga...Allie Oop said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
n.n said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
n.n said...

What difference does it make if it's the mother or mother/father or government that aborts, abandons, or isolates the child, respectively?

The answer to the wicked solution (i.e. Pro-Choice) and abandonment is moral reform.

The answer to the refugee crises is to curtail social justice adventures (e.g. elective regime changes, redistributive change, abortion fields).

The answer to mass exodus is emigration reform.

Seeing Red said...

Jordan Peterson is focusing on the US? Considering he’s Canadian? I guess he should talk to Trudeau. I’m also sure the US would be delighted to provide safe passage to Canada. Trudeau should also recall his reps in Florida and the other states who are there to discourage immigration to Canada.

And there are charts showing otherwise.

Dueling charts!


MayBee said...

Paco Wové said...
To be honest, I just assume that this issue is what the permanent outrage machine has chosen to latch onto this week, and as such I ignore it.


Yes. I keep wondering who decided this was going to be the issue this week, and why.

Otto said...

Pro abortion WP is so concerned about children. My arse.

Seeing Red said...

They need to get the focus off of prison reform.

n.n said...

The "children" issue is the current propaganda line.

Profitable for redistributive change, democratic gerrymandering, and foreign influence, in collusion with female chauvinists, Planned Parenthood et al, and special and peculiar interests.

hstad said...

Rob states....
"...And why, pray tell, aren't these asylum seekers making lives for themselves in Mexico, which has a decent economy, speaks the language they do and in which their tuchuses are already located?...."
6/16/18, 7:59 AM

Well Rob, because Mexico and other countries in Central America are "sh*tholes", just like President Trump describes them. Why do you think people want to come to America, because those countries economies are better than the USA. Having lived in several of these countries their economies have not changed that much and corruption in Mexico, et.al., is one of the principal drivers of "Illegal Immigration".

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“Jordan Peterson is focusing on the US? Considering he’s Canadian?”

Jordan Peterson has a huge following here in the US. He often speaks and focuses on problems unique to the US and Canada.

Marcus said...

ALL morality is based or borne out of religious traditions (not just Christianity) over thousands of years, whether you believe in a God or not. Your morals did not just appear out of thin air, even if you in particular never got a minute of organized religion. When my atheist friends criticize my behavior and claim me hypocritical of believing in the "lessons" of the New Testament, I respond that I often fall short of the standards set by Christ -- but at least I HAVE standards. What are yours, I ask.

hombre said...

Inga (11:03): “Jordan Peterson got into some hot water with his followers a few days ago when he posted a chart on Twitter showing that immigrants use less welfare and entitlement benefits than people born here in the third or higher generations.”

Wow! A double whammy from Inga. Jordan Peterson and immigration.

Never mind that it does nothing to refute the assertion that illegal immigrants and refugees stimulate funding for churches and add to the burdens on our welfare system.

Lefty logic and disingenuousness abide.

hstad said...

Inga said....
Jordan Peterson got into some hot water ...... when he posted a chart .....showing that immigrants use less welfare and entitlement benefits than people born here in the third or higher generations.
6/16/18, 11:03 AM

And your point is what Inga? Because the majority now on these programs are people born here it is OK for immigrants to come to the USA and get on "Welfare and Entitlements"? My friend, logic is not your forte, you lost everyone with such B.S.

Ralph L said...

When the Mexicans hear they'll lose their children if they come here illegally, maybe they'll stop coming.

Eisenhower sent a couple shiploads to southern Mexico, and when word of the long walk home spread, the crossings did trickled off.

boricuafudd said...

If we are really worried about the "children" then removing from their parents is not only the correct policy but what is best for the kids. Parents who bring their kids on this sort of journey, gambling that if and when they get to the US things will be better are "unfit" parents. It is one thing to gamble with your life attempting to reach the US but gambling with your kids' lives is another thing altogether. The threat of danger or poverty should never be a legitimate excuse for willingly putting children in danger.

Birkel said...

Can we get a list of Democrats who do not support the vigorous enforcement of Child Protective Services?

I seem to recall news articles about CPS (or DSS) officials in Democrat-controlled cities who were too aggressive separating black children from parents.

These examples are from big Democrat cities.

Birkel said...

Rush Limbaugh pointed out yesterday that Paul Manafort has been separated from his family.

And we don't know if Paul Manafort is guilty of anything.

TomHynes said...

99% of the children that the government take away from their parents are not refugees, they are just caught up in the foster care system. Either their parents are deemed unfit or they are incarcerated. If you care about these children, please consider becoming a foster parent. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vexKWF7HxUA

Beloved Commenter AReasonableMan said...

Inga said...
Jordan Peterson has a huge following here in the US. He often speaks and focuses on problems unique to the US and Canada.


I think you are failing to appreciate the very recent change in attitudes on the fucking Canadians.

"Republican voters have decided that they will follow their leader no matter what he says, and if that means changing their minds on a dime, so be it. Take Canada. Not so long ago, it was funny to attack our benevolent neighbor to the north. Countless episodes of South Park wouldn’t have worked without the baseline of reality that Canada is about as good and boring a neighbor as you can possibly imagine. But Trump has the power to change minds instantly. So in February this year, 94 percent had a favorable view of Canada. Now, only 66 percent have a favorable view, with 13 in opposition and 22 percent suddenly unsure."

Drago said...

Inga: "Jordan Peterson has a huge following here in the US. He often speaks and focuses on problems unique to the US and Canada."

Talk about a fundamental misunderstanding of what Jordan Peterson speaks about and focuses on.

Jordan Peterson would laugh at such a superficial and astonishingly shallow interpretation of what he is about.

Drago said...

ARM comes out strongly in favor of 270% tariffs on US Dairy goods by Canada and allowing Canada to act as a "passthrough" for Chinese products which is an abuse of the NAFTA agreement.

Not that we didn't know that already.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“...and add to the burdens on our welfare system.”

Apparently Jordan Peterson, the current sweetheart of conservative deep thinkers disagrees with you.

Michael K said...

Now, only 66 percent have a favorable view, with 13 in opposition and 22 percent suddenly unsure."

Reality is even better than fantasy for changing minds. Fidel's son has had much to do with this as well as the onslaught of PC thinking in Canada.

NAFTA was not intended to make Mexico and Canada agents of China in evading tariffs.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“I think you are failing to appreciate the very recent change in attitudes on the fucking Canadians.”

Ha, it would be amusing to see them rejecting Peterson now, because he’s a Canadian, after all these months of hanging on his every word...

Ralph L said...

Paul was writing a few years before the Judeans revolted against Roman authority--for the final time.

Big Mike said...

I really do need to read Jordan Peterson’s book, but answer me this, Inga. How much of a cut should nurses take in their take home pay so that we can afford to look after the children of lawbreakers? How much money should we take away from your grandchildren so we can take care of the children of illegal immigrants. If illegal immigrants took jobs away from nurses, would you be okay with that? Or are they only good as long as they clean your house and do lawn care and gardening for a pittance?

Fabi said...

"Out of the blue Sessions cuddles up with Trump and bang..."

Trump and Sessions have been friends for almost fifteen years. They first met when Trump provided Senate testimony in 2005 regarding the UN building.

hombre said...

Blogger Inga said...

‘“...and add to the burdens on our welfare system.”

Apparently Jordan Peterson, the current sweetheart of conservative deep thinkers disagrees with you.’

Here’s Inga, doubling down on stupid by claiming that somehow a tweet by Jordan Peterson refutes the incontrovertible fact that illegals “add to the burdens on our welfare systems.”

Reassuring, isn’t it?

steve uhr said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Achilles said...

Democrats have no qualms about separating fathers from their kids.

In fact it is a policy goal for them to destroy as many families as possible.

They don’t give two shits about these kids. They were doing the same thing during the obama administration. They didn’t care about these kids because they couldn’t be used as pawns to gain more power over other people.

Inga makes a pathetic attempt to make this out as a change.

Completely amoral and disgusting people.

Achilles said...

Inga said...

“Ha, it would be amusing to see them rejecting Peterson now, because he’s a Canadian, after all these months of hanging on his every word..“

Inga wants to pretend we are as stupid and sheep like as she is.

You are out here complaining about an Obama policy because your betters told you to. You do as you are told like a good little tool.

We are not as stupid as you. Peterson makes points and uses facts. It is a discussion. We may or may not agree with everything he says.

We are Unlike idiots like you who parrot whatever talking point the media is pushing this week.

Anonymous said...

Inga: Jordan Peterson got into some hot water with his followers a few days ago when he posted a chart on Twitter showing that immigrants use less welfare and entitlement benefits than people born here in the third or higher generations.

Probably because he was using stats that didn't differentiate between legal and illegal immigrants, among other commonly seen sleights-of-hand used to "prove" the case for open-borders nutjobbery.

Also, I don't think anyone considers Jordan Peterson a go-to guy re immigration issues. (Except, apparently, you.)

Inga...Allie Oop said...

Hombre, because you are missing my point, I’ll make it clear for you. Even your own deep thinkers and speakers are disagreeing with the Trump Administration policies regarding migrants.

People with a solid moral core are in increasing numbers seeing it as indefensible. And only when enough people publicly denounce it, will the Trump Administration change it.

Gahrie said...

If the separation is wrong, what is the less wrong thing that ought to be done instead?

The children and parents must be admitted to the U.S., given full citizenship and voting rights and the directions to the nearest welfare office of course.

Gahrie said...

I have two words for the Left: Elian Gonzalez

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“The Catholic Church and the Protestants get tens of [$billions] to aid refugees and immigrants. They make $$$ off immigration. Not to mention that immigration helps fill the pews.”
——————-
When people start accusing the Catholic Church, Protestant organizations and now more than 25 Jewish organizations as having ulterior motives in helping migrants, it’s a new low, even for you folks.

buwaya said...

There is no such thing as a "solid moral core".
The Catholic position is that we are all sinners, in a perpetual struggle not merely to figure out what is right or wrong in an ambiguous world, but to overcome our own inherent defects.
Assuming that your own opinions, or feelings, come out of a "solid moral core", is the sin of pride.

Make a case, with logic and facts and established doctrine where available, and leave the "solid moral core" in that bin of dubious rationalizations.

Inga...Allie Oop said...

“There is no such thing as a "solid moral core".

We can accept that we’re all sinners and still have a solid moral core. Sins and other moral failings may chip away at that core, but if it’s solid ( strong) enough it won’t crumble. Even unbelievers can have a solid moral core.

Gahrie said...

Why the different treatment for asylum seekers from South America as opposed to asylum seekers from Cuba?

US immigration law.

Gahrie said...

helping migrants,

They're not helping migrants, they're helping illegal immigrants.

Why not help them in their own countries and fix the shitholes they live in so they don't want to come here anymore?

Original Mike said...

Wouldn’t a wall ameliorate this problem?

n.n said...

There is a clear anti-native sentiment with social justice adventures, refugee crises, and immigration reform, that forces or ignores trails of tears and emigrations reform, respectively. The motives are to disenfranchise native people (e.g. gerrymander the vote), cover-up of the collateral damage from elective wars and abortion fields, profit from redistributive change, collusion with foreign special interests, and exploit labor arbitrage. It is also to compensate for the consequences of female chauvinism, Pro-Choice, and the wicked or final solution. There needs to be emigration reform to check the excesses of foreign and domestic special and peculiar interests. The secular "religious" organizations need to stop participating in the cover-up and spreading blood libels about their neighbors.

n.n said...

Why not help them in their own countries and fix the shitholes they live in so they don't want to come here anymore?

So that they don't feel compelled to emigrate, or at least that they have an honest choice (no relation to Choice). Also, so that avoidance of emigration reform and its causes does not serve to obfuscate the wholly innocent victims and dysfunction of the wicked solution, the final solution, Pro-Choice and Planned Parenthood et al.

buwaya said...

The Catholic Church is itself prone to ulterior motives.
There is a great tradition, and indeed established processes, to question and purge segments of the Church that go astray for whatever reason. The Church has often had segments that devolve into corruption, for reasons that may be plausible, or rationalizable, but are often entirely irrational. Entire institutions can suffer complete demoralization.
I can point to various religious orders that have been in that boat. Indeed, little known is the fact that numerous orders have been suppressed for various offenses, including financial corruption, heresy, sexual corruption, and personality cults. This was a constant in the near-2000 years of its history.
Financial corruption, or its better-face-on-it cousin of privileging the interests of donors, is extremely common.

A great number of orders today are well past due for such treatment.

And the Catholics are by no means unique. There is the absurd example of the Episcopal Church in the 1970s-80s that was actively assisting murderous Puerto Rican terrorist groups, operating safe houses and financing them and shielding them from law enforcement.

Mark said...

The Catholic position is that we are all sinners, in a perpetual struggle not merely to figure out what is right or wrong in an ambiguous world, but to overcome our own inherent defects.

The Catholic position is that at our core, we are all good -- "very good" in fact. Humans are at the core "very good" because that core was made by God, who is all good and Himself said that the humanity He had created is "very good."

The problem is that layered on to that good core is the reality of sin -- of our free choice of the will to think and act in a way contrary to the truth of what God made us to be and intends for us to be. We do not have inherent defects. We have added-on defects, which have impaired our knowledge and judgment and will.

It is in this sense that we are all "sinners." We are all to some degree separated from the full communion with God and His Love and His Truth, which He seeks for all of His created humanity, which He created as "very good."

That's the Catholic understanding.

Paco Wové said...

If the separation is wrong, what is the less wrong thing that ought to be done instead?

Althouse's question seems quite straightforward, as though it would be easily answerable.

Mark said...

By the way --

"Sin" does not mean "breaking the rules," with God then punishing us for having the audacity to against Him, as if He were some petulant dictator.

The concept of and word "sin," is from the German sunde, which can also be re-translated as "sunder." To "sin," thus means putting ourselves "asunder." It is any act or thought, or omission of same, which by its nature necessarily separates us from God. It is an act, etc. against reason, truth, love -- an act, etc. against the truth of our intended nature -- and thus inconsistent and in conflict with God who is Truth, God who is Love.

And by our own free choice of the will to go against truth and love, we punish ourselves. No need for God to do it. By separating ourselves from Him, who is Life itself, we necessarily separate ourselves from life, the state we call "hell." Again, it is not God who sends us to hell -- we send ourselves there.

Mark said...

Why not help them in their own countries and fix the shitholes they live in so they don't want to come here anymore?

If you look at Catholic teaching and the statements of the various popes, including Francis, underneath all of the other rhetoric that the media focuses on, this too is what they say. The full Catholic position calls for drastic change and improvement in the home countries so that people do not feel the need to migrate.

Anonymous said...

Inga: Hombre, because you are missing my point, I’ll make it clear for you. Even your own deep thinkers and speakers are disagreeing with the Trump Administration policies regarding migrants.

So? And? Do you think that there is a necessary logical connection between some "deep thinker's" opinion on a subject (even within his own field of expertise,let alone outside of it), and the rightness or wrongness of any particular policy?

Here, let me help you out with the answer to that question so you don't cudgel your brain too hard about it: there isn't.

(And whether he has a large following, and who those followers are, is also entirely irrelevant to the rightness or wrongness of a policy.)

People with a solid moral core are in increasing numbers seeing it as indefensible.

I have no idea what all the people "with a solid moral core" are thinking on this issue, and neither do you.

And only when enough people publicly denounce it, will the Trump Administration change it.

Now that statement edges a little closer to possibly being true. If you get enough people to publicly denounce something, it might possibly result in policy change. However, this tells you nothing about whether these people know what they're talking about, or a just a bunch of dumb sheep who are easily manipulated via their emotions and moral vanity.

Drago said...

I don't want any magnificent, one-with-the-earth, perfect human beings from much better places than horrific deplorable-filled Americkkkkka to have to come here and suffer under the nazi leader Trump.

I recommend we build a wall and immediately cease all immigration in order to ensure no other fantastic human beings (much better human beings than republicans and conservatives) will ever be subjected to such a horrible, horrible predicament than to be in the US.

Drago said...

I can understand why the lefties and their LLR allies are so uptight today about obama/dem laws.

Just one year ago a democrat failed to commit mass political murder in order to help the dems regain control of the House.

Thats got to be grating.....

Mark said...

Why not help them in their own countries and fix the shitholes they live in so they don't want to come here anymore?

Pope Francis --
"It is absolutely necessary, therefore, to deal with the causes which trigger migrations in the countries of origin. This requires, as a first step, the commitment of the whole international community to eliminate the conflicts and violence that force people to flee. Furthermore, far-sighted perspectives are called for, capable of offering adequate programmes for areas struck by the worst injustice and instability, in order that access to authentic development can be guaranteed for all." (just one example)

Jim at said...

I just assume that this issue is what the permanent outrage machine has chosen to latch onto this week, and as such I ignore it.

Exactly. Next week, it'll be something else.

Let them scream, rant, rage and foam. They deserve their misery.

Michael said...

Angle-Dyne

I wonder who unites the one arm behind your back after each satisfying devastation of Inga's typing?

Chuck said...

Isn't that a wonderful, informative column by Rich Lowry? Many thanks to Althouse for posting it.

Now; is Donald Trump a good spokesman for the position espoused by Rich Lowry?

n.n said...

We can agree that people are imperfect and that the best strive to overcome their deficiencies. Can a philosophy be perfect? It is necessary for the principles to be internally, externally, and mutually consistent, but is that criterion sufficient?

Jim at said...

This is new, wasn’t happening under Obama.

Good. There are a lot of things happening now that weren't happening under Obama.

More, please.

Anonymous said...

Inga: When people start accusing the Catholic Church, Protestant organizations and now more than 25 Jewish organizations as having ulterior motives in helping migrants, it’s a new low, even for you folks.

It's true or it's not true.

The Catholic Church, Protestant organizations, and Jewish organizations are made up of fallible human beings, and therefore as subject to error and foolishness, and, yes, self-delusion about their motivations, as any other group of people, whatever good intentions most of the individuals staffing them may have started with.

bagoh20 said...

It's child endangerment, neglect, and abuse to drag your children to the border knowing you will likely be arrested and separated from them, not to mention the dangers of the travel. Parents who endanger their children like that should and would always be separated for their safety.

n.n said...

Under Obama, we had immigration reform, including: mass exodus, refugee crises, and trail of tears. As well as people left behind. Perhaps acceptable collateral damage of social justice adventures, redistributive change, and democratic gerrymandering. We also had labor arbitrage, population replacement, and Planned Parenthood/selective-child compensation. There have been some positive changes; but, unfortunately, mostly status quo and some progress.

Original Mike said...

So, the democrats work to entice illegal immigrates here, for their electoral benefit, and then question the morals of others trying to pick up the pieces.

hombre said...

Inga: “Hombre, because you are missing my point, I’ll make it clear for you. Even your own deep thinkers and speakers are disagreeing with the Trump Administration policies regarding migrants.”

I’m not missing your point. You are missing your point. I’ve never read Peterson, but I doubt he thought he was disagreeing with Trump policy. Regardless, his tweet does not, could not, disprove the contention that illegals “add to the burdens on the welfare system.” They do!

As for “people with a “solid moral core,” get serious please. You and your ilk are moral relativists. Your moral core is solid like vapor. Anything morally tangible emanating from your “core” is borrowed from religion and is fleeting as the wind.

Your stand on immigration is emotional and political. It is absurd to suggest that it is based on reason or morality.

Anonymous said...

Michael: I wonder who unites the one arm behind your back after each satisfying devastation of Inga's typing?

You flatter me, but "satisfying", "devastating"? My dear, no such thing. She is gloriously impervious. Claiming victory in a round with Our Ing would be like claiming to have gotten the better of a chimpanzee in a debate.

I just throw my hand in now and again responding to her, just to enjoy the hooting and chest-thumping and general happy air of self-satisfaction she displays in response to any challenges.

Narayanan said...

Can we game this ... Is there a career path through FBI org chart that would make IG Horowitz acting AG?
I understand McConnell won't allow Sessions to be replaced via confirmation.

langford peel said...

I wish Sarah Sanders had given that caterwauling communist a simple explanation as to why the baby beaners have to be separated from their wetback parents.

Social services always takes children out of the home of criminals until it is determined that they are not at risk.

All illegal aliens are criminals by virtue of the fact that they are breaking our immigration laws by the mere fact that they sneaked into our country illegally. Ipso factco bitches you are criminals. So their children must be taken and held in safety until we determine that the parents are not putting them in danger. Now risking their life by using human traffickers and coyotes who would exploit them sexually and every other which way is putting the children at risk. If every other Jamal or Velveeta loses their kids for shoplifting Ring Dings when the EBT card is out of cash than Jose and Maria don't get no special treatment.

It is perfectly illustrated by the big shit storm in New York. An illegal immigrant delivery guy was bringing a pizza to an Army base. He didn't have id. No drivers license. So they reported him to ICE and he is in custody. Now think about that. This taco bender does not have a valid drivers license but his job is driving a car and delivering pizzas. Now is this a job that an American would not take? If his name was Malik or Bob or Sean and he was driving without a license he would be arrested at the very least. But the progressive want to give illegals more rights than American citizens.

That is why they think it is horrendous when their kids are taken away when they break the law and put them in danger.

It is all bullshit. Typical libtard bullshit.

jimbino said...


...we are forbidden from doing so is best rewritten as "..we are forbidden to do so." Even the Bible gets this right.

langford peel said...

These children need to be given back to their parents. I agree. Pack them all up and send them back to their shit hole countries. We have had enough. We are full up. No more. Go home Pedro. You too Mohamed.

Unless you immigrate legally you will be deported. Period.

langford peel said...

Those who forget history are doomed to repeat it.

In the last gasp of the Roman Empire they allowed unchecked immigration of barbarians.

The worst were aptly named the Vandals.

They were the MS=13 of the time.

Lets not repeat their mistake shall we?

langford peel said...

Even the Nurse Ratched of Germany is losing her gig because she happily brought in rapists.

She imported Muslim rapists to do the jobs that Germans would no longer do.

Rape and kill young Jewish girls.

Clark said...

"Huh? The fact that the children 'can' be held for only 20 days doesn't mean that they 'must' be held for 20 days."

After 20 days the children must be separated from their parents, unless you are willing to accept the alternative of releasing the parents into the country.

buwaya said...

No Inga,
You cannot assume.
You have to struggle with yourself and question.
This is extremely difficult.
Religion is not comfort, it is work.
If you are comfortable you are doing something wrong.

This world is one enormous, constant Sophie's Choice, and you are never going to choose correctly.

Bilwick said...

Gahrie wrote: "I have two words for the Left: Elian Gonzalez."

That photo of the armed storm-trooper "throwing down" on the kid in the closet was a vivid pictorial summary of the power of the State. For this reason, "liberal" statists rejoiced in it. One who was particularly open about shouting "Callooh! Callay!" was chronic State-shtupper Garry Wills, who said something very much like what Stewie Griffin said when he was beating up Brian the Dog on FAMILY GUY: "You like this? You like this? This is what happens, man! This is what happens!"

Seeing Red said...

I have 2 words: Watch Germany.

Seeing Red said...


Inga: When people start accusing the Catholic Church, Protestant organizations and now more than 25 Jewish organizations as having ulterior motives in helping migrants, it’s a new low, even for you folks.

Nothing has ever prevented those organizations from sending more money and missionaries to those countries to help ever. They chose to spend more money here instead of there. OTOH Inga, who’s filling the pews here?

Drago said...

Seeing Red: "I have 2 words: Watch Germany."

Indeed.

Funniest part of that situation and others has been listening to Inga and the lefties LLR allies assert that Merkel, Trudeau, May and Macron were all the "New Leaders of the Free World". LOL

Everyone of them is sucking wind and Merkel is likely to fall soon.

Trump, by simply standing up for America, is breaking them.

LLR Chuck and his dem pals hardest hit. As always.

Seeing Red said...

The liberals don’t realize every argument they make makes the case for regime change. Why are their countries basket cases?

NO EMPIRE! Where do they go to get away from their cluster countries they voted for? The EMPIRE! I hate you but feed me clothe me save me from my mistakes.

I’ll be happy to do it, but it’s on my terms not yours. And you won’t like my terms.

We are not the world’s ATM. You Dems want this, it’s coming out of your hides first. No complaints about cutting SS, Medicare, Neducaid, college aid, nothing. I don’t want to hear it.

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