I normally make an effort to go out of my way to avoid any news stories coming out of FOX news. I also do what I can to not bother responding to any discussion panels either. There is one draw that will get my attention, and keep it, in a FOX news article. Pastors, politics, and biblical scripture. The discussion in question today had all three, and I just need to totally go there.

 

I imagine there are a number of people who draw a complete blank stare when the name Pastor Robert Jeffress is said aloud. He runs a mega church out in Dallas, that is currently 11,000+ members strong, and he has his program Pathway to Victory on hundreds of channels nationwide, and I think broadcast in at least twenty-five countries. The dude is big news, which explains why FOX loves him so much and has him on pretty often as a contributor.

 

 

So, when he started shooting off his mouth about how Jesus wouldn’t necessarily be offering shelter to illegal immigrants, and that the real Christian™ thing to do would be to follow government instituted immigration law, lock up our border, and protect our families (he didn’t say specifically from what), I opted to burn a few brain cells and listen.
The initial question presented by the host in the

was whether churches were obligated to turn over all illegal immigrants that show up at their doorsteps, or are churches really a safe haven for all.

 

 

The host asks Jeffress straight up if he intends to immediately call ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement), and like any useless contributor on FOX would predictably do, Jeffress avoids answering the question, going into quite the tirade against liberal churches instead.

“We’re not going to check the immigration status of everyone that comes to our church, but we’re also not going to harbor illegal immigrants, who are also criminals, like some of these churches are doing….Look a lot of these liberal churches…say they are following the example of Jesus. The only problem is they are following the Jesus of their imagination.”

First of all, if you don’t have background information about the gentleman showing up before your congregation, asking for assistance, how the fuck do you know if they are a criminal or not? You are going to either have to call ICE and verify their background, or go on…uh…faith..that he isn’t a psycho about to butcher someone in their sleep.

 

 

What is pathetic is that he isn’t arguing about finding a way to better offer assistance to illegals without jeopardizing safety, he is literally using the topic as a bully pulpit to push his own ministry’s brand of faith, repeatedly using the word liberal to describe differing church views. But, I digress. Of course, he makes an appeal to Jebus. Jebus of the Bible wasn’t a “wimpy guy”. Jebus said to give Caesar what is Caesar’s, which according to Jeffress, means obey the government. Naturally, he also speaks on behalf of Jebus too, making it clear that his bearded savior was very concerned about the brutal burning death of a three-year.... Read more here at my blog: http://thebluegrassskeptic.com/2015/07/15/jesus-wasnt-a-law-breaking-hippy/