"Do we want power and control so much that we will literally sacrifice the lives and security of our citizens for it? God help us! I'm not na??ve; I know that all ideas have flaws, but we need to begin the conversation and get the ball rolling. Our motto must be: Compassion meets Concern. We must show compassion, but also fervently guard our citizens " which is actually the role of government. Secure the border and severely curtail crossings while increasing security. Use a lie detector or other technology to gauge intent and motives of those without any convictions. I know that this isn't bulletproof, but it adds another layer of accountability." - Shane Idleman
Again, a minute percentage of less than one percent. The hyperbole is extreme. This shouldn't be about power and control Shane. It should be about love and mercy. When I hear "compassion meets concern" I am reminded of all the other bovine excrement marketing catch phrases like "compassionate conservatism, which was neither. By the way, no is arguing not protecting our citizens, that is yet another red herring. It is the role of government but his solution is using a pickaxe when a scalpel is needed. The government should absolutely find out why and how 13,000 murderers are here and if we know they are, why they haven't been caught - by any political party. Deportations were higher under Biden and Obama than the Trump Administration. That is just a checkable fact. As for lie detector tests, this is why pastors need to stay in their lane. I am sure Shane can exegete a bible verse as long as he doesn't let his politics corrupt his interpretation. What is apparent however, is he knows nothing about lie detector tests, or immigration for that matter. Lie detector tests are not proven scientifically reliable AT ALL! They are inadmissible in court because of this. Maybe just maybe, and I am just spit-balling here, but maybe people who actually work in immigration and government would know better than a pastor from California who likes to attend far right-wing conferences and pretend they have Christian value. This would be like if Bill Clinton wanted to tell me the true meaning of Jeremiah 33:3. In this social media age everyone thinks they are an expert. One day they know better than 50 years of vaccine science. The next day they are experts at forest management. The next day they are making idiotic proposals to use lie detector tests to gauge intent and motives of immigrants! I am sure he meant he would lovingly use the lie detectors. Dear Lord Shane, stay in your lane!
"Determine if it is a family who truly needs assistance or if it is a person who might pose a security threat. Develop programs to help them learn English within two years. There must be a plan in place for employment, not free handouts." - Shane Idleman
That's what they do Shane. That is the current system. Great idea. Now get out of the way because as the old adage goes, if you are not part of the solution then you are part of the problem. Because you only get your information from political provocateurs, you mistake talking points with knowledge. By the way, if the current system of determining threat levels is not working, then fix it. Stop trying to undermine it, and fix it. Develop programs to help them learn English? I am going to grant some grace here and assume Shane does not know that English proficiency is already part of the requirements for US citizenship and there are a myriad of community based options for English as a Second Language already. It is not loving or merciful to offer up what is already in place. We also see here a favorite talking point from the news sources Shane avails himself of. That these poor, desperate human beings are just sponges living off the government dole. Once again, because Shane gets his facts from disinformation agents, he must not realize that illegal immigrants are not eligible for public assistance. Heck, even green card holders are not eligible for their first five years in this country! Once again, stay in your lane.
"Streamline the process of becoming a citizen, such as issuing a temporary "pass" while the details are looked into. Adding measures such as these would show compassion and also ease the fear of deportation." - Shane Idleman
This is so embarrassing and damaging to the witness for Christ. This idea about issuing a temporary pass, is the current system. It is called asylum. It was set up in 1951 to deal with international refugees. The people Shane so callously refers to as not being priority, are largely trying to get in based on these laws. Now, most will be rejected and because the system currently takes so long, many just disappear into the country. That is how you get to 11 million folks being here illegally. Once again, fix the system. There was a deal on the table that would have massively increased funding to hire more judges to hear cases that would have helped speed up the process. It was all Republican ideas but the Democrats decided they would sign on and Joe Biden said he would sign it. It was tanked on purpose by Donald Trump because he wanted to run his campaign based on the hatred of immigrants. What some disingenuous folks might call the deprioritization of immigrants. So, spare me the pearl clutching about immigration. These are not solutions Shane. They are an insult to the cause of Christ.
"However, it is nearly impossible to vet most of those who cross our borders illegally. Again, this invasion will not stop until we remove the incentives to come here, such as government handouts of free money, food, and medical care. We need a defensible border and courts that actually enforce the laws. Again, I'm well aware of the challenges, but we'll miss 100% of the shots we don't take." - Shane Idleman
This is not an invasion Shane. This brings us full circle back to the original question. Should we as Christians be loving and merciful to immigrants? According to Shane the answer is a conditional yes. He says sure but out of the other side of his mouth he argues for government not being loving and merciful to them at all. Removing the incentives? Like what Shane? Not dying in their own country? Not having to raise your kids only to watch them be forced into gangs at the threat of death to their entire family? It is so arrogant to think you are entitled because you won the "where were you born" lottery. Shane Idleman did NOTHING to be born here. Neither did I. Apparently, he has never heard the phrase "but for the grace of God go I." There is no free governmental money or food. I do love the look of someone cosplaying as a pastor making the argument that providing food to the hungry is an "incentive." Or making the argument that healthcare, or tending to the sick, is just an "incentive." It is amazing to me that he would make these arguments after swearing that he has nothing but love and mercy for everyone! Well, not brown people. Not people who don't speak English. Certainly not people who would dare to vote Democratic. Or criticize his idol, Donald Trump. This is what happens when your faith becomes the idolatry of politics. Look, our immigration system is broken but both sides broke it. I have no issue with the government fixing that system but that starts by abiding by a treaty that we signed 74 years ago and fix the asylum process so people can have their cases heard expeditiously. Stop playing politics with it. These are actual human beings Shane. They deserve better than to hear you spew Ben Shapiro or Charlie Kirk talking points at them, or tell them they just cannot be a priority, or that expecting food or being taken care of if sick is just not the kind of love and mercy Jesus taught about. They just deserve better than this Shane. Look, either quit this nonsense or quit pretending you are a pastor and either way, stay in your lane. In the immortal words of Andrew Shepherd, your fifteen minutes are up.
