The Evangelical Dilemma

tango

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Not at all, I am referring to what Tango said about how to tell those who are truly needy because many times that is an excuse to do nothing

It's good you know my mind better than I do. I was wondering what I was doing. Maybe I'll give you a call some day and you can tell me what I was planning to do next.
 

tango

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That is the government question. It is not the Christian question. The Christian question is: What would Jesus do?

I don't recall Jesus telling anyone to sell all they had and give it to anyone who cared to ask for it. I'm not sure Jesus would encourage us to support people who show up, quite capable of providing for themselves, but preferring to have an easy ride on the back of someone else. Paul taught that "if a man will not work, neither shall he eat". There's obviously a big difference between a man who will not work and a man who cannot work, or a man who is willing to work but cannot find work - I don't think it's even remotely good stewardship to throw resources at all and sundry without at least finding out whether they are actually in need in the first place.
 

MennoSota

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I don't recall Jesus telling anyone to sell all they had and give it to anyone who cared to ask for it. I'm not sure Jesus would encourage us to support people who show up, quite capable of providing for themselves, but preferring to have an easy ride on the back of someone else. Paul taught that "if a man will not work, neither shall he eat". There's obviously a big difference between a man who will not work and a man who cannot work, or a man who is willing to work but cannot find work - I don't think it's even remotely good stewardship to throw resources at all and sundry without at least finding out whether they are actually in need in the first place.
You have jumped to conclusions that all refugees and immigrants fit your profile.
How do we love our neighbor? What does it look like? Is it judgmental? Is it fearful? Is it conditional? What does it look like?
One thing I know is I fall short of Jesus command.
 

tango

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You have jumped to conclusions that all refugees and immigrants fit your profile.
How do we love our neighbor? What does it look like? Is it judgmental? Is it fearful? Is it conditional? What does it look like?
One thing I know is I fall short of Jesus command.

How have I jumped to conclusions? I never said anything about any specific refugee or immigrant.

We can love our neighbor without throwing money at him. It depends on his needs.
 

MennoSota

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How have I jumped to conclusions? I never said anything about any specific refugee or immigrant.

We can love our neighbor without throwing money at him. It depends on his needs.
Where did anyone say "throw money at them"? That is you jumping to a conclusion that no one has proposed.
 

Albion

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You have jumped to conclusions that all refugees and immigrants fit your profile.
That's understood, but the fact is that many do. And the country simply cannot continue to admit tens of millions of immigrants on that basis. For many, we do not even know their ages, names, health status, or countries of origin.

As with other things in life, some of X is good and helpful, but too much of it is not.
 

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That's understood, but the fact is that many do. And the country simply cannot continue to admit tens of millions of immigrants on that basis. For many, we do not even know their ages, names, health status, or countries of origin.

As with other things in life, some of X is good and helpful, but too much of it is not.
You are arguing government policy, which is not what this thread is discussing. The discussion is how Evangelicals should respond when God is dropping refugees and immigrants at our doorstep.
 

Albion

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You are arguing government policy, which is not what this thread is discussing. The discussion is how Evangelicals should respond when God is dropping refugees and immigrants at our doorstep.
Actually, it IS what this thread is about and we have been discussing--and necessarily so, since individuals are not in the position to set immigration rules and regulations, but only government is.
 

tango

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You are arguing government policy, which is not what this thread is discussing. The discussion is how Evangelicals should respond when God is dropping refugees and immigrants at our doorstep.

Except instead of a discussion it seems to be more about you picking at any suggestion other than throwing resources at people.

What do you think we should do with unknown numbers of would-be migrants with unknown intents?
 

tango

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You are arguing government policy, which is not what this thread is discussing. The discussion is how Evangelicals should respond when God is dropping refugees and immigrants at our doorstep.

Given "an immigrant" could be anything from a heavily pregnant woman fleeing persecution with literally nothing except the clothes she is wearing, to a billionaire entering the country under a visa for people investing substantial amounts of money, perhaps you could be a little more specific than "refugees and immigrants".
 

MennoSota

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Except instead of a discussion it seems to be more about you picking at any suggestion other than throwing resources at people.

What do you think we should do with unknown numbers of would-be migrants with unknown intents?
Share the gospel with them and provide assistance if they need assistance.
 

tango

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Share the gospel with them and provide assistance if they need assistance.

Ah yes, "if they need assistance", which is pretty much the issue I was looking to determine however many posts back it was. Good to see we agree on something.
 

MennoSota

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Given "an immigrant" could be anything from a heavily pregnant woman fleeing persecution with literally nothing except the clothes she is wearing, to a billionaire entering the country under a visa for people investing substantial amounts of money, perhaps you could be a little more specific than "refugees and immigrants".
Does it matter? Both need Jesus.
 

Albion

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He is also is presuming that God is dropping drug sellers, sex traffickers, murderers, and the like on our doorstep. If Jesus is commanding us to harm our neighbors as MennoSota maintains, I would like to see the Bible verses.
 

MennoSota

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Both may already know Jesus.
Go...make disciples...
How will we know if they know Jesus if we don't reach out to them? God literally is plopping the harvest in front of us and we want God to send them back. How wonderfully Christian of us. [emoji22]
 

Albion

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None of which has anything to do with any "Evangelical Dilemma," though.
 

tango

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Go...make disciples...
How will we know if they know Jesus if we don't reach out to them? God literally is plopping the harvest in front of us and we want God to send them back. How wonderfully Christian of us. [emoji22]

Except God isn't literally plopping them in front of us, he's plopping them into various holding facilities.

You're doing an awful lot of projecting here, in fact it seems to me that about all you are doing is projecting, shifting like the sands to avoid having your argument pinned down.

If you feel called to go and minister to immigrants and refugees go right ahead - nobody is stopping you. If not, blurring the distinction between what we do as individuals and what we expect the government to do (but then denying you're doing it when it suits you) does little other than muddy the waters.
 

Albion

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If you feel called to go and minister to immigrants and refugees go right ahead - nobody is stopping you. If not, blurring the distinction between what we do as individuals and what we expect the government to do (but then denying you're doing it when it suits you) does little other than muddy the waters.

Straight to the real point.
 

MennoSota

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Except God isn't literally plopping them in front of us, he's plopping them into various holding facilities.

You're doing an awful lot of projecting here, in fact it seems to me that about all you are doing is projecting, shifting like the sands to avoid having your argument pinned down.

If you feel called to go and minister to immigrants and refugees go right ahead - nobody is stopping you. If not, blurring the distinction between what we do as individuals and what we expect the government to do (but then denying you're doing it when it suits you) does little other than muddy the waters.
He has set 74,000 Somali refugees in Minneapolis/St Paul. Before that 90,000 Hmong refugees came to the area. There are 14,000 Karen refugees from Burma in the Twin Cities. God is setting the mission field at our doorstep. Why complain and wish they would "go home" so we could "send missionaries"?
The field is ripe for harvest.
 
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