{"id":899,"date":"2015-12-07T00:45:41","date_gmt":"2015-12-07T05:45:41","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.joshuastairhime.com\/?p=899"},"modified":"2018-12-04T22:43:33","modified_gmt":"2018-12-05T03:43:33","slug":"go-ye","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/www.joshuastairhime.com\/index.php\/go-ye\/","title":{"rendered":"Go Ye (DOP #6 2015)"},"content":{"rendered":"

This particular meme really angers me. \u00a0Every time I see it. \u00a0 I find it quite offensive. \u00a0Forgive me for including it in this post.<\/p>\n

\"qmeme_1447853754067_971\"<\/a><\/p>\n

So let me briefly break down why it makes me want to start a shouting match with the people I see sharing it. \u00a0Please bear with me.<\/p>\n

In the top photo, we see rattlesnakes. \u00a0In the bottom photo we see people. \u00a0I think it is fair to say that the poster is comparing the refugees to snakes. \u00a0The poster then implies that just like that pile of rattlesnakes, refugees could kill us if they choose to attack. \u00a0The ultimate argument being made is that the refugees should not be allowed into “our homeland” because they might hurt us, and we have no idea how to tell good apart from bad.<\/p>\n

Yes. \u00a0You are right meme creator, some of the people “fleeing” are really “infiltrating” our borders. \u00a0I can not argue with that. \u00a0In fact this post bothered me for quite a while because of it’s seemingly unassailable logic. \u00a0Obviously since we can’t tell good people from bad people we shouldn’t let ANY<\/em>\u00a0people inside of our borders. \u00a0 It is just too dangerous. \u00a0Thank goodness we don’t have people who already live here who occasionally blow things up, or shooting up a school. \u00a0If we had anyone like that here we would have to kick everyone out of the United States.<\/p>\n

Oh wait…it turns out people get killed by violence everyday in the United States. \u00a0It also turns out that most of the daily violence isn’t caused by people born somewhere else.<\/p>\n

So I agree. \u00a0Since we can’t tell good people from bad people, it is no longer safe to stay here in the United States. \u00a0 If we are good people, we should all leave to go somewhere else. \u00a0 I guess you could call us refugees and we could start looking for a country that will take us in where we can be safe.<\/p>\n

Here’s an idea.<\/p>\n

What if we all went to Syria? \u00a0If all the bad guys are leaving to come over here, I bet we would be safe in Syria! \u00a0We all know there really isn’t anything dangerous happening there to justify the departure of the “refugees”.<\/p>\n

The sarcasm pouring through my fingers is starting to make me nauseous. \u00a0So I’ll have to stop.<\/p>\n

If we are comparing people to dangerous snakes, we can’t just give the citizens of the United States a pass because “we know them” and they are “good for it”. \u00a0We have to consider each other just as dangerous as anyone else. \u00a0Most of us will not murder anyone this year (unless you hold yourself to the the standards of Jesus found in Matthew 5:21-22…then we are all guilty) but some citizens of the United States WILL murder someone this year. \u00a0 By the logic of the meme, we can’t trust anyone because we can’t trust everyone.<\/p>\n

Now, if we consider the religion\u00a0<\/em>of the refugees, maybe we can make things a bit more clear. \u00a0Perhaps we could narrow down who is safe and who isn’t? \u00a0There seem to be verses in the Quran that condone violence against those who do not believe in the way Allah puts forth through his prophet Muhammad. \u00a0I haven’t personally read them (and I know perhaps only 2 people who personally have) \u00a0but I think it is probably possible to make a factual argument that Islam according to\u00a0the Quran is not the most peaceful religion in the world. \u00a0Neither is Judaism for that matter (but I digress).<\/p>\n

What people who post memes like the ones above are really saying is that because many of these refugees are Muslims, we can expect many of them to be dangerous to us, a “christian nation”. \u00a0 I don’t deny that many people commit murder in the name of Islam. \u00a0There are also people who commit murder in the name of upholding the ten commandments (Here’s looking at you LRA<\/a>). \u00a0Many of those in the IRA during “The Troubles<\/a>” were at least loosely connected to Roman Catholicism. \u00a0Violence and religion are well acquainted.
\nI would like to leave us all with some of the words of Jesus found in Mark 16.<\/p>\n

15\u00a0<\/sup>And he said to them, \u201cGo into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.<\/span><\/span>16\u00a0<\/sup>Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.<\/span><\/span> 17\u00a0<\/sup>And these signs will accompany those who believe: in my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues;<\/span><\/span> 18\u00a0<\/sup>they will pick up serpents with their hands; and if they drink any deadly poison, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

19\u00a0<\/sup>So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God.<\/span> 20\u00a0<\/sup>And they went out and preached everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by accompanying signs.<\/span><\/p>\n

We could be missing the greatest chance in our generation to reach the lost for Jesus. \u00a0They want to come to our doorstep. \u00a0They want to escape the violence they are finding around them. \u00a0Will we be willing to share the gospel?
\nHere…I fixed it.<\/p>\n

\"fixed<\/a><\/p>\n

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