There is currently a battle between this authoritarian government and their rule of law pertaining to immigrants, their war against social justice wokeness, and their need to feed their base of nationalist ideologues. The dispute is whether churches, hospitals and schools can harbor immigrants to protect them from the ICE deportation orders of the new administration.
One side says if they are criminal immigrants, they should be deported. But we all know this is conditional because racial profiling is a real thing. The other side have a concern that ICE is out to get immigrants who have not committed crimes also, and there are reports indicating that many immigrants have been deported who have not committed crimes. And many have self-deported to be on the safe side.
So recently under this mass deportation effort, social justice activist are abiding by laws that prevent authorities from invading safe spaces, and continue harboring immigrants and informing them of their rights if they are confronted by ICE. “Sandy Ovalle, senior director of campaigns of Sojourners ‘a progressive Christian social justice advocacy organization,’ told The Christian Post that her organization is working with Latino church leaders, pastors and others as part of “a network of churches that we’ve created for this time.”
“The hope is to be a resource to immigrant churches, where the pastor or members of their churches are immigrants. Last month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security announced rescinding a policy initially enacted in 2011 during the Obama administration that prevented agents with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection from conducting law enforcement operations in “sensitive” areas, including schools and churches.”
Fighting against injustice and going against authority predates the Christian era and is revealed during times of the early prophets. Of those times, God would make ways for His anointed to escape the persecution of governments, authoritarian rulers and evil kings.
“When Jezebel cut off the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah took an hundred prophets, and hid them by fifty in a cave, and fed them with bread and water.” 1 Kings 18:4.
During the days of the early church, after Saul was converted from persecuting the Christian church, and began teaching the gospel of Christ, he (then Paul), was a target of the Jews, who were backed legally by the Roman government for persecution of the disciples of Christ. Similar acts are being carried out today by this new administration as he has promised the police force immunity from killing innocent or nonthreatening Black people. Not to say all Blacks are disciples of Christ, but the concept stands to reason. The persecution of innocent people.
“And after that many days were fulfilled, the Jews took counsel to kill him: but their laying await was known of Saul. And they watched the gates day and night to kill him. Then the disciples took him by night, and let him down by the wall in a basket.” Acts 2:23-25.
Paul was hidden and protected by the other disciples and by the grace of God against the ruling authorities regardless of their laws and ordinances. Jesus himself was persecuted by the Jews according to their laws when they accused him of eating the corn on the Sabbath Day. Matthew 12:1, 2. But Jesus refuted their authoritarian rules using common sense as He explained that satisfying hunger comes before obeying the law when He used the example of David eating the shewbread.
The point is, there are times when obeying God supersedes obeying the laws of the land, especially if the laws go against common sense. Laws against citizenship in this country are extreme and biased as only immigrants from South America and other brown countries are targeted instead of immigrants from European countries. This is obvious to the rest of the country and world and is the height of injustice.
“Early Christian churches competed with these pagan temples by offering their own protections, and by the end of the 4th century, sanctuary was a part of Roman imperial law,” explained History.com in a 2023 article. Even after the Western Roman Empire fell in 476, churches maintained their authority to protect people who had broken major secular laws.… Once a fugitive entered a cathedral, their pursuers could lie in wait for them outside, but they couldn’t enter to capture anyone.”
This tradition ended in the United States when white America began to discover that brown immigrants were outnumbering the European population, starting in the late 1960s. They began to outlaw immigration and place tags on certain groups as illegal. Now, they raise the flag of illegal immigration and have made it a talking point in conservative politics, and unfortunately in the Christian church also.
“Mat Staver, founder and chairman of the prominent conservative legal group Liberty Counsel, believes there is “no constitutional right” for churches to be “sanctuaries for criminal activity” and have “complicity in breaking the law.” However, the concept of God is that He protects the innocent against the unjust laws and rulers who prosecute people who have done nothing wrong or against His will.
The immigrants are not considered illegal if they are working for a multimillion-dollar corporation paying low wages for slave labor, but when the base of voters believes there are too many in numbers and begin to feel burdened by them, then the law is imposed. This is when politicians propagandize lies and fear of crime, rapes, murders by illegal immigrants to drum up support for mass deportation. Facts are ignored by this populous and the so-called rule of law becomes a major fearmongering campaign.
Brave men and women of the Bible defied the laws of the land when it was in God’s interest to set them free. Immigrants may not be the chosen people of God, but they are innocent people being persecuted by a government determined to decrease the population of brown people. This is injustice and should be fought.
“By faith Moses, when he was born, was hid three months of his parents, because they saw he was a proper child; and they were not afraid of the king’s commandment… By faith he forsook Egypt, not fearing the wrath of the king: for he endured, as seeing him who is invisible.” Hebrews 11:23, 27.
“…and others had trial of cruel mockings and scourgings, yea, moreover of bonds and imprisonment: they were stoned, they were sawn asunder, were tempted, were slain with the sword: they wandered about in sheepskins and goatskins; being destitute, afflicted, tormented; (of whom the world was not worthy:) they wandered in deserts, and in mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.” Hebrews 11:36-38.
People have always suffered under the cruel hands of authoritarian governments and kings. And there were always those who stood up against these threats. God has always been on their side because He knows persecution and injustice are common aspects of men in power.
When Democrat lawmakers and representatives took to informing immigrants of their rights within the same law imposed for deportation, they are threatened with investigation and even jail time. “Trump Border Czar Tom Homan is not backing down from his suggestion that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez could have broken the law by holding a webinar informing immigrants of their rights during encounters with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). “So, I’m working with the Department of Justice and finding out. Where is that line that they cross? So, maybe AOC’s gonna be in trouble now.”
In another biblical example, an angel rescued Peter from prison in the dead of night. The writer tells us he was even chained between two sleeping guards at the time. “And when Herod would have brought him forth, the same night Peter was sleeping between two soldiers, bound with two chains: and the keepers before the door kept the prison. And, behold, the angel of the Lord came upon him, and a light shined in the prison: and he smote Peter on the side, and raised him up, saying, Arise up quickly. And his chains fell off from his hands.” Acts 12:6, 7.
To enforce other nonsensical laws and ordinances, the conservative right and Christian leaders use fear, manipulation, and propaganda all the while fleecing them of millions of dollars for support of their organizations and movements.
“But it’s not just about fleecing them, but exploiting them for political gain. They do that by promoting fear. They tell them evil woke demons are going to come after you in your house. They’re going to change your kids’ gender against their will in their public schools. They’re gonna control every cent you own. The fear makes people susceptible to manipulation. How do you get half of American voters to support a guy who is a convicted criminal, who exploited all of these people that he’s gone into business with? Well, you do it by convincing them that he is being persecuted, that the election of 2020 was stolen, that God’s hand is on his shoulder, and if anyone else is elected, then that goes against God’s will.”
They will go so far as to lie about the mission of God by ignoring the parables of Christ and His protection of the poor and innocent, and His common sense stance on social justice issues such as the above. They will twist the scriptures to fit their agenda and overpower their follower’s minds with frightening scenarios that will never come to pass. Though there are instances of immigrant crime and violence, when it happens, they take these few scenarios and blow them up across television screens around the nation to implant fear and hate.
Conservative talking points of anti-social justice, wokeness, socialism and other trigger words meant to induce fear can never overpower the divine justice of God in the end. The further they push their agendas; the larger hell widens itself. They use the “Rule of Law,” to frighten the populous and have built massive prisons and camps to contain those they wrongly deem as threats to the power structure. This is all evil and will crumble in its time.
DISCLAIMER: The content of Pro Liberation is firmly opinionated and is not meant to be interpreted as official news. We glean facts and quotes from mainstream news websites and abridge its meaning for readers to relate. We do not indulge in misinformation, conspiracy theories, or false doctrine but choose to express our right to free speech as citizens of this country and free born under God the Creator. We represent Nu Life Alliance Inc. a non-profit organization in the battle for social and economic justice. Donate to our cause at the following link. DONATE
