Common Sense Commanding Assent

I'm taking an online course "The Constitution 101" from Hillsdale College.  I've watched one lecture so far, and am glad to find it was highly substantive yet readily digestible! 

The first session also came with a "for further reading list" which included a letter* from Thomas Jefferson to Henry Lee.  Here's a portion I thought important and want to remember:

"This was the object of the Declaration of Independence. Not to find out new principles, or new arguments, never before thought of, not merely to say things which had never been said before; but to place before mankind the common sense of the subject, in terms so plain and firm as to command their assent, and to justify ourselves in the independent stand we are compelled to take. Neither aiming at originality of principle or sentiment, nor yet copied from any particular and previous writing, it was intended to be an expression of the American mind, and to give to that expression the proper tone and spirit called for by the occasion."

 *Thomas Jefferson, “To Henry Lee,” May 8, 1825, in Paul Leicester Ford, ed., The Works of Thomas Jefferson, “Federal Edition,” Vol. 10 (New York: G. P. Putnam’s Sons, 1904–5), 342–43.

First Response

The latest hub-bub nationally (and maybe globally) is POTUS Trump's EO to suspend immigration for the next 90/120 days.  See actual Executive Order here.https://www.whitehouse.gov/the-press-office/2017/01/27/executive-order-protecting-nation-foreign-terrorist-entry-united-states 

Media is calling the EO a "Muslim ban," but it's not a ban and its not targeting Muslims.  Seven nations have been specified per a statute implemented by Obama, and these seven nations, while predominantly Muslim, have other peoples residing within them.  Most notable are the Christians being persecuted to annihilation in Syria.  (Syria is on the list of seven, but Trump has already stated he will be prioritizing the admission of those persecuted for their faith.)

Other nations could be added to the list.  Or a new list could be created.  Or the list could be eradicated.  It all depends upon how we assess their threat to our sovereignty.  What is true right now is that the list that is being used is one that Obama put together, and it was formed because these nations were assessed as a threat to our nation. 

Another point to note is that every president in modern history (going back to Eisenhower?) (see this article https://www.americanprogress.org/issues/immigration/news/2014/10/06/98321/by-the-numbers-every-president-since-eisenhower-has-taken-executive-action-on-immigration/ which states:

39: The number of times U.S. presidents have taken executive action from 1956 through the present.

11: The number of U.S. presidents who have taken executive action on immigration. Every single president since President Eisenhower, regardless of political party, has used administrative action to shape immigration policy.) 

has suspended immigration from time to time.  (See also this timeline.)  It is not illegal for a POTUS to do this.  I know that legality doesn't necessarily make something right or ethical or moral, but those who would argue that Trump's EO is illegal are simply wrong.

There are many non-Christians who try to tell Christians how to obey Christ.  They attempt to interpret Scriptures for us or even who Christ really is and what He would do.  However, they know nothing of worth on what discipleship to Christ is once they have rejected Christ.  They have rejected the Truth of Love fully-revealed in Christ's Person.  Christ IS the message.  And it is by the Grace and Presence of the Holy Spirit that we Christians know Christ and are sustained in Him.

However, that is also why we Christians need to pray before, during, and after everything and in relation to everyone.  May the Lord help me, grace me, with an open heart to Him.  It is His Love that empowers me to love others in the face of their condemnation, hatred, rebellion, chaos, ignorance, arrogance, all that would deny Christ's sovereignty. 

Specifically as regards what stance/policy I believe the USA should have in relation to refugees?  America still stands as a beacon of light welcoming the "tired, poor, huddled masses yearning to breathe free."  She welcomes those who want and embrace freedom, freedom for all, the freedom that respects the equal rights for all: life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.  She doesn't claim to welcome those who would strive to destroy her.  She claims to be a haven of freedom and this is presented within a frame-work of safety: first and foremost the safety of governance by law.  Freedom within safety is a paradoxical burden she has birthed and borne with pride and humility from the very beginning.  She may not have ever perfected the balance of these values, but the desire and attempt to provide a safe have for all who genuinely seek to live in a free Republic is not only a reasonable ideal; it is the only logical or sane goal inasmuch as a haven can be provided only if it is a safe space.  So, for America to secure her borders is not in opposition to welcoming immigrants and refugees; it is an essential structural part of the paradigm that allows her to exist in order to fulfill this hospitality.

As for the "vetting process"?  I don't know all the details of the existing policy and current practice, but my opinion on how to create and sustain an effective vetting process would always include constant improvement to it!  The threats change so the defense has to be responsive to those changes, or better yet, ahead of them.  Those who want to harm America or Americans are not stupid and they do not rest.  They are fully committed to their mission of destruction.  So we have to be smarter, more vigilant, and unwaveringly committed to sustaining and protecting our borders, our nation, our culture. 

Additionally, I am in favor of secure borders because I see it as one of the PEACEFUL measures that precludes war.  Borders or definitions of entities must be respected at every level of human existence: starting with the individual person, the family, the local neighborhood/ village/ town/ city, the state, the nation, etc.  I believe the principle of subsidiarity in governance is the best model for civilization and is fully in harmony with Christ's Teaching on how to treat one another, how to abide in peace. 

If nations were to lose their right to define themselves and their cultures, if we were to accept a globalized government and culture, we would not have greater peace and freedom; we would have war and oppression everywhere.  And, God forbid, if a faux-peace were to come, it would be through the dominance of the most violent bullies, murderers, dictators.

Some might try to compare the values of and attempt toward secular globalization to Christian's concept of Christ's Kingdom.  However these two paradigms are diametrically opposed.  While Christian's do indeed hope for the time when Christ will reign, we know this will only come about when Christ reigns in every heart, and the way Christ comes into the heart is through His Grace and the heart's free acceptance.  Christ honors boundaries!  Christ honors the will of the person.  Christ "knocks at the door" of our heart; He doesn't destroy the heart or break down the door.  He knocks.  And He waits.  When we open ourselves to Him, He also invites us into His Life.

Christ's reign has already begun because it is not dependent upon force; it is powered by Love, freely given, freely accepted.  This is a completely different MO as compared to a secular globalized government and culture.  The only way for governments of the world to approach or approximate the model of God's Kingdom is to honor the Person in each individual, the Family as ordered by the Creator, the local society, the state, the nation, and in that order.

So, back to immigration?  Yes, individuals and peoples will sometimes need to immigrate.  And sometimes nations will persecute or oppress their own citizens and thus produce refugees, and yes America will hopefully still be around to receive them.  But America can only do that if she remains America, and to do that she must secure and manage her borders.  The issue today as presented by many would seem to be: are we willing to help the refugee or not?  But that is a false presentation of the challenge facing us.  The reality is HOW can we BEST preserve and sustain a Republic that can serve those who genuinely seek to live within her borders. 

When opponents of Trump concede that yes, this is really the issue, they then ask what is wrong with the current vetting, isn't it already good enough?  I believe the fact that we are constantly battling terrorists' attempts to attack us on American soil is reason enough to constantly improve and thus, by necessity, periodically update, our policies and procedures.  Sadly, we are at war.  But safe-guarding borders is one of the most peaceful ways to resolve conflict or at least to establish a stability in which other issues that need to be addressed can be addressed.

As the title suggests, this is my off-the-cuff first-attempt to respond to one of today's issues.  It is a first draft.  I hope to add more, especially footnotes to outside sources, later.

Free to Live

I ORIGINALLY POSTED THIS IN A DIFFERENT BLOG ON

MONDAY, JULY 7, 2008

Freedom

I am granted by God (as are all persons)
Equality
Unalienable rights
Life
Liberty
Pursuit of happiness

As an American, I am free to enjoy
Justice
Domestic tranquility
Common defense
General welfare
Blessings of liberty

I have the freedom to
Exercise my chosen religion
Speak
Peacably Assemble
Petition
Bear arms
Decide (as owner) who abides in my home

I have freedom from
Unreasonable search and seizure
"Double jeopardy" etc. (Article V)
Freedom from excessive bail, excessive fines, cruel or unusual punishment

I have the right to
A fair trial
Vote

As a Christian
(saved and regenerated by God's grace, Christ's blood, the indwelling of the Holy Spirit),
I am free from
Slavery to sin, passion, and desires
Death

As a Christian,
I am free to
Love
Serve
Be joyful
Have peace

I am free to exercise
Patience
Kindness
Goodness
Faithfulness
Gentleness
Self-control

I am free to
Live!

Freedom in Christ

Jesu Juva.

I'm thinking much about "freedom" these days because I'm concerned about how the current administration of the federal government is trying to impose the HHS Mandate which would violate the religious freedom of Americans and how this issue brings to light the mission of the Church.  The Church is working to combat this evil.  I am grateful for the clear and active voice of the Church.  I am also aware that each of us individual Christians must also take a stand.  I embrace The Teachings of The Church, and, as pertains to this issue, as is articulated by the American Bishops.  Please see the USCCB website.

What I find particularly interesting and challenging about this issue, for myself, at this time, is how it makes clear that while my Calling is to follow Christ, that call also challenges me to be the best citizen I can be.  The call to citizenship as a Christian was not so clear when I was a Mennonite.  I'm not saying that it can't have been so or that my experience is particularly representative of American Mennonites in general, and I am certainly not claiming to know what Mennonites currently teach re such matters.  What I am reflecting upon is how, when I was a Mennonite Christian (in the 60's and 70's), I thought more about how my call to follow Christ meant more of "being in the world but not of the world," and how the interpretation of that teaching seemed to highlight more of the "but not of."  In other words, what I gathered from the explicit teaching from the Mennonite community and the implicit teaching from Mennonites' example was focused on how to avoid the evil influences of "the World," and how to not become entangled in "Worldly" alliances, while living in and serving "the World."

I'm not sure that Mennonite teaching and Catholic teaching are opposite or even opposed in these matters; however, the emphasis is quite different.  Catholic teaching and interpretation of "being in the world but not of the world" puts a heavier emphasis on "being in the world" by 1) understanding that all Creation is Good because God created it so; 2) the life of humanity is to be compassionately embraced because Christ is God-en-fleshed:  God saw fit to become one of us, so we could become One w/ Him; 3) Christ embraced the cross, dying for all humanity: rather than avoid or fight off evil, He took it upon Himself; in Christ we too are called to participate in the redemption of the world by overcoming evil w/ Love.  My personal understanding of what I am learning as a Catholic is that following Christ's call to be His faithful disciple is much more messy than what I understood it to be when I was younger.

An example of this is how to participate in the public/civic sphere of government, political discussions, and life-style choices that impact community.  Before becoming Catholic, I often chose to not participate because I saw governmental, political, and often civic institutions and activities as polluted with un-Christian agendas, and I did not want to compromise my obedience to Christ by associating w/ things that weren't pure.  Granted, this is an ideal that is impossible to attain while in human flesh!  Even so, making this one's life direction is quite possible, and there was a time when I believed this was the heart of Christ's call: to be Holy.

Now my understanding of Christ's call to follow Him, to allow Him to be present in the world today through me, is quite different.  I believe Christ calls us to go where life is "messy": to go where people are hurting, to go to the people who are not leading holy lives, to get involved w/ the chaos of the worldly World, and in the midst of hurt, sin, chaos, bring Christ's healing, forgiveness, truth, Light and Love.  And it will cost us.  It will cost me first of all the illusion that my holiness could ever be attained through separation from that which  is unholy.  My holiness can only become real and present as I die to self (including illusory and idolatrous self-images), and live in Christ.  Christ, while pure and holy, chooses to associate, embrace, become involved w/ the messy nitty-gritty of being human.  Christ became broken for us.  The path to holiness is through brokenness.

I didn't want to be broken!  I thought I was broken through my own sins and through hurts done to me by others, and that my relationship w/ Christ would be all about being healed and becoming whole.  Well, all of that is still true.  But now Christ calls me to freely choose being a part of a broken world so that I can become a channel of His salvific healing and transformation for others.

I'm not suggesting that I am special in any way and that this call is particular to me.  I am suggesting that if we follow Christ, His Holy Spirit will grow us in His Likeness and we will be invited to be broken for others.  I recognize that how we are "broken" may be different for each of us, but it will certainly be messy!

I hope to take up this theme in my next blog-post and explore in more detail what this means (or might mean) specifically for my life at this time.

Solo Dei Gloria!

America's Founding Purpose

May Jesus be exalted!

Yesterday was an infamous day for America.  SCOTUS upheld Obama's "Affordable Health Act"  as a tax, even though they found it unconstitutional in other ways.  In my opinion, the only chance for SCOTUS to redeem itself is when the other law-suits against the AHA for particular reasons, and the HHS Mandate specifically, come to their court, that they will uphold our God-given religious freedom which was the founding purpose of America.  Lord, help us!

Lord, please enlighten the minds of all Americans, and kindle in their hearts a desire for You.  I know this is asking a lot, but You are a big God; You glory in doing the impossible! :)  May Jesus be exalted.  May Your Holy Spirit keep us (Your Church) faithful to You, and give us the grace to shine Your Light.

Lord, we are frightened by the prospect of being oppressed and penalized for our faith.  Please give us courage.  Please raise up courageous leaders in each little community, so that the less courageous might have opportunity to follow and do what they know in their hearts is right: Your Will.

Holy Father, Loving Lord, I praise You for Your faithfulness to us.  Please give us the grace to glorify You!

Glory be to the Father,
and to the Son,
and to the Holy Spirit.
As it was in the beginning
is now and ever shall be
world without end.
Amen.

Come Lord Jesus!

Background bits to De Tocqueville's Democracy

I'm reading the Introduction (by Alan Ryan) to Alexis De Tocqueville's Democracy in America, and already I find I need to look up quite a few references to other works or contextual data.  For instance:

What is the gist of Machiavelli's Discourses on Livy and how does that relate to De Tocqueville's work?

Who were Lamoignon De Malesherbes, Robespierre, Louis XVI, Louis-Phillippe, Napoleon III (there were 3), Charles X, Barrot, Abbe Lesueur, John Stuart Mill, Montesquieu, Rousseau, and what did each teach or stand for or do in relation w/ De Tocqueville?

When were each of France's Revolutions, what were they called, who lead them, who were they against, and what remains from each?

For a little squirt who just wanted to dip her toes into the pool, this is like jumping into the Atlantic and expecting to swim to Europe!  (It's not going to happen.)

So I will have to rely on the summaries of others and easily found sources, such as Wikipedia!  It won't be a great study, but it might be an adequate start.

Bound And Free

Monroe and Liberty are names of townships.  The road I grew up on is divided between these two; I lived in Liberty.  The road I live on now is divided between these two; I live now in Monroe.  It is always interesting to me to find elements of two (or of four) in my life.  In this case, there's also the element of M & L.  Yes, I know, it's terribly vain to find myself in so many things!!!  I suppose I do this because I'm always looking for how I belong, or for how I'm on the "right road."

However, for blogging purposes I use this title to focus my thoughts on Neighborhood, Community, and National identity in general, and my particular experiences of identity whether they be in relation to nation, community, neighborhood, or otherwise.  This title and blog-topic is also a (not so/) subtle reference to what binds us and what frees us.

It may not be the most direct route, but I will use a brief and informal study of the Monroe Doctrine to consider governmental elements that "bind" us.  Keep in mind, that which "binds" us can be positive or negative, good or bad.  My bias is that bonds which work in concert w/ liberty tend to be good, life-supporting; bonds which exercise only force tend to be evil.  If there are exceptions to this, I hope to discover them!

Obviously, everything written here is my opinion, and an unfolding one at that.