Syrian Refugees - America Is Not Obligated

The world is tearing itself apart. No, I don't mean the planet. I mean the nations of men. American Imperialism (yes, I begin the list there on purpose), Islamic terrorism and infighting, North Korea, China, Russia, African warlords, drug lords, gang violence, and on and on. Men are killing men all over the place and the innocent suffer in every nation.
It is January 2016 as I write this, possibly the last year of the United States of America. I love my country, I love the principles it was founded on, the ideal that the founders of this nation sought, but it is - like any other physical nation - just a nation of men and can fall like any other nation. The might of America, at least for now, prevents her from being conquered by conventional warfare. No country could invade with their tanks and airplanes and soldiers and take us by force of arms. Our fall has come, as predicted by allies and enemies alike, from within. We were the "king of the mountain" and so most everyone focused on us, to knock us off.
This article is intent on addressing one of the issues that I believe will catalyze our downfall. It is an article that is consistent with what I wrote in my regular commentary in 2 Corinthians 10:3-4 about America. I recommend you read that if you haven't already. I can wait...
My purpose here is not so much to focus on America and its eventual and inevitable collapse, though I may talk about it some. My purpose here is to address, from a scriptural and logical standpoint, the question of whether or not we (that is, the USA) should take in ten thousand 'refugees'. I use quotes on purpose and will explain later. It is an issue that is hyper charged with emotion and misunderstanding. I will hopefully here diffuse the first and clear up the second.
== I. Christian Duty ==
I will state in this very first point that it is absolutely correct to say that Christians are called to care for the needy, to shelter those without shelter, to provide food for the hungry, to do what is implicitly commanded in Matthew 25:34-45 and what is explicitly commanded in James 2:12-17 else our faith is a dead one. We are also taught to care for the needy as we have opportunity (Galatians 6:9-10) especially fellow Christians.
Given the opportunity to do so, I would gladly take a refugee family, orphans, or widows into my home and care for them for as long as they needed. That is, after all, the command of God, not just a polite suggestion.
== II. Proper Perspective - Physical vs. Spiritual Designations ==
Where most of my brethren will grow angry with me, will likely even disfellowship me, is when I say that I do not believe America should take in the 10,000 refugees. I will likely receive accusations of "hypocrite" and "liar" among other emotionally charged accusations. A few, I hope, will at least take the time to understand why I believe what I believe. Then if they must still part ways, so be it.
Let me first go back to the section of my article from 2 Corinthians. I defined both Islam (and any number of Islamic nations including ISIS and this so-called Caliphate) and America as physical nations. Therein lies a large part of the misunderstanding. Let me explain.
=== A. Islam ===
Islam is a religion founded by a warmongering, profiteering pedophile who is known to history as a man named Muhammad. One only has to read the Quran and the Hadith to understand the carnal origin of this false religion. It is dangerous to judge a religion by its adherents since men make mistakes and can fall away from a faith. Judge the religion by its foundation, its teachings. Islam is a human-made religion, its nations are physical nations, and therefore it and they are the concern of physical nations. The individuals, the human souls who follow this religion and in desperate need of Jesus Christ, they are the concern of Christians.
=== B. America ===
America has never been a Christian nation and it never will be. 
# There is only one Christian nation. It is a spiritual nation, a kingdom, and that nation is the church of Christ. 
# America was founded by men who, for the most part, considered themselves Christians, who believed they lived according to the Bible. America was founded in large part on some principles found in the Bible, but principles found in both the Old and the New Testaments. This is the first problem with calling America a Christian nation. Christians only follow the New Testament. The constitution of the church of Christ is the Law of Liberty, not the Law of Sin and Death. Our spiritual nation recognizes no authority of the Law of Moses, the Old Covenant whatsoever and never has. Those who do are lost (Galatians 5:4 and a HOST of other passages. Just read through my whole website to see this argument exhaustively explored and defended.) 
# America was also founded on principles found in the governments and philosophers of ancient Greece and Rome. Men like the Athenian Statesman, Solon, had a large impact on the framing of the Constitution for the united states of America. These influences are further evidence that America is not and never was a Christian nation. 
# The very idea of "freedom of religion" is abhorrent to a spiritual nation such as the kingdom of Christ. Unity of faith, of mind and teaching, was commanded throughout the New Testament (e.g. Romans 12:16; 15:6; 1 Corinthians 1:10; 2 Corinthians 13:11; Philippians 1:27; 2:2; 3:16; 4:2; 1 Peter 3:8; 4:1). Christ prayed for unity for not just the Apostles, but the whole church in John 17:17-21. The very impetus for me to write this article is found in the desire to obey this command to be united to the best of my ability. Unity, though, must be according to Truth, not just going along to get along, not "agreeing to disagree" which is foolishness. 
# However, for a physical nation, freedom of religion is absolutely necessary. No physical nation has the ability or even the authority to govern spiritual matters. Humans tend to corrupt all that they command, a force of entropy, because humans are carnal generally speaking, not spiritual, unless they are washed in the blood of Christ and led by the spirit (Romans 7-8). Since America is a physical nation, and humans will corrupt things, it is necessary for the physical nation to allow humans to seek out their Creator on His terms, not the nation's terms. We only have to look at the world where there is no freedom of religion to see examples of why this is a must.
Since this distinction between America as a physical nation and the church of Christ as a spiritual nation exists, is even necessary to maintain, then it is logical to maintain that they have a different purview of responsibility and functionality. Which brings me to the last group...
=== C. The refugees ===
Let me here acknowledge that there are definitely objectively true refugees in need of shelter, food, protection. The nation of origin is not really important to understand the case I am making here. I am happy to state that there are a lot of people who need help in the world and in this current state of turmoil, a sizable number of those are displaced from their homes and their nations and looking to other nations for help.
In the arguments that America should take them in, an almost complete blanket appellation of "Christian" is applied to these refugees. This has considerably muddied the thinking on this because of the added emotional charge. "You are a Christian! You are supposed to help people! These are Christians, man! You won't even help your own kind! You are the worst kind of hypocrite!" It is important to be clear about this, though. 
# Not all the refugees even claim to be Christians. In fact, only about 3% make that claim. This doesn't mean we shouldn't help them if they are truly refugees. I'm just addressing this as thoroughly as I can.
# Most of the refugees that claim to be Christian are not Christians. This is where I'll lose a lot of people who won't finish reading after this point. The implications are too hard for them to hear (much like John 6:66). The claim to be a Christian is widespread, but for the most part, those who make that claim make it falsely. Oh, they believe they are Christians, but there is a specific way outlined in scripture which most have not followed. So unless a person really has obeyed from the heart that pattern of doctrine (Romans 6:17-18), they aren't a Christian no matter how much they say they are.
# Last of all, it must be acknowledged -- whatever the implications -- that a significant portion of the 'refugees' are actually Muslim, that a portion of those Muslims are general trouble makers who use their religion as a foundation to cause trouble and do evil, and that a portion of those are true Islamic terrorists -- humans who adhere to a strict physical interpretation of jihad, who believe they are at war with Western ideals, with whatever passes for Judaism these days, and with Christianity (generically speaking) and so they are willing to kill as many people as they can even to the point of committing suicide to do so. If you deny any of this, especially the existence of that last group, then you are beyond reasoning and I have nothing for you.
Now that I have clearly defined the groups involved, I want to examine the responsibilities America has toward the refugees.
== III. Responsibilities Defined ==
=== A. America is not a spiritual nation... ===
...and is therefore not bound as a nation to the responsibilities laid on the church and individual Christians. It functions with distinct roles and responsibilities. 
* Another powerful example of this is found in Romans 13 where Jehovah, through Paul, declares that human governments are authorized by God for the purpose of keeping order, even to the point of executions. I'm not here to get into a fight over the death penalty and good nation vs bad nation and whatnot. It is simply a statement of fact that God declared human nations, like America, are authorized to govern in physical matters to keep order and peace, and to take life if necessary to fulfill that role. This is not the role of the church by any stretch of the imagination or wresting of scriptures.
=== B. Since America is not a spiritual nation... ===
...and since America has a particular role distinct from the church, it is not bound by scripture to the responsibilities laid at the feet of the church. America is not called by scripture to feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, protect the innocent. America is called by scripture to be a terror to those who work evil, a punisher of such, and a servant for the good of the nation. In essence, a physical government is there to protect us from evil humans and to facilitate us in doing good by basically leaving good people alone.
* Before we get back to emotional explosions, I would remind the reader that many of those who are arguing for taking these refugees in, are also against socialism -- food stamps, government housing projects, government run healthcare, etc. They are reasoned and vociferous in their arguments against such things 1) because the government is hugely innefficient in such endeavors precisely because that's not what governments are designed to do, 2) because it requires the government to take the choice and money away from me to discern who needs help and who doesn't need to eat (2 Thessalonians 3:10), 3) because it gives the government too much power and corrupts it, and so on. These arguments and many more against government welfare programs are exactly correct, but the cry often goes up from those in favor of such programs that Christians who are against such programs are hypocrites and unloving, etc. Just think about the parallel here.
* Here is another parallel that is just as potent. Many of my friends and associates arguing for the taking in of these refugees by America are against illegal immigration. They agree that people should come here legally for all kinds of reasons, most of which involved protecting this nation in some way or another. They also agree that the government is best suited to determine who to let in and who not and go so far as to say the government has a duty to not only protect our borders, but to deport anyone who is not here legally. Yet all the reasons given to support controlling the border and preventing illegal immigration are suddenly irrelevant because someone says they are a refugee? I think this really drives home just how emotionally laden this issue has become and just how little reason is being put into it.
America has no call, no duty, no responsibility to do anything but provide a safe place for its citizens to be free to live according to the Will of our Creator according to the Bible. That's it. Furthermore, there isn't demand for it by our Consitution either. There simply isn't any rational argument for America, the physical nation, to take in anyone.
=== C. Let me grant for a moment... ===
that America does have a responsibility to help those in need. Let me grant that this responsibility is based in scripture and that America, the physical nation, must parallel in duty to the church. Set aside all the arguments against a welfare state and those taking advantage of the system for a moment. Who should America help given limited resources? Scriptures teach that Christians should especially help those who are of the household of faith, i.e. fellow Christians first. As a parallel, shouldn't America help Americans in need first? We have millions in our nation who have real, desperate needs for food, shelter, protection, even help overcoming evil in their lives. Forget why they are in that situation for a moment. They need help. Would America's first duty not be to its own? How can we argue for helping those outside the "body" of America over helping the "body" of America? 
=== D. The Church should be helping. ===
# First and foremost we should be doing all that we can to help our brothers and sisters in Christ, Americans, immigrants, refugees, whatever earthly label they may fall under. For those who are all for helping refugees, if that's where you want to focus your service, what are you doing to specifically address your brethren in Christ who are fleeing oppression in their own nation?
# Second, we should be doing all that we can after helping our brethren to help others. After you have helped those refugees of the household of faith, what are you doing to specifically help those refugees?
# Additionally, it is necessary to understand that we live in a physical universe with finite resources. Those resources under the stewardship of Christians and the church universal are already dedicated to some kind of ministry to our fellow man. Emergencies, especially of such urgency and magnitude, are difficult at best to respond to immediately. The consideration of danger because of our faith is no consideration at all, but we are required to be good stewards of that which we have been given, and excercise wisdom in our administration of those resources. If a brother or sister is doing good, but not doing what you are doing, you don't have the authority to condemn them.
# Finally, it is necessary for me to acknowledge that there may be some who are arguing that Christians have no responsibility at all in this matter, not from the perspective of priority, but as a matter of principle. Some even say this because they are afraid. These people are wrong. We do have that resonsibility within the framework noted above and fear of death or whatever is just a lack of faith in Jehovah. What need have we to fear those who can only destroy the body? Instead, we should fear Him who is able to condemn the soul to eternal punishment in Gehenna.
== IV. Conclusion ==
It is exactly correct to say that Christians should be doing something to help. It is also necessary to acknowledge that they are, though they may not be focused specifically on helping the refugees as some would like. It is also necessary to point out that other Christians aren't helping (even though they can). I can only ask, because I don't know, are those who are making such a fuss about the refugees doing anything personally to specifically address the situation with the refugees. If you are, bless you and God speed. If you aren't, then who is the hypocrite?
In Truth and Love.