Feb 19, 2016
The Pope and The Donald
I believe that Pope Francis is the first pontiff in history to single out the United States as the evil empire. He hasn’t used that exact phrase, but his criticisms of us reveal that he sees us this way.
First, he criticizes us as being unchristian and greedy because of our free enterprise and capitalism. He seems to think that Jesus wants us enter into the forced sharing programs advocated by socialists and communists rather than leaving sharing up to Christian free will.
Then he lectures to us about destroying the planet though burning fossil fuels, as if we are the only country who has inhabitants driving cars and heating our homes. I wonder if he would have the courage to go to China or Russia and tell them their way of life runs contrary to God’s will.
Then he breaks down the barrier between church and state and addresses both the U.N. and the United States Congress.
Now he adds fuel to political/religious fire and division he has created by attacking a leading presidential candidate. On Thursday, Feb 18, he was asked his views on Donald Trump. The interviewer told the pontiff that Trump “said that if he were elected president he would build a 2,500-km wall along the border. He wants to deport 11 million illegal immigrants.”
To this Pope Francis said
“A person who thinks only about building walls, wherever they may be, and not building bridges, is not Christian. This is not in the gospel. … I say only that this man is not Christian if he says things like that.”
Well, Donald did say things exactly like that so Pope Francis is definitely stating that Trump is not a Christian.
Some are trying to whitewash the Pope’s statement saying he didn’t mention Donald by name, but this is silly because the question specifically mentioned him by name meaning the answer was directed specifically at Donald Trump.
To his credit Trump didn’t take the accusation lying down. He said:
“No leader, especially a religious leader, should have the right to question another man’s religion or faith,” He added that people in the government of Mexico “made many disparaging remarks about me to the Pope.”
Then he wrapped it up with this creative possibility:
“If and when the Vatican is attacked by ISIS, which as everyone knows is ISIS’s ultimate trophy, I can promise you that the Pope would have only wished and prayed that Donald Trump would have been president.”
So, is the Pope justified in attacking Trump as being unchristian for wanting to build a wall to keep illegals out? Is there anything in the Bible that teaches against keeping out undesirables with walls?
To the contrary the scripture are full of support for wall building. The first thing David did when he established the city that would become Jerusalem was to build more walls.
Later the city was destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar, but after a period of captivity the Jews rejoiced when Ezra and Nehemiah were allowed to return to Jerusalem and rebuild its walls and so Israel could dwell there safely.
Jerusalem has been famous throughout history as the walled city, but the real clincher in this story is not the Old Jerusalem, but the New Jerusalem. The New Jerusalem is portrayed in the New Testament as the City of God where dwells God and the redeemed. Of this it is written:
“Come hither, I will shew thee the bride, the Lamb’s wife. And he carried me away in the spirit to a great and high mountain, and shewed me that great city, the holy Jerusalem, descending out of heaven from God, Having the glory of God … And had a wall great and high, and had twelve gates, and at the gates twelve angels.” Rev 21:9-12
And why does God’s own city have a wall? It is to keep out those who are not citizens of the kingdom of God for the following scripture says:
“And there shall in no wise enter into it any thing that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.” Rev 21:27
“Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the city. For without (outside the wall) are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.” Rev 22:14-15
Someone needs to tell the Pope that even God needs a wall to keep out those who are not authorized citizens of is kingdom.
It’s almost funny when you think of it, especially when you consider that the Vatican has a giant wall 50 feet high and has such strict immigration rules that Donald Trump looks like Mother Teresa by comparison.
The United States should be the last country that Pope Francis should preach about inclusiveness as we take in more immigrants here than any other nation.
In 2013, approximately 41.3 million immigrants lived in the United States and if we add in U. S. born children the number reaches 80 million or about a quarter of our population.
By contrast the whole United Kingdom only has about a half million, France 332,000, Germany, 693,000 and Italy, wherein lies the Vatican only 307,000 less than one percent of the USA. Then as far as the nation which is called the Vatican goes one is much more likely to win the lottery than become a legal immigrant there.
With such a huge number of immigrants already here it is only logical that we should follow the example set by the Christian God and his city, and establish rules and secure our borders so we can make sure that decent people are allowed to come in and to keep out those that would do us damage.
Copyright 2016 by J J Dewey