Pastor of First Baptist Dallas’ View on Refugees and Carpet Bombings
A five minute segment on the O'Reilly Factor clearly underscores how intertwined he is in secular politics.
Pastor Robert Jeffress of First Baptist Dallas was on Fox News (via the DMN‘s Trail Blazers blog) disucssing the question of a Christian response to the Syrian refugees:
“Most people assume the Christian response is to allow immigrants and refugees’ unconditional entrance into this country, and I think they think that because they confuse Jesus with the Statue of Liberty — give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses. But in fact the real historical Jesus did urge compassion for those in need, but he also said, ‘Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.’ In other words, support government with your taxes because they have a legitimate function like protecting citizens. Those of us who believe in the sanctity of life believe that sanctity serves to not only to protect the unborn but to protect the born from terrorist attacks. That’s a Christian value as well.”
A number of thoughts come to mind:
- No one of any seriousness is suggesting that the refugees be allowed unconditional entrance into the United States. Rather, the refugees from Syria have to undergo a rigorous process before being allowed to enter. Even on the broader immigration issue, the argument is not about fettered v. unfettered border crossing, but about updating a manifestly broken set of rules. Sure, there are a handful of true open border types, but to present this debate as about allowing unconditional entrance is a straw man (and an anemic, if not anorexic, one at that).
- So, the Statue of Liberty is more compassionate than Jesus? An odd claim for a pastor.
- However, the Statue of Liberty is just a super-compassionate statue with a cool poem whose sentiments Americans should ignore?
- The “Render unto Caesar” argument is profoundly weird here because if the argument is that Christians have an obligation to let the government govern, then that should mean letting the government pursue the refugee policy that has been designed and deployed. Pastor Jeffress seems to be claiming that Christians must submit to government to only pursue policies that they like.
- Really, we need to make this into an abortion discussion? There is more of this in the video after the quote above, in fact and a direct link to the current Planned Parenthood funding issue (and it quickly becomes Jeffress handicapping the GOP primary contest).
Video here:
It is interesting that Jeffress is a “Fox News Contributor” which honestly strikes me as an odd choice for a pastor as it creates a clear affiliation that is non-religious (especially since his commentary is basically about secular politics with only a thin veneer of theology).
The most remarkable part of the discussion, however, is towards the very end (starting at about the 4:40 mark) where the host quotes Trump and Cruz about “bomb[ing] the ass out of ISIS” (Trump) and “carpet bomb[ing]” ISIS (Cruz) and Jeffress responds with “Well, that’s right and that’s a biblical value” and then cites Romans 13 as proof that governments are supposed to punish wrong doers. The cavalier endorsement of carpet bombing as a “biblical value” is pretty stunning (and in an interview that aired two days before Christmas–peace on Earth, goodwill towards men, indeed). I fully understand that one can reach the conclusion that war is sometimes necessary via theological means, but to quickly endorse the simplistic belligerence of Trump and Cruz is stunning to behold from a pastor.
At a minimum, I suppose this helps illustrate how conservative Christians may find it possible to rationalize support for a candidate like Trump. In Jeffress’ case in particular, a five minute segment on the O’Reilly Factor clearly underscores how intertwined he is in secular politics.
Remember what I said about theocrats the other day? This is what their spokesmen look like.
It takes some real Moebius logic to reconcile what Jesus said (about letting the secular authorities do their thing while you focus on spiritual priorities) with a desire to have the Church take secular control. Romans 13, some of the silliest nonsense Paul ever spouted, is the preferred bridge. That Jeffress would choose the passage that for centuries was used to justify the Divine Right of Kings and the Crusades emphasizes that he and his ilk do not actually believe in either democracy or tolerance.
That is exactly what he and so many others of his “Christian” ilk have been claiming for some time Steven. Surely you are not surprised?
@OzarkHillbilly: No, I am not surprised.
He’s a baptist pastor, as such he’s only responsible to his own local church. There’s probably plenty of needy local baptists who have to suffer through Christmas with just a frozen turkey to fulfill all your mandatory charity with. And he’s paying the government its due to make sure that stays that way. None of the people that can only afford a chicken, that would really dampen the spirit.
It is my opinion that these leaders (secular or religious) believe little or any of what they say in public. As the man said, “Follow the money.”
The cavalier endorsement of carpet bombing as a “biblical value” …
If you’ve read the Bible, you’d have to agree:.
I will pass through the land of Egypt that night, and I will strike all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast;
And we are afraid of the Muslims?
Regarding your points 1 and 3, an old saying that I’ve heard many times comes to mind. It relates to the limits of compassion and inclusion related to some among the baptists and other more conservative/separatist sects:
There was a time when the church stayed out of politics, especially the SBC. Many still do. Each SB church is independent. I know of many Baptist churches that are very involved in relief programs here and abroad.
@edmondo: Yes, well, that raises a whole different conversation…
@Tyrell: This is very fair. Indeed, many of the pro-refugee voices have been pastors.
Does anyone think that Fox would put any pastor on their network who isn’t a dick or in the tank for the neoconservatives?
@Tyrell: Wow, you must be waaaaaaaayyyyyy older than I am because I’ve never experienced a Baptist church that wasn’t involved in politics–and I left the Baptists because I couldn’t get past the political tilt over 40 years ago!
Matthew 25:31-46:
There remains nothing at all christian about “pastor” Jeffress. He is the precise false prophet described in scripture, were one to hold with such things. Everything about his carriage and demeanor says “mental illness check needed.”
Jeffress gleefully signs the religious permission slip to be a monster.
@Just ‘nutha ig’rant cracker:
And yet, in some sort of twisted sense of morality, they seem perfectly comfortable remaining tax-exempt.