There is a rather progressive Seventh-day Adventist church in Portland Oregon called “Your Bible Speaks Community SDA Church.” They recently sent a letter to President Trump, chastising him for enforcing U.S. immigration laws, which includes deportation for those who have entered the country illegally. The letter was signed by their pastor.
As you can see, this letter calls for the federal government to stop enforcing immigration laws, and deporting individuals who have entered the country illegally.
The letter is signed by pastor Reginald Richardson, Jr. (see picture above) who claims to be an autochthonous citizen of Chicago Illinois.
An autochthonous citizen is a citizen considered to be indigenous or "native" to a particular country, claiming a historical and ancestral connection to the land itself, rather than being a descendant of settlers or immigrants. The term can be used in a mythological or historical context, such as the ancient Greeks who claimed to be "sprung from the earth." Heavy, man.
They accuse the President of being like a Babylonian king and making unjust laws. I don’t believe the Presidential administration made our immigration laws, but rather, is enforcing them, for the first time in a long time. The previous president created a lot of extra work by allowing twelve million un-audited people into the country between 2021 and 2024.
They state that President Trump is under the judgment of Almighty God for enforcing U.S. immigration law. Since when is following a nation’s immigration law oppressing innocent people? If your first act of entering a country is to do so illegally, that defiles your conscience, making it easier to violate subsequent laws later on (Romans 13:5; Psalm 31:1,33-4; Hebrews 5:13-14; 1 Timothy 1:5; Titus 1:15). Your conscience is a special part of you, and it can be both defiled, and cleansed (Titus 1:15; 2 Timothy 1:3; 1 Peter 3:16). To all, we say with Paul, ‘Keep your conscience clear before God and man’ (Acts 24:16). It makes your life more honorable (Hebrews 13:18).
They call on the federal government to stop brutalizing the peaceful protesters who have surrounded the ICE facility in Portland. A local journalist from Seattle opens her heart about Antifa.
They accuse the President of dismantling federal assistance programs. Which programs are being dismantled? They say members of the church can no longer afford their drugs and medication. More information is needed. Which programs are being dismantled?
Your conscience is a gift from God. We need for it to be clear in order to face life’s trials effectively (1 Peter 2:19).
This letter, while claiming to not be political, is a partisan jeremiad against the federal government. And this church in Portland wanted it to be public.
Discuss.
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“Pray for us; for we are confident that we have a good conscience, in all things desiring to live honorably” (Hebrews 13:18).