- Joined
- Apr 5, 1999
- Messages
- 460
We are a country founded by people who fled here to avoid the oppression and domination of repressive governments. They came to the "free world," America, because they were discriminated against because of their political views, their race, and to enjoy the bounteous opportunities of freedom. Many of those who immigrated here did so to escape religious repression and intolerance in the countries where they lived. This country was founded with freedom of religion as one of the cornerstones of its foundation. They came here to escape the intolerance and inequities imposed by a state religion. One of our basic tenets was the separation of church and state so that there could never be a "state" religion, and the resulting discrimination and intolerance that such a system produces.
We are a country that benefited from those who valued such freedoms and liberty. One of those freedoms which was so prized by our immigrant forefathers was being able to worship as they pleased. They came to live in a democracy, a democratic republic where they could participate in their own government and vote to keep those freedoms that were to many so rare in the world of their time. America has always opened her arms to take them in and has guaranteed to the extreme of going to war, that we would protect and make sure that those freedoms were available to all who sought them.
Now we are facing another wave of immigration this time from the Muslim countries, who also seek such freedoms. How can we not grant them all the rights and privileges given to our immigrant forefathers? Do they not deserve the same? Will they not add to the strength of diversity as previous immigrants have done as they assimilate into the American culture? Especially the right to worship as they choose without a forced, state-sanctioned religion. Do we not owe them the same?
Now, you need to think about your answer.
First, the previous waves of immigrants were made up of those who as a result of their cultural and religious background always wanted a separation of church and state, just as the founding fathers did.
Second, and here is where I need to get ready for the sticks and stones that are inevitably going to come my way.
Islam is not a religion; it is a system. It is a system that governs and dictates the rules of government, politics, religion, business, banking, the judicial system, arts, education, the media, diet, and the home life between a man and a wife. There is no separation between church and state. In Islam they are one and the same.
In Islam, all religions must subvert to the recognition that the worship of Islam is the supreme faith.
In Islamic countries under Muslim control, anyone who is Muslim that would attempt to convert to another faith, say Christianity for example, is considered an apostate and is guilty of a crime which is punishable by death.
A basic tenet of the faith of Islam is to impose the rule of Sharia law - a tenet of the faith. Sharia law is incompatible with a constitutional republic.
You need to understand that these are the same laws, rules, and faith that exists in the very countries where these immigrants are now coming from. They are not fleeing their faith or leaving because of religious oppression. They are coming from countries where Islam, their existing religion is already the law. They are not coming here because some entity is preventing them from practicing their faith. Some of you may say that what I've described here are only the beliefs of those "fundamentalist" Islamic followers. I assure you it is not. The things that I'm describing here are the cultural norms for those countries. It is what they have been raised in and what they have willfully and gladly embraced.
They are fleeing their countries for socioeconomic reasons and to avoid the dangerous hardships of war, not because of religious persecution. When they are set upon American shores, they will bring what they believe to be their system (their religion as we mistakenly believe it to be, the supreme and only system as they believe) with them. They are not interested in living in compatibility with our diverse culture. They are not interested in assimilating into our culture. This record has been playing throughout the liberal hallways of Europe for over 30 years, and there has been no assimilation, no adapting to "European" ways, societies, or cultures. It has not and is not working in any country in Europe. Those countries are now awakening to the fact that they must now take drastic steps through the enactment of laws, elections, and changes in their governments just to preserve their own cultures. We do not dare to repeat an experiment that has failed every time it was tried.
There is a huge difference between those immigrants who came here to be Americans and participate in a free state of self-governance and the immigrants from the Muslim countries, who are not fleeing because their culture is threatened or oppression for religious reasons, but only to reap the harvest of what America can offer economically, and of course, security. Unless of course you are a Christian who is being persecuted and exterminated in those same Muslim countries. We cannot invite or take in those whose very belief system is to fundamentally change the government, the laws, the society, and the faiths of any country where they are allowed to enter.
Now is not yesterday. The present is not possible to hold in the same context as the past. Our ancestors fought and died to ensure that a theocracy could never be possible in this country. We cannot open our arms to embrace those who are bound by their very belief system that a theocracy is the ultimate, inevitable goal of their way of life. Their religion binds them to make those changes. Taking into consideration religion as a marker for allowing refugee and immigration status is absolutely valid and an obligation by those in charge of protecting our democratic republic.
This country does not need to change her laws, or her government but those who are attempting to benefit from what she can offer do need to change. There is nothing "wrong" with our country, our many religions, or our way of life. Is it perfect? No. Is it the best? Yes.
We are under no obligation, morally, ethically, or legally to take in refugees just because they show up at our front door, especially those who are not here because they want to embrace our culture and way of life, but will eventually work to replace it with their vision of a system that has a proven history that it cannot live in harmony with other existing cultures throughout the world.
If you think I am prejudiced or want to call me a bigot for these views, then I will wear those names without shame, remorse, or guilt.
Ernest Emerson
We are a country that benefited from those who valued such freedoms and liberty. One of those freedoms which was so prized by our immigrant forefathers was being able to worship as they pleased. They came to live in a democracy, a democratic republic where they could participate in their own government and vote to keep those freedoms that were to many so rare in the world of their time. America has always opened her arms to take them in and has guaranteed to the extreme of going to war, that we would protect and make sure that those freedoms were available to all who sought them.
Now we are facing another wave of immigration this time from the Muslim countries, who also seek such freedoms. How can we not grant them all the rights and privileges given to our immigrant forefathers? Do they not deserve the same? Will they not add to the strength of diversity as previous immigrants have done as they assimilate into the American culture? Especially the right to worship as they choose without a forced, state-sanctioned religion. Do we not owe them the same?
Now, you need to think about your answer.
First, the previous waves of immigrants were made up of those who as a result of their cultural and religious background always wanted a separation of church and state, just as the founding fathers did.
Second, and here is where I need to get ready for the sticks and stones that are inevitably going to come my way.
Islam is not a religion; it is a system. It is a system that governs and dictates the rules of government, politics, religion, business, banking, the judicial system, arts, education, the media, diet, and the home life between a man and a wife. There is no separation between church and state. In Islam they are one and the same.
In Islam, all religions must subvert to the recognition that the worship of Islam is the supreme faith.
In Islamic countries under Muslim control, anyone who is Muslim that would attempt to convert to another faith, say Christianity for example, is considered an apostate and is guilty of a crime which is punishable by death.
A basic tenet of the faith of Islam is to impose the rule of Sharia law - a tenet of the faith. Sharia law is incompatible with a constitutional republic.
You need to understand that these are the same laws, rules, and faith that exists in the very countries where these immigrants are now coming from. They are not fleeing their faith or leaving because of religious oppression. They are coming from countries where Islam, their existing religion is already the law. They are not coming here because some entity is preventing them from practicing their faith. Some of you may say that what I've described here are only the beliefs of those "fundamentalist" Islamic followers. I assure you it is not. The things that I'm describing here are the cultural norms for those countries. It is what they have been raised in and what they have willfully and gladly embraced.
They are fleeing their countries for socioeconomic reasons and to avoid the dangerous hardships of war, not because of religious persecution. When they are set upon American shores, they will bring what they believe to be their system (their religion as we mistakenly believe it to be, the supreme and only system as they believe) with them. They are not interested in living in compatibility with our diverse culture. They are not interested in assimilating into our culture. This record has been playing throughout the liberal hallways of Europe for over 30 years, and there has been no assimilation, no adapting to "European" ways, societies, or cultures. It has not and is not working in any country in Europe. Those countries are now awakening to the fact that they must now take drastic steps through the enactment of laws, elections, and changes in their governments just to preserve their own cultures. We do not dare to repeat an experiment that has failed every time it was tried.
There is a huge difference between those immigrants who came here to be Americans and participate in a free state of self-governance and the immigrants from the Muslim countries, who are not fleeing because their culture is threatened or oppression for religious reasons, but only to reap the harvest of what America can offer economically, and of course, security. Unless of course you are a Christian who is being persecuted and exterminated in those same Muslim countries. We cannot invite or take in those whose very belief system is to fundamentally change the government, the laws, the society, and the faiths of any country where they are allowed to enter.
Now is not yesterday. The present is not possible to hold in the same context as the past. Our ancestors fought and died to ensure that a theocracy could never be possible in this country. We cannot open our arms to embrace those who are bound by their very belief system that a theocracy is the ultimate, inevitable goal of their way of life. Their religion binds them to make those changes. Taking into consideration religion as a marker for allowing refugee and immigration status is absolutely valid and an obligation by those in charge of protecting our democratic republic.
This country does not need to change her laws, or her government but those who are attempting to benefit from what she can offer do need to change. There is nothing "wrong" with our country, our many religions, or our way of life. Is it perfect? No. Is it the best? Yes.
We are under no obligation, morally, ethically, or legally to take in refugees just because they show up at our front door, especially those who are not here because they want to embrace our culture and way of life, but will eventually work to replace it with their vision of a system that has a proven history that it cannot live in harmony with other existing cultures throughout the world.
If you think I am prejudiced or want to call me a bigot for these views, then I will wear those names without shame, remorse, or guilt.
Ernest Emerson
