What to do about Islamic Expansion in US?

[brendan]

Dear in Christ Brendan,
I don't know if it is because of sanity that I lock my door or not! I think it is more habit, and something which you are told to do as a child and don't question it. It is quite sad.

There have been circumstances where I left my door unlocked, but that was only because I lived around honest people. If you have thieves living around you, leaving your door unlocked will only result in your home being picked clean, but what will that accomplish? I think in such a instance, the judgement is on the thief, not the person who merely wants to prevent theivery by locking his door.

I'll make this one point on immigration to the US. If all handouts and preferences for immigrants were eliminated and the immigration laws enforced, immigration would be probably 10% of what it is. The system as it is actually rewards law-breaking and parasitism.

People who defend immigration like to always refer to the days when the Slavic immigrants came here in large numbers. The difference then was that people came here and if they didn't work, they were deported. If they came here and became criminals they were deported. Now that's all out the window. The pressure to assimilate was huge in the past. There was no bilingual classes in the public schools. The immigrant parents were the ones responsible for making sure there kids could speak English when they started school. Kids who couldn't speak English were sent home, but guess what, they learned English real fast and came back. This happened to my mother-in-law, so I know what I'm talking about.

Nowadays, immigrants come to America and many have contempt for this country. For example, at the world soccer match a couple of years ago, so-called "Mexican-Americans" actually booed the American team and some were even photographed burning the American flag. It was a disgusting situation, but unfortunately shows the attitude of many immigrants. US citizenship means almost nothing because the politicians have made it that way.

[George Australia]

The pressure to assimilate was huge in the past. There was no bilingual classes in the public schools. The immigrant parents were the ones responsible for making sure there kids could speak English when they started school. Kids who couldn't speak English were sent home, but guess what, they learned English real fast and came back. This happened to my mother-in-law, so I know what I'm talking about.

So in fact, this thread has nothing to do with Islam as the topic subject you posted suggests at all, does it brendan?...rather it's about your own xenophobia, ethnocentrism and phyletism- look that one up, because the Orthodox Church has condemned it as heresy.

I think I attended once at another parish when I was there for something else. My parish only has Liturgy on Sunday.

Oh, I see. So you only attend Paschal Matins when Pascha falls on a Sunday? And you "think" you may possibly have attended it "once" -but you're not sure......Oh what a tangled web we weave....
As with Wheeler, I have no more to say to you either except for another 'liturgical phrase' you're probably not familiar with since it's part of the prayers before Communion:
"I will not speak of the Mysteries to Your enemies."

[George]

While this is not a defence of Brendan's arguments, I imagine that as America has land borders with other countries, illegal immigration is a bigger problem than it is here in this country which is surrounded by the ocean, and a long way from everywhere - even Australia is about 2000 kilometres away. I expect Australia has a much bigger problem than we do with people trying to sneak in by sea.
I think the majority of immigrants come to other countries in order to make a better life for themselves - and the English settlement of NZ and America as well, I think, was for this reason (among others). Of course not everyone comes with honourable reasons, and sometimes for those that do, things don't work out and they fall on hard times. This doesn't only happen to immigrants of course - any of us could fall on hard times, and fortunately we do have welfare for when this happens. But the fact that there is welfare means there will also be abuse of the system.
I think many people see people fresh off the boat, and they act differently, behave differently, speak differently and this frightens people. We seem to be creatures of habit - look at our sins: many of them are habitual ones, and oftentimes we don't even recognise them as they are deeply ingrained habits like judging, self-righteousness, selfishness etc. However, given time, the foreigners assimilate. Descendants of Chinese who came here in the past act no differently than any other New Zealander. Recent Chinese immigrants naturally act differently - but their children won't - they will be just like any other NZer.
But regardless of who someone is, where they are from, or what they believe, every single person on Earth is created in the image of God, and we must not forget this.
Maybe instead of railing against immigrants, why not get to know them? Talk to them. You will find so much to learn, and gain many blessings. Think how difficult it can be to live in a different country, and how a friendly word or even a smile can mean so much. I know, I have been there, and sometimes the smallest gesture is like a gift from Heaven.

[George Australia]

However, given time, the foreigners assimilate. Descendants of Chinese who came here in the past act no differently than any other New Zealander. Recent Chinese immigrants naturally act differently - but their children won't - they will be just like any other NZer.

Dear in Christ, George,
Living in Australia where the official policy is "Multiculturalism", and despite the many flaws in our society, it has been a pretty successful experiment in multiculturalism, I guess I have a different experience.
"Assimilation" was the old catchcry under the "White Australia Policy". Assimilation is no longer seen as desirable in our culture- because it is based on the assumption that there is some 'common' culture that we can all assimilate into- which of course doesn't exist.
Multiculturalism is not about taking the "best" of each culture and putting it into a 'melting pot' to create a 'new' culture- it just doesn't work- we end up with a 'dominant' culture which imposes itself. Multiculturalism is about mutual tolerance and acceptance.
Also, "illegal" does not necessarily mean "contrary to God's Laws". Inhospitality, especially to those fleeing desperate situations, may be "legal", but it is definitely contrary to God's Law.

[brendan]

Hang on a minute, just a moment ago you said your spiritual father would not advise you to disobey the law in accepting 'illegal aliens', and now you say the law is unChristian in demanding taxes?

I don't actually have a spiritual father, per se, unless you mean my parish priest. However, I do know of Orthodox priests like Fr. James Thornton who would probably support my anti-immigrant position. He has written articles warning about the consequences of non-Christian, non-white immigration to America. For example:

Towards Renewal and Renaissance
The American racial dilemma is only part of the larger spiritual sickness of the West.
by FR. James Thornton
http://www.amren.com/968issue/968issue.html

Your Southern Heritage,
by FR. James Thornton
http://www.reformed-theology.org/southern/heritage.htm

Oh I see- it's unChristian to pay taxes, but it is Christian not to welcome strangers......hmmm- who's face and inscription is on your money- God's or Ceasars?

Come on, welcoming a stranger is far different than allowing your nation to be overrun with foreigners and being forced to support their parasitical lifestyles. Its like being hospitable to guests in your home. That doesn't mean you don't allow them to move in, take over, and force you to support them!

"Give to Ceasar what due to to Ceasar, and to God what is due to God"- I'd say that was a pretty clear instruction to pay taxes to the state, wouldn't you? Strange that a Chrisimated Orthodox Christian should be so unfamiliar with the Gospel Commandments....perhaps the OCA needs a little revision of it's catechism.

The state imposes taxes on me even if I had zero money and no income. A person can be 100% self-suffient in this society and still be taxed. The state allows absolutely no excape from taxes.

Besides that, no Christian is obligated to support unethical or evil actions even if they are perpetrated by a government. If the government passed a law requiring everybody is to pay a $100 tax for the purpose of demolishing all Orthodox churches, I suppose you would pay that tax?

[brendan]

Dear in Christ, George,
Living in Australia where the official policy is "Multiculturalism", and despite the many flaws in our society, it has been a pretty successful experiment in multiculturalism, I guess I have a different experience.

Here in America, multiculturalism basically means all racial groups are allied together against white people and operate openly in their respective self-interests to increase the power and influence of their group. For example, hispanic groups demand more hispanic immigration, open borders, amnesty for illegal immigrants, protecting welfare benefits, racial preferences, etc. Blacks, Asians have their respective racial agendas. Each non-white group pursues its own agenda to the exclusion of anything else. Only one group cannot even speak of having its own interests or concerns: whites.

Its an undeniable fact that multiculturalism simply means the eventual dispossession and eventual extinction of whites and western culture. The US census bureau has predicted that whites will be a minority in America by 2050 due to immigration. I see no reason why I should want that. Go try to sell that to any other group of people. Go tell the Chinese that they would be better off if became a minority in China. They would laugh at you. The fact is no group of people in the world who are sane would accept that, but white people are expected to actually look forward to their own demise in the country their own ancestors created. That is an abnormal and sick idea. And nobody can convince me its a Christian idea.

[viniamim]

When I was reading this tonight it occurred to me that Brendan must live in Farmingdale, New York, but I see he's from Pa....oh well...same rhetoric, different place.

Your opinions, Brendan, are missing whole chunks of information and contain whole oceans of misinformation. You need to go back to the drawing board and do more research in places other than your current sources. Your brand of nationalism is what frequently gets this country into trouble. I listen to your reasonings and dispare of the future. Unfortunately, there is no reasoning with people like you. You are too set in your ways to see the light.

Give the hatred a rest for a while, you are going to drown yourself in it if you don't. And I for one do not want to be dragged down with you.

Ben