As Christians it is time to stand up to the false Christian leaders who sanction the unconscionable in the name of Jesus.

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For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? -- Matthew 5: 46-47 (ESV)

https://www.charismanews.com/opinion/77000-dr-james-dobson-sets-the-record-straight-about-the-border-crisis

James Dobson has been a political hack disguised as a Christian for several decades now. A more obvious NAR dominionist is hard to find. So when I saw his latest article at Charisma News where he claimed he was going to 'set the record straight" about the border I knew it was going to be what you will find at the above link. What Dobson obviously meant was that he was going to try and lure evangelicals into believing the current administration talking points, truth be damned. It is actually a continual embarrassment when people claiming leadership roles in Christianity allow themselves to be used so transparently by carnal mind politicians. Just today it is being reported by Pastor Sam Rodriguez that we should all doubt what we saw the day before in picture and video taken by numerous Congressional representatives. Nope, everything is just fine here at the border, nothing to see, move along. Really Pastor? You know discernment can go beyond biblical issues. You can discern when you are being used as propaganda. When a conservative immigration think tank invites you to tour right after all the bad press the day before, what did you expect to see? Can't you see how foolish you look when the Inspector General's Report on this very subject comes out yesterday confirming what the Congressional representatives claimed was occurring at the border? Rodriguez also came to the defense of the border agents, many of whom I assume are good decent people doing a thankless job. Except there's that darn secret Facebook group that over 9000 of them belonged to that mocked the death of migrants and posted doctored sexual memes of the very female representatives that had toured their facilities this week. Nothing to see here, right.

The truth is that siding with the state sanctioned child abuse at the border has no Christian value or defense. If all you can do is mutter something about obeying the law and Romans 13 then you have no argument and you have no defense. The abuse of Romans 13 is well known amongst NAR dominionists. Yes as Christians we are to obey the laws of the land knowing they come from God but then what about abortion? That is the law of the land yet Christians have been apoplectically railing against this for decades. We do not abuse scripture in such a manner. We are either consistent or hypocritical. Please, do not play whataboutism games with me either. This issue is not about politics. It is about the seven kids who have died under our watch. It is about 70 people jammed into a space built for 30. It is about an administration that plays to our basest instincts of fear and wanting to blame someone else for our lot in life. More importantly it is about who we claim to believe in and what He taught. If you believe Jesus checked the papers first of the children He said to allow to come to Him then you must own a different bible than I have. As we progress through the above linked article, I can only imagine where James Dobson is going to fall on this issue:

"Dear Friends, several weeks ago, I was invited by White House staff to visit our southern border at McAllen, Texas, where federal agents are struggling to deal with a massive influx of poor and destitute human beings. They come in never-ending waves. Please believe me when I tell you that the media and leftist politicians have not been truthful about what is going on there. It is a human tragedy. I promised the exhausted U.S. Custom and Border Patrol agents that I would go home and tell as many people as possible what I had seen "up close and personal." Today, I am attempting to fulfill that commitment." -- James Dobson

Invited by White House staff to tour the facilities? Gee, I wonder why? Now I expect nothing less from Dobson who has been pimping NAR dominionism for decades now. He is all in on the Republican Party and they simply can do no wrong in his eyes. It is nothing short of pure idolatry. It is people like Rodriguez that are disappointing. People who should know better. Most discerning Christians know Dobson is a crank but Rodriguez carries some Christian street cred that he is casting away to allow himself to be so used. To not be able to figure out the agenda of the people who are inviting you. We can see from Dobson's opening statement that he is nothing more than a shill. This is being portrayed as God fearing people against the boogeymen of the media and the "leftists." The other card they will continually play is to exalt the border agents to play the heartstrings of those who respect our first responders. Except there are those 9000 agents who were caught red handed in that secret Facebook group. Oops. You must see beloved that in order for James Dobson to be telling the truth we must dismiss the proof of this Facebook group and its vile postings. We must downplay that this secret group had over 9000 members from the Border Patrol. In order for Sam Rodriguez to be telling the truth, we must forget the pictures we all saw earlier this week and the videos taken.

"Approximately 5,500 people show up every day in districts organized along our southern U.S. border. McAllen is the site of only one of them, but it is the busiest and most besieged. The "refugees" arrive exhausted and ragged from walking hundreds of miles. Among them are large numbers of children, many of whom are unaccompanied by a caring adult. Last year, 382,000 aliens were apprehended for illegally crossing into this country and almost 100,000 of them were minors. Some of the kids have been abused along the way. Many of them carry lice, scabies or other diseases. Currently, the facility I visited is experiencing a flu epidemic, and there are no additional beds on which to lie. Some of the women have been raped. More than 70 people of all ages are sent to local hospitals daily along the southern border. Doctors and medical staff are overwhelmed by their patient load. Remember that word, "overwhelmed." It describes every aspect of the effort to deal with the situation there. The most heart-wrenching experience occurred during our tour of the holding area. It is a huge gym-like building consisting of dozens of fenced-in areas. Each one is crowded with detainees standing or sitting shoulder-to-shoulder on benches. They stared out at us with plaintive eyes. I noticed that almost none of them were talking to each other. The children looked traumatized and frightened. Tears flooded my eyes as I stood before them. They had no toys or dolls except for a few items bought by compassionate border patrol agents. One tiny girl clutched something that resembled a doll bought for her by an agent." -- James Dobson

Wait a minute. I thought James had said that what the media and leftist politicians were saying was untrue? What Dobson describes here is exactly what the media and politicians have described. Why is the word refugee in quotes James? A refugee is someone forced to leave their country due to war, persecution or disaster. That is who these people are James. Stop dehumanizing them in Jesus' name. Yes this situation has been overwhelming but how long are you willing to allow that fact to excuse incompetence and cruelty? How long are you going to turn a blind eye to the money being made by the companies profiteering off of this tragedy, one of which is run by former Chief of Staff, John Kelly? You speak about the medical staff but make no mention of the other doctors who are begging to be allowed in to help these people and are denied access.

"There are few provisions made to accommodate the children. The week before we were there, a delegation of agents went to meet with members of Congress and begged them for additional money to buy Pampers, toothbrushes and other necessities. They were turned down flat. These meager supplies have to be purchased with the border patrol budget, which is stretched to the limit. I then walked up to a fenced area holding many skinny young men. An agent standing beside me asked if I would like to speak to them. He offered to translate for me, to which I replied, "Please tell them that God loves them." Then I said, "Now tell them that I love them, too." They smiled and waved timidly. My heart aches for these poor people. Lest I be misunderstood, let me make clear that I am among the majority of Americans who want the border to be closed to those who attempt to enter illegally. There has to be a better solution than this. I have wondered, with you, why the authorities don't just deny these refugees access to this nation. Can't we just send them back to their places of origin? The answer I received was no, for reasons I will explain. Only 10 percent of the detainees are Mexicans. This year alone, people have come to our southern border from 127 countries, including Bangladesh, Pakistan, Turkey, India, China, Palestine, Albania, San Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras and other nations around the world. They speak their native tongues, which means they can't be understood by each other or the staff. What are we to do with them? The Mexican government will not take them back, and there is no place to send them. Our current laws do not permit us to repatriate them to their country of origin. This is a disaster with no solution or projected conclusion. -- James Dobson

So, tell them God loves them. Tell them I love them. Then shut the borders to them. How does that compute in your heart James? And please, stop spreading administration lies and propaganda. Even the Vice President admitted they have the money for the basics such as toothbrushes. The disagreement over funding is that the administration refused any measures of accountability and that has been proven to be a fatal mistake for the migrants. They were not "turned down flat"; but you are not after the truth here are you James? If your heart truly ached for these poor people you would not be trying to marginalize the situation and blame everyone except who is rounding them up into cages.

"Let me tell you how these desperate people come to be our responsibility. They are the lowest rung of many societies. They sell their shanties and any other possessions to scrape together $3,500 to $10,000 to pay "coyotes" to guide them. I don't know what happens to those who can't meet this demand. Apparently, most manage to pay the fee, and arrive penniless and profoundly needy. I was told that some of the vulnerable children are "recycled" repeatedly to help men gain entry to this country. An unknown number of these men are hardened criminals and drug runners, and they are difficult to identify. Most make their way across the border. Here's something else you should know. I have been under the impression that these would-be immigrants try to cross the Rio Grande River and outrun or evade the agents. That is not true of most. They come in large groups, from 100 to 400 people at a time. As I write this letter, a record 1,200 people arrived together at El Paso. The refugees quickly give themselves up to agents. That is why they have made this journey. They know they will be fed, medicated and treated humanely, even if they are in holding areas while they are in our custody. Then they will be released on American soil. This is the system set up by a liberal Congress and judges. It is a well-known fact that President Obama's administration established many of these unworkable policies, and Congress is steadfastly unwilling to change them. Every effort at reform has been overridden or ignored. It is set in stone. Democrats want massive numbers of immigrants who will someday become voters. Some Republicans support the policies because they want cheap labor for agricultural purposes. The border could be fixed, but there are very few in authority who seem to care." -- James Dobson

Please James stop! You will answer for every loose word! You have no idea if anything you are saying is true. You are just regurgitating talking points! Children are recycled to enable hardened criminals and drug dealers? Nonsense! The refugees quickly turn themselves in because that is what the law requires. I see you make no mention of the policies that have had so many turned away at legitimate points of entry -- forcing them to try and get in illegally. Then to try and lay this at the previous administration's feet is just more White House propaganda. You see what Dobson's agenda is here though. To parrot the current administration talking points while casting blame anywhere else, all while pretending to care. The alleged border fix you refer to will not stop the humanitarian crisis James. It will just ensure that we will not have to deal with it and see all of those images that make us so uncomfortable. Are not some of these people our brothers and sisters in Christ James? The ones who are not -- do they not need to hear Gospel of Jesus Christ? Is your answer when you stand before Christ really going to center on Romans 13? Good luck with that.

"Getting back to my story, our group of national faith leaders and humanitarian organizations was taken to a grassy park underneath the international bridges where the "coyotes" bring the refugees. We stood 50 feet away from them and watched as about 200 people sat on the ground. Then buses arrived to transport them to Border Control. Agents have to work fast because another group will be showing up soon, and then another and another. The would-be immigrants are taken to the center and given cursory medical exams. Then they are segregated by sex and age and placed in the fenced-in areas to be held for the next 20 days until they are processed and given a Notice to Appear. If that sounds inhumane, what would you or I do? There is simply no other place to "house" them." -- James Dobson

It does not just sound inhumane -- it is inhumane. It is also unchristian. Your framing this as an impossible situation shows that you should not be commenting on it. What would I do? For starters I would not separate kids from their families. Then at least I could rest knowing most kids have someone watching them. Next, I would stop the practice of turning away people from the agreed upon entry points for asylum. This would prevent people from trying to sneak in, such as the father and child who died crossing the Rio Grande last week. Next, I would triple or more the amount of staff needed to adjudicate the asylum claims so that everyone had fair representation and their cases heard. Next, if the facilities are insufficient, I would contract companies who could resolve this with full accountability. That means the company that builds the shelters and stocks them are not the same one who operates it and not the same one who is assigned to protect the people in it. Next, I would review every single post in this secret Facebook group and fire any border agent who mocked migrants or posted inappropriate pictures. I am not naive enough to think this solves everything but we start with what can be solved and work our way towards full resolution. We do not throw our hands in the air and cry its too difficult.

"Mismanagement of the border has a long history. A federal judge years ago issued a ruling called the Flores Settlement Agreement. It is still the source of many problems. It requires that any unaccompanied alien child must be released within 72 hours. This is now the law of the land, and poor people around the world know it. A single male typically seeks to find a child and a woman to help him "game the system." Clearly, many of these are "fake families," but there is no documentation in Pakistani or Bangladesh to challenge their claims. Lawyers at home have told them to claim that they are fleeing from oppression or seeking asylum. They are allowed to plead their cases to judges, but there are too few of them to keep up with the volume. These people are given a court case and released. The vast majority are never seen again. Most then become "anchor babies" who are citizens with rights to bring members of their families. Others are given transportation to an American city where they disappear into the culture." -- James Dobson

Since James Dobson likes to obscure the truth for his political purposes allow me to clear some more obfuscation up. A judge did not decree the Flores Settlement. The word "settlement" should tip you off to that. This was an agreed upon set of standards to resolve a lawsuit. So, the government and the plaintiffs settled the lawsuit and the result is know as the Flores Settlement Agreement. Essentially this was about detaining and abusing children in the name of the state. It is not that children must be released but rather that you try to find a family member willing to accept custody while the hearing is pending on their asylum case. By the way, if you cannot find someone you do not just release them. The settlement says you must transfer them out of a secure detention facility because we should not be in the habit of treating innocent children as hardcore criminals. The only other portion of the agreement is to implement standards for care of children being detained. The other piece of misinformation here is the notion that someone could be released into the culture and thus become an anchor baby. That is patently stupid. The ugly term anchor baby refers to children born in the states to an illegal immigrant being granted citizenship status because they were born here. This may be a point of debate regarding what the laws are and should be but it has nothing to do with the fact that today it is the law.

"In addition to this influx of people from places around the world steeped in poverty and despair, Senator Chuck Schumer authored and helped pass a "lottery" system, whereby winners are brought to the United States. They become permanent residents, who then begin bringing their families to our shores. Thank you, Senator. Ten years ago, 90% of illegals apprehended at the border were single males, mainly from Mexico. Now, more than 50% show up with babies and children, and 90% of them are from countries other than Mexico with 64% being family units or unaccompanied alien children. Together, they claim to be "families" and within three weeks, they will be home free in America. Is there any doubt why there have been more than half a million illegal immigrants this year alone?" -- James Dobson

Sigh. Perhaps if Dobson spent less time bowing down to his political idols he would have more time to research before he yaps. Yes, Schumer was involved in the original passage of the visa lottery in 1990 along with 32 co-signers, 7 of which were Republican. It was signed into law by Republican president, George HW Bush. Schumer was also part of the gang of eight who in 2013 crafted legislation to eliminate the lottery system. The House Republicans never brought the bill up for a vote. Stop playing politics with children's lives Mr. Dobson.

"Before I conclude, I must tell you about the agents who have to deal with this chaos. They are compassionate men and women, sworn to uphold federal law and protect our borders. They obviously care about the detainees, and I respect them highly. They work tirelessly feeding people three times a day and providing clean clothing. They must also maintain the portable toilets in the cells. It is a never-ending task. There are only two large showers in the facility, one for males, the other for females. Their capacity is for only 20 people at a time, which is insufficient. The border patrol agents administer this program, but most of them didn't sign up to be caregivers. Agents were trained to patrol the border and apprehend drug runners, traffickers, smugglers, murderers and every kind of lawbreaker. This is very dangerous work. But, please understand this: The border patrol agents are so busy caring for refugees seeking entry to the United States that they have very little time to police the borders. It is so porous that huge quantities of contraband, including all kinds of narcotics, flow into this country every day. Then it is transported northward to America's cities to be consumed by adolescents and Millennials. Lawless gangs, such as MS-13, are also pouring into the culture, making violence for inner cities a way of life. There is one more aspect to the work of the agents that you should know. They are openly hated by citizens who resent the work they do. They are routinely vilified and mocked and demonized. Their families are also subjected to ridicule. These agents need our appreciation and prayers. They have one of the most thankless jobs in America." -- James Dobson

Regarding the death of a 16-year-old migrant last week -- "Oh well, if he dies, he dies."

Regarding congresswomen who were scheduled to visit -- "Let's start a go fund me for one CTX agent brave enough to throw a 10-15 burrito at one of these bitches."

These are just two of the posts from the secret Facebook page of border agents. That is not even getting to the photoshopped image of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez performing oral sex on President Trump. Now, I do not believe it is fair to broad brush all border agents but to pretend they are all Mother Teresa is equally ridiculous. There are currently 20,000 border agents and almost 10,000 were part of this Facebook group. That is nearly 50% and that should be very disturbing. So you can keep your canned talking points James. Just stop and consider the damage you are doing to the cause of Christ.

"The situation I have described is the reason President Donald Trump's border wall is so urgently needed. He seems to be the only leader in America who comprehends this tragedy and is willing to address it. Those who oppose him do everything they can to impede his effort. That is why I went to the border to see the situation for myself. I came away with an array of intense emotions. First, I was profoundly grieved over the misery of thousands of people. Second, I felt a deep appreciation for those who are doing their best to help in an impossible circumstance. Third, and frankly, I was angry at the political fat cats who have deliberately allowed this chaos to occur for political or financial gain. They, and their friends in the fake media, have told the American people that there is no crisis at the border! Shame on them all." -- James Dobson

What??? So the only one who grasps this immense humanitarian and moral crisis at the border is the guy who caused it? And the solution is to build a big beautiful wall to keep all the scabies infected destitute and dying out? You do realize you call yourself a Christian leader? You claim to be grieved over the misery of thousands of people and then out of the other side of your mouth advocate for a wall so you don't have to see those miserable people? Then you try to demonize the press by lying again and saying they are claiming no crisis at the border? What media do you see that says that outside of Fox News? Shame on you sir! Shame on you for pretending that you have a shred of Christian values left in your politically bought soul. Shame on you for lying about and demonizing women, children and people fleeing from unimaginable nightmares of existence. Somewhere in your family lineage someone came to this country. Thank God they did not meet people like you upon entry.

"What I've told you is only a glimpse of what is occurring on the nation's border. I don't know what it will take to change the circumstances. I can only report that without an overhaul of the law and the allocation of resources, millions of illegal immigrants will continue flooding to this great land from around the world. Many of them have no marketable skills. They are illiterate and unhealthy. Some are violent criminals. Their numbers will soon overwhelm the culture as we have known it, and it could bankrupt the nation. America has been a wonderfully generous and caring country since its founding. That is our Christian nature. But in this instance, we have met a worldwide wave of poverty that will take us down if we don't deal with it. And it won't take long for the inevitable consequences to happen. Thanks for letting me set the record straight." -- James Dobson

First of all, people seeking asylum are not illegal immigrants. Secondly, are these the points of focus for Christians? Whether people are redeemable based upon marketable skills? Do we now have Christian compassion only for those who are literate and healthy? Do we turn away the 99 for the one that might be a criminal? Do you even understand what Jesus is teaching in the key verses for today? There is no reward for loving only those who are easy to love. We are supposed to be beyond carnal thinking James. We should not be looking at scabies, literacy and marketable job skills to determine of the person is worthy of Christian compassion. You take these unchristian positions and then dare to speak about our Christian nature? I agree that there is a worldwide wave of poverty but your solution of build a wall to not have to deal with it is neither humane nor Christian. You set the record straight all right. You left no doubt that you serve a different master. Just run for office, take an appointment from the administration or do whatever you need to but put the bible down and stop ruining the witness for the Gospel by pretending any of your positions are remotely reflective of the nature of Jesus Christ.

Reverend Anthony Wade -- July 4, 2019

Authors Bio:
Credentialed Minister of the Gospel for the Assemblies of God. Owner and founder of 828 ministries. Vice President for Goodwill Industries. Always remember that in all things God works for the good of those who love Him and are called according to His purpose.