tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467696868874406521.post419545685728407451..comments2023-03-25T07:14:00.630-04:00Comments on CrucifiedConDios: Loving the Strangers Among Us - Part 2: The Legality ArgumentChristinahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09662091424923136638noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467696868874406521.post-44913837039016251812012-04-03T20:20:44.359-04:002012-04-03T20:20:44.359-04:00Ah, Aquinas' natural law conundrum. Does God c...Ah, Aquinas' natural law conundrum. Does God command things, and they are thus good, or are things good, so God commands them? With your law background, I'm sure you are much more nuanced in this concept than I am. I am comfortable with Goodness being a separate reality/entity from God, but would argue that it is ultimately derivative of God. Separate, but certainly not autonomous. Therefore, God cannot call/create/affirm something "good" that is inconsistent with His own goodness.<br />Obviously, neither viewpoint is without its flaws. I would be interested in hearing your thoughts on this subject sometime, perhaps before a Hebrew class. :)Christinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09662091424923136638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467696868874406521.post-89229247568952715872012-04-03T20:02:36.435-04:002012-04-03T20:02:36.435-04:00And then the devil's advocate has to state his...And then the devil's advocate has to state his case... I'll stay out of the political issue because of a oath I made to myself... however, your interpretation of Romans 12:2 is not a little unclear. Is your interpretation that things are good apart from God, i.e. that there is God and a class of things that are 'good'? Or is it that things are good which are part of God's will? Quoting you: "Are things “good” because God declares that they are “good?” Or can things be “good” in themselves, and God affirms and delights in their “goodness?”[4] In light of Romans 12:2, the latter is the best understanding of God’s will. We can know that things are within God’s will for humankind and creation because they are in accordance with his goodness and perfection."<br />you seem to be arguing for both things at the same time. "His goodness and perfection" seems to move back toward the God says what is good. Because if Good were a separate category, then goodness would be independent of God (which would be messy) but if God decides what is good then he becomes arbitrary (maybe... But still it is an argument).<br />Ultimately, none of this actually centers on the main point of the political question but as to the theological implications of your interpretation.Stevennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467696868874406521.post-23642910773837385322012-03-31T15:19:21.526-04:002012-03-31T15:19:21.526-04:00Kris, I certainly agree with you about having open...Kris, I certainly agree with you about having open borders. I think that borders are a good thing and am grateful for our country's security. I am praying and voting for reform, though, because the system in place is very, very broken. <br /><br />The economic argument is by far the most complicated argument to absolve. You may be a bit disappointed with my response. My aim with these writings is not to provide a solution to the problems of immigration (as someone who has no experience with economics and policy making, I fear that that is beyond my abilities!). My aim is to critique the perceptions that Americans have of immigrants that already live here. There are many economic myths that surround immigration, most of which I'll tackle in the next part. I fear that we've made undocumented immigrants into scapegoats, blaming them at large for our current economic collapses, when they have contributed very little (if at all) to it. <br /><br />Thanks for joining in on the conversation. I'm of course interested to hear more of your thoughts!Christinahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09662091424923136638noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2467696868874406521.post-54478924475562831632012-03-30T15:22:01.155-04:002012-03-30T15:22:01.155-04:00I'm interested to see where this goes. Admitt...I'm interested to see where this goes. Admittedly the US immigration policy is pretty selective. It's sad that our country is constantly rejecting families who could make a positive impact if they were allowed to work, live and play in the US. I'd definitely agree that there needs to be reform, but I'm not sure the totally open door is the way to go. When our ancestors came there was no daunting burden on the citizen to supply them with the essentials (let alone the "additionals" that are included in our entitlement laws). It seems like immigration reform would have to be a small part in a larger picture regarding entitlement programs. Do we let those who are starving in Nicaragua starve here? How do we supply them with essentials while we're already struggling to balance a national budget? Then I have to ask if it's moral to legislate that those who currently live in the country are forced to have a greater tax burden to support others? I'm looking forward to how you examine the economic argument.Krishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16210302665074588828noreply@blogger.com