Readers’ responses
A question posted to the Times Free Press’s Facebook page asked readers what they thought should be the response of people of faith to the Syrian refugee crisis. Half of those responding thought national security trumped assistance (food and shelter) and refugees should not be allowed into the United States. One-fourth believed assistance should be provided; the remaining 25 percent responded with answers that were either inapplicable or were related to the subject but did not answer the question. Here is a cross-section of readers’ opinions. ‘ ” We can’t even feed and shelter our own. We should feed our hungry and shelter our homeless before taking in refugees. We have veterans who need to be taken care of before the refugees.”- Sheila Taylor. ‘ “The Bible doesn’t carve out exceptions for when you should ignore the poor, the weak and the needy. So neither should anyone claiming to be a Christian. Have conviction in your faith. Stand up for it.”- Sam Gibson ‘ “Individuals should take care of each other, feed and clothe the homeless, etc. The government’s job is to take care of its citizens – not to endanger them.”- Kara Ericson Smith ‘ “We help them because we follow Jesus’s teachings if we are Christian, or because we are humans who value and help other humans. There are screening procedures in place. We are at risk already by people who live here. Chattanooga should know that, especially this year.”- Heather Blair ‘ “We can’t even get the president to shelter our homeless and feed our children that are homeless send them back! It’s not a race issue, it’s a fix American first.” – Melanie Harris ‘ “How can I feed the hungry, shelter the homeless if I or any other resident gets blown up or shot? Yes, there are women and children who need help; however, it only takes one bad apple in the bunch.” – Roger H. Groot. ‘ “We have homeless, hungry and people not equipped for winter in the U.S. Veterans are suffering after giving so much. If we have the funds to assist 10K refugees who are infiltrated by the enemy, how do we not have the funds to ensure that no one here is hungry or without shelter?” – Lindsay Smith ‘ “I believe we should be open to helping those in need, but we need to screen the refugees to ensure that ISIS doesn’t use the opportunity to infiltrate the U.S.” – Stephen Horten ‘ ‘We can feed them, protect them and shelter them. However, because of the safety for Americans they need to do this somewhere else and not American soil. I know they can arrange refugee camps.” – Tina Wilson Newby. “Don’t let them in! We are just asking for trouble.” – Russell Whitfield. ‘ Why does Christianity have to be brought into the equation at all? This is a question that will impact the nation as a whole, not just Christian Americans.” – Aaron Miller.
Pastor Fred Smith has a simple view on how to deal with the Syrian refugee crisis.
“Not to be cliché, but ‘What would Jesus do?'” asks Smith, an ordained bishop and pastor of East Chattanooga Church of God. “I think he would be open, loving and caring.
“That’s not to discount national security by any means. I don’t think God would ever expect us to knowingly bring harm to anybody,” he says. “But as the church, we have to be open to analyze how Christ would have handled this – and I think he would be very loving, caring, compassionate and open to it (resettling refugees).”
In the wake of the Paris terrorist attacks on Nov. 13 by members of the Islamic State group, President Barack Obama’s decision to admit 10,000 displaced Syrians into the United States during the current fiscal year, which began in October, has fired up politically polarizing discussions. No place has this been more evident than on social media.