I put something on Twitter last week in response to something I keep seeing on Facebook. (My, how modern of me! Next I’ll be sending e-mail) What I have seen too many times is friends of mine joining a group called “I SHOULD NOT HAVE TO PRESS 1 TO HEAR A MESSAGE IN ENGLISH… WE ARE IN AMERICA, LEARN THE LANGUAGE.”
There are quite a number of similar groups. So, before I get myself in trouble with a number of my friends, could somebody help me out… what is so terrible about having to press a button to choose your language? Why are so many people upset about this? I can definitely see being upset about voicemail systems; who doesn’t hate those?There are lots of aspects of that whole process that are highly annoying. Why focus on that one step?
What really gets to me is that most of these people who I know that are joining these groups are Christians. Can you figure out a reason why Christians would be joining in this?
Here’s your chance to clue in the clueless. What am I missing in all of this?
” Can you figure out a reason why Christians would be joining in this?”
I won’t comment on why they do, but I will say the reason is not the physical effort required to press that button, and it is not because they believe in the “Golden Rule”
I think Laymond is on to something as far as the reasons behind Christians joining such groups. Many professing Christians have absolutely no clues as to how God actually intended for Israel to treat the aliens and foriegners among them (have they actually read Deuteronomy?) and they fail to see the significance of how Jesus treated the Gentiles and others regarded as unclean and social-outcasts of his day. Therefore, they fail to see how such actions as joining the above mentioned facebook groups speaks more of contempt and exclusion than the attributes of God’s reconciling gospel.
I think it would be great for Spanish speaking people living in the U.S. to learn English, only because I believe it would help them prosper more in our society. But the above groups only help prolong animosity where God is trying to bring reconciliation. The bottom line is, there are too many Christians who think from an American ethno-centrice worldview rather than a biblical/gospel woldview…and that is to the shame of such people who proclaim to be disciples of Jesus Christ.
Grace and peace,
Rex
Amen, Rex I agree.
“What really gets to me is that most of these people who I know that are joining these groups are Christians.”
Are they really, Tim ? Are they indwelled by “the Holy Spirit” ? Maybe if we look around we will find those who claim to be Christian are persuaded more by outside influence than indwelled influence. How sad, but true I’m afraid. And we do them no favor by standing by with our mouth closed. I know, I have been accused of being abrasive, but I just haven’t learned the knack of candy coating the gospel, so that it never offends some people.
I don’t know, I’m trying to learn Spanish better so I can communicate with my co-workers from Honduras. I absolutely have no problem having to make that effort. I think it’s one way to be a “missionary” here in the U.S.
By the way, along those lines, I can’t stand when I get an email forwarded from a Christian about illegal immigrants. I understand encouraging them to become legitimate immigrants. Saying hateful things and wishing them out of your country, that I don’t understand.
I meant “legitimate citizens.” (Sorry for all the comments!!)
Lisa said in response to accomodating the Hispanic culture in the US, “I think it’s one way to be a “missionary” here in the U.S.
If every Christian had that attitude, the Churches of Christ as well as the larger body of Christ in the US would be a much more healthy community of witnesses for Christ.
Grace and peace,
Rex
Mark your calendars, ladies and gentlemen. Laymond and I are in almost complete agreement!
The reason no one is answering your question, Tim, is because darkness cannot withstand the light (John 1). When you fire up your torch, they scuttle back in shame because your words convict them that their motivations are sinful.
But yes, Laymond, they are still my brethren – I have no more reason to believe that their foolish ethnocentrism makes them apostate than I have reason to believe that Peter’s sin took him out of the family of God.
But you’re absolutely right; our silence does no good. If they’d spend half as much time looking for ways to *help* immigrants learn English (and less time complaining about a problem their ancestors only avoided by immigrating before the Information Age) the kingdom would advance much more rapidly.
What really gets me is when they have you press 2 for English…don’t they know English should at least be on button 1? :)
My grandparents immigrated from Greece back in the 20’s and yes they were legals.
I was speaking to my aunt last weekend about my grandparents. She told me that her dad, my grandpa could only get in to work for General Motors because of another Greek immigrant spoke for him as a reference to get him the job. It wasn’t because he didn’t know the language, my grandfather spoke 5 languages fluently, it was because he was an immigrant. Things haven’t changed, have they. Some who are basically once removed generationally speak like their relatives came over on the Mayflower. I really don’t know why we are so guarded. All of us came from somewhere else. Didn’t we?
Seems like we are so afraid of these Spanish Catholics and Greek Eastern Orthodox
Aren’t they Christians too?
As a baby boomer I think we need to legalize all illegals. Get them into the system and start paying their own social security benefits for us baby boomers so that we will have something to fall back on.