Sunspots 984

 

Gizmodo reports that ICE is adding the DNA of immigrants, including of children as young as four, to a government database.

LiveScience considers the question of how birds know how to get to their migration endpoint.

Earth.com tells us that men may lose their Y chromosomes. Hmmm.

Ken Schenck has posted a fine essay on the interaction between Christianity and politics. "The church does its best work not when it commands the government, but when it reminds the government who it’s supposed to serve. Not when it demands special privilege, but when it loves its neighbor – especially the ones the world would rather forget. The credibility of the church has never come from controlling the culture. It has come from resembling Christ."

Immigration: What the Bible says about it

See this post for a discussion of what the Bible says about immigration. (It says quite a bit!)

Immigration and migration, what the Bible says (repost)

This was a fairly long post on what the Bible says about how to treat immigrants.

Thanks for reading, or re-reading.

Sunspots 946

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to others*

Computing: VentureBeat discusses the problem of getting artificial intelligence to forget information.

Politics: Vox discusses the Supreme Court's past and present on church and state matters.

Environment: A USA Today story tells us that feeding birds is not always good for the birds.

Food: Low-paid migrant workers do much of the dangerous preparation of food for sale, for example fixing crabs for eating, according to a Conversation article.

Another Conversation article explains how carbonated drinks are made, and their effect.

Health: NPR reports that doctors lose a percentage of what they get paid. It's put into the coffers of financial middlemen.

Science: The Guardian reports on a study which indicates that there are a lot of organisms that live in the soil, but are not known well, if at all.

TheScientist (and other outlets) report on nematodes that have lived in suspended animation for over 40,000 years.

Gizmodo reports on the discovery of a large brown dwarf star.

*I try not to include items that require a password or fee to view.

Thanks for reading.

 

Sunspots 767

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else: 

Environment: Gizmodo/Earther says that the Trump administration is destroying part of Organ Pipe Cactus national monument, in order to build the border wall.

Ethics: Listverse describes some cases where robots have been abused. Really.

Politics: Relevant reports that most attempted immigrants from El Salvador, when returned to that country, were murdered, tortured, or raped.

The Trump administration's foreign aid cuts have seriously damaged Christian non-profits in El Salvador, Honduras and Guatemala. One of the things these groups were working on was helping young people seek alternatives to fleeing to the US, according to Christianity Today.

President Trump used a prayer breakfast (!) -- The theme was "loving your enemies." Trump used his appearance to brag about the Senate vote on his impeachment, and to blast those who voted to remove him, or were part of that effort in the House. However, he said this, according to Yahoo! News (which reported on the entire event):  "I'm sorry. I apologize. I'm trying to learn. It's not easy,” he said. “When they impeach you for nothing and then you're supposed to like them, it's not easy folks. I do my best." 

Science: Gizmodo reports that two populations of crows in western North America must have been separated by a glacier, and were considered to be two species, descended from a single group, but are hybridizing now, and should probably be considered a single species.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, it is free to use like this.

Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 731

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: (and politics) NPR reports that US citizens who leave water in the desert for migrants, or otherwise assist migrants, face arrest and may face prison. This is true, apparently, even if the citizen's religious convictions require him or her to give assistance to those in dire need.

A Relevant writer says that no one ever came to believe in Christ for salvation because a Christian scolded them.

Relevant, I'm sorry to say, reports that the Houston Chronicle has documented sexual abuse by a few Southern Baptist missionaries or members of mission boards. There was a previous report on abuse of this sort by youth pastors. See here for yet more on the Houston Chronicle investigation.
Michael Gerson is not happy with Franklin Graham's call to pray for the President. (Gerson, himself, does pray for Mr. Trump on a regular basis, he says.)


Computing: A reliable source recommends a YouTube series entitled "A Crash Course in Navigating Digital Information."

Environment: (and politics) It's hurricane season. Building codes in the Florida panhandle still allow homes that won't withstand a hurricane, according to NPR. Habitat for Humanity, however builds houses that can (and, in some cases, have) withstood a major hurricane.


Finance: Catherine Rampell thinks that the economic expansion is about to end.

Health: (and finance) A woman was charged over $4000 for laughing gas (Nitrous Oxide) that she took to deal with pain during childbirth. This comes close to the cost of a Nitrous Oxide machine and the raw material for producing it, according to NPR.

Gizmodo reports that people who are caffeine or nicotine addicts do a lot worse in the ICU than people who are not so addicted. They go through withdrawal, in addition to whatever else put them in the ICU.

History: (And politics) Catherine Rampell on why we need government.

Politics: NPR reports that, although they seldom agree on policy matters, Ted Cruz And Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez have, together, taken the first steps toward legislation that will prohibit former members of Congress from becoming lobbyists. Good for them! The article says that the reverse is also true -- nearly 200 political appointees in the Trump administration formerly worked as lobbyists. Not exactly "draining the swamp." Trump's administration isn't the first where this sort of thing has happened.

FiveThirtyEight reports that Bernie Sanders is the most popular Democratic candidate for President among Democrats not affiliated with any religion.

Science: The Scientist reports on a study showing that the browsing of deer, which removes leaves, changes the way the sounds used by other animals, in communication, are perceived.

The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, I believe, it is public domain. 

Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 707

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

Christianity: (and history) Relevant reports that President Al Mohler, of Southern Theological Seminary, commissioned a report on racism and slavery in the history of the institution. What was found wasn't pretty. (STS is a Southern Baptist institution.)

Relevant on nine myths about Christmas, that many Christians believe, such as that there definitely were three wise men.

NPR reports on the conversion of many Iranian refugees, in Turkey.

Education: (and Finance) Catherine Rampell points out that higher education brings in more non-US money than many other industries, including agriculture, but that that source of US income is diminishing, in part because of the Trump administration's animosity toward immigrants and aliens.

Finance: Robert Samuelson explains why it's difficult to measure whether particular income groups are becoming better off, or not. He concludes that the US middle class does have a growing income, although it's not growing nearly as fast as the income of the richest people.

History: Listverse on the history of 10 breeds of dogs.

This article, in Christianity Today, discusses the cultural events that have most influenced the way we observe Christmas.

Politics: Sojourners reports that the US Congress has passed juvenile justice reform legislation, on a bi-partisan basis, which should make treatment of juveniles arrested wiser, less punitive, and cut down on the advanced criminalization of juveniles in custory. (This development should not be confused with an overall justice revamping, which is being considered by Congress, has bi=partisan backing, and is looked on favorably by the President. That package has not been approved, at the time of this writing.)

Earther is not happy with the new acting secretary of the Department of the Interior, because he has a terrible record on protecting the environment.

Gizmodo reports that more people died from guns in the US, in 2017, than ever before.

Science: Gizmodo reports on the amazing variety and amount of living things living far below the surface.

Gizmodo also reports on the discovery of a new candidate for the furthest object in the solar system.


The graphic used in these posts is from NASA, hence, I believe, it is public domain.
Thanks for looking!

Sunspots 691

Things I have recently spotted that may be of interest to someone else:

The Arts: (And Science) Gizmodo reports that scientists have sketched the Mona Lisa using bacteria. Really.

Christianity: A theologian discusses "God and Creation." The essay is a readable summary of theology, and inspiring.


Education: A Scientific American writer tells us why STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) students also need the humanities. And it isn't "to make you more well-rounded."

History: The BBC reports that the recent weather in the UK  has made it possible to discover important historical, or pre-historical, sites from the air. There are photos. I thank one of my brothers for this link.

Politics: Gizmodo reports that the US Defense Department is preparing for climate change. The report also notes that "climate change" was not a phrase found in the Defense Authorization bill. "Environmental Condition Projections" was used.

World Magazine reports on how the administration of Liberty University suppressed articles in the student-run campus newspaper.

Scientific American has an essay on the types of work that immigrants do (and don't do).

ListVerse reports on 10 border walls no one talks about. (At least they don't make US news reporting.)

Michael Gerson comments on the current President, who is a celebrity, not famous -- there's a difference, he says.

Science: Christianity Today reports on a Pew Research study, which found that Christians aren't much different than other US citizens, in their views on the applications of genetic technology. (Mostly negative) The respondents were mostly in favor of using genetic engineering to wipe out dangerous mosquitoes.

Thanks for looking!

Image source (public domain)

Outrageous: Deporting veterans and refusing service in restaurants

According the the Associated Press and National Public Radio, immigrants who served in the US military, and were promised a path to US citizenship, have been discharged, and deported. That's outrageous! Snopes has checked this, and finds it true.

So is refusing to serve people in restaurants, just because their politics isn't compatible with the restaurant staff, whether the person in question is Sarah Huckabee Sanders, or, for example, Rev. Al Sharpton. If someone comes in and insults the staff, or does not comply with a dress code prominently posted next to the entrance, has a history of not paying, or, without provocation, makes loud statements, displays, or noises that annoy other customers, OK. Ask them to leave. But not just because they work for the President, whoever he or she might be, or have different political views than the management. That's outrageous!

The Golden Rule tells us to do to others as we would want them to do to us, and says nothing about them belonging to our intellectual tribe, whatever tribe that may be.

Thanks for reading!

Attorney General Jeff Sessions says the Bible justifies his actions on immigration

It is no secret ("Build a wall!") that the Trump administration believes that too many people are entering the country, both illegally and legally. Attorney General Jeff Sessions has been a cabinet officer that has tried to slow down, or stop, such immigration, with apparent enthusiasm. The Trump administration has drastically cut the number of refugees that will be accepted, and is in the process of deporting previously admitted refugees.

The US Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the Southern Baptist Convention, the largest Protestant body in the US, have both recently passed resolutions rebuking the Trump administration, especially for separating young children and their parents at the borders. Other Christians, in groups, and as individuals, have also done so. (See here for Franklin Graham's recent statement.) As they should have, such rebukes have been based on the Bible.

Attorney General Sessions has reacted. His argument is that the Bible teaches that we should obey, and enforce, the law, for the good of the overall society, implying that the recent resolutions of religious bodies and individuals, supporting immigrants and refugees, are not really based on the Bible, but that his actions and policies are.

Really? Consider:
1) In general, Sessions is right. We need to enforce traffic laws, and put bank robbers in jail, for the good of society. But some laws, and/or the penalties for violating them, are unjust. Laws that supported the institution of slavery were unjust, for example. Many people, including some Republicans in Congress, believe that laws that require young children to be separated from their parents are unjust, and even violate basic human rights. President Trump commuted the sentence of Alice Marie Johnson, who was serving a life sentence for a minor drug offense. As far as I know, he didn't say that her sentence was unjust, but perhaps a belief that it was influenced his decision.

2) Some laws are subordinate to higher, and more important, laws. If my wife is desperately ill, and I violate speed limits to get her to the emergency room, I wouldn't expect to be charged with speeding. In fact, if an officer knew what was going on, I would expect that officer to precede me to the hospital with siren and lights on.

It is true that the Bible generally indicates that we should obey the law. See Romans 13:1-5, and 1 Peter 2:13-17. But some laws are more important than others. In dialog with the religious rulers of His day, Jesus and these rulers said that the most important laws from the Old Testament were the two great commandments, namely to love God, and to love other people.

3) The Bible gives directions about how to treat immigrants, aliens and refugees, with kindness and generosity. See here for several Biblical statements on such matters. One such direction was that the Israelites were to provide sanctuary for refugees from another nation, and a nation which had sometimes gone to war with them.

Sorry, Mr. Sessions. You aren't acting and speaking Biblically on this issue.

Note: In many cases, law enforcement personnel must choose which laws to enforce. There are so many laws, covering so many aspects of life, and limited resources to enforce with, that it would be impossible to discover violations of all laws, and punish the law-breakers. The Justice Department, and other branches of the current administration, appear to have chosen to rigorously enforce laws relating to immigration, while other types of laws are not. All administrations have to make such choices, but which laws are attended to says something important about the law-enforcers.

Thanks for reading.

How the Bible wants us to treat aliens, foreigners and strangers.

Matthew 7:12 Therefore whatever you desire for men to do to you, you shall also do to them; for this is the law and the prophets. (The Golden Rule)

The Israelites were warned that they should eliminate non-Israelites from the Promised Land. (See, for example, Deuteronomy 31:3-6) However, this was not an absolute command. Most likely, those warnings were really against the false gods of these non-Israelites. Rahab, from Jericho, and Ruth, from Moab, were ancestors of David (and of Christ). They were both non-Israelite followers of God. Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba’s first husband, who lived in Jerusalem, and was part of David’s army, had Canaanite ancestry, and he seems to have also been a follower of God (2 Samuel 11). David placed the Ark into the care of Obed-Edom, the Gittite (2 Samuel 6:10-12). Some bible scholars believe that he was descended from the Philistines from Gath, where Goliath came from, but others believe that “Gittite” has another meaning in this case. David purchased the land, which ultimately became the site of Solomon’s temple from Ornan, a Jebusite, who may have been a non-Israelite (1 Chronicles 21:18-30, 2 Chronicles 3:1, Some Bible translations call him Araunah).

The passages below give further evidence that non-Israelites were allowed to live in the Promised Land. 

Exodus 22:21 You shall not wrong an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

Exodus 23:9 You shall not oppress an alien, for you know the heart of an alien, since you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

Leviticus 19:10 You shall not glean your vineyard, neither shall you gather the fallen grapes of your vineyard. You shall leave them for the poor and for the foreigner. I am Yahweh your God. (This command is repeated in other parts of the Bible.)

Leviticus 19:33 If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.

Deuteronomy 10:19 Therefore love the foreigner, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

Peter reminds the church of his day that they, too, are, in a sense, foreigners: 1 Peter 2:11 Beloved, I beg you as foreigners and pilgrims, to abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul; 12 having good behavior among the nations, so in that of which they speak against you as evildoers, they may by your good works, which they see, glorify God in the day of visitation. 

The Bible also says, in reference to a specific refugee crisis:

Isaiah 16:3 Give counsel! Execute justice! Make your shade like the night in the middle of the noonday! Hide the outcasts! Don’t betray the fugitive! 4a Let my outcasts dwell with you! As for Moab, be a hiding place for him from the face of the destroyer. (This was in spite of the fact that the Moabites hadn’t always been good to Israel. See Josh 24:9, Judg 3:12-30, 1 Sam 12:9.)

Ezekiel 47:21 “So you shall divide this land to yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. 22 It will happen, that you shall divide it by lot for an inheritance to you and to the aliens who live among you, who will father children among you. Then they shall be to you as the native-born among the children of Israel. They shall have inheritance with you among the tribes of Israel. 23 It shall happen, that in whatever tribe the stranger lives, there you shall give him his inheritance,” says the Lord Yahweh.

Hebrews 13:1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers*, for in doing so, some have entertained angels without knowing it. 3 Remember those who are in bonds, as bound with them, and those who are ill-treated, since you are also in the body.

*The NIV Study Bible thinks “strangers” may mean “Christians that you don’t know.” The two commentaries I consulted did not say this. There are Christian refugees, that we don’t know, in our time.

Unfortunately, a recent poll found that only 12% of Christians say that they get their views on immigration from the Bible. 

Notes: 1) Refugees may become immigrants, but not all immigrants, legal or illegal, are refugees. The concept of border security probably was seldom considered in Bible times. In the verses above, “alien,” “foreigner,” and “stranger” seem to mean “non-Israelite.” Some of these would have been refugees.

2) Scripture quotations from the World English Bible, public domain. This post, on January 13, 2018, is a modified version of the original, which was posted July 27, 2017.

3) The United States is not equivalent to ancient Israel.

4) At least in Old Testament times, it seems that God would not have expected non-Israelites who came into the country for the purpose of subverting worship of Him, or to murder Israelites, to be treated as generously as the verses above indicate.

Thanks for reading.

Update, June 21, 2018:

Jeff Sessions, currently the US Attorney General, recently claimed that separating immigrant children from their parents is obeying the Bible, which says that we are to obey the law and the government. Well, usually, but Sessions has left out a lot of what the Bible says.

Update, December 23, 2018:

Job 31 gives a list of good things Job has done, and bad things that he has not done, as he justifies himself. One of the good things is in verse 32: “the foreigner has not lodged in the street, but I have opened my doors to the traveler ...”

And we shouldn’t forget that Jesus, Joseph and Mary were refugees in Egypt, fleeing a threat of violence.  

Update, February 26, 2020:

2 Chronicles 30 describes the revival during the reign of Hezekiah, many generations after the time of Ruth, or David. It includes this statement:  
30:25 All the assembly of Judah, with the priests and the Levites, and all the assembly who came out of Israel, and the foreigners who came out of the land of Israel, and who lived in Judah, rejoiced.