...Opinions?

Posted by Ronnica on Oct. 9, 2012, 5:27 p.m.

Hi everybody!

So this is slightly random, doesn't really have a point to it. It’s one of those things that have happened but I’m only just realizing that it bothers me. Again, it’s random, and I really hope that I don’t offend someone.

Yesterday I was teaching ESL and only one student came. His name is Pedro and he’s like 60-something. He’s originally from Nicaragua, been in Alaska for 20 years, wants to improve his English because he’s also a church pastor and wants to be able to share the word of God with more English speaking people.

Anyways, he was telling me a story (as best as he could in English) about his last missions trip to Nicaragua. While he was there, he explained to me that a 10 year old boy asked, “So you’re from Alaska? Does that mean you speak English?â€? and then they proceeded to talk for a while. Turns out the kid was born and raised in California, but ended up in Nicaragua because his parents were deported.

That doesn't really bother me. That happens A LOT in America and yes, it sucks and immigration laws should be different and whatever. I’m not into politics so that isn’t what I’m bitching about. What seems to bother me and make me think is that he then tells me, “I’m a big part of my church’s ‘program’ against abortion.â€? And then compares deporting an American-born child to his parents’ native country to abortion. “Either way, it’s just getting rid of children.â€?

…I disagree. Relocation of a person (as unjust as it seems) and a medical procedure (as unjust as it seems) appear very different to me. I don’t feel it’s a fair to compare the two. Only I wasn't sure how to explain that to Pedro without offending him.

Another thing that comes to mind is when I was 15 and living close to Vancouver. We had a church youth meeting and the topic was something like “Being able to defend God’s plans,â€? which required us to come up with topics like Abortion, Stem Cell Research, Cloning, Gay Marriage, and write out Bible verses that “provedâ€? why all those things were against God’s will so people couldn’t “shake our faith.â€? My brother and I were among the most unenthusiastic ‘youth’ there.

What that has to do with aborting/deporting American-born kids I don’t know. I think my brain just compares it all to how in my opinion, the church (or the churches I've gone to, who knows, it’s probably just me) dramatizes everything and makes it the world sound worse than it really is. Woman gets raped, can’t raise the child so terminates her pregnancy. American born child is deported with his family because his non-citizen parents are not allowed to be in America. “OMG HOW EVIL THEY’RE ALL GOING TO HELL!!!!!!â€?

I don’t know if that’s an appropriate response, but that’s how Pedro feels. I also assume he’s not the only one. It’s just… it doesn't sound right. To me, at least.

ANYWAYS, I hope y’all are doing alright. I’m getting my wisdom teeth removed early on the 12th. Wish me luck. Or pray for me =P

HAVE A GREAT DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE YOU ALL SOOOOOOOOOO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Comments

sirxemic 12 years, 1 month ago

Some people are just deluded beyond repair.

Kunedon 12 years, 1 month ago

Hang on, I'm skimming through the Bible for a passage to counter your opinion.

Castypher 12 years, 1 month ago

Having grown up entirely Mormon, my family likes to joke that they run a brainwashing facility.

With our extended family being Mormon and hating everything we do, sometimes I think that's not much of a joke, especially since Mormonism revolves around family. Just a bit ironic I guess.

Rez 12 years, 1 month ago

I'm so tired of discussing religion. I just wish Christians would stop simultaneously trying to save me and actively wishing there's a hell for me.

Castypher 12 years, 1 month ago

Especially since Rez's hell will probably be full of his demonic creations.

Rez 12 years, 1 month ago

Darling Springs' X-Men, baby.

Ronnica 12 years, 1 month ago

Quote:
Hang on, I'm skimming through the Bible for a passage to counter your opinion.

This brought me great joy.

Quote:
I'm not familiar with anything about the situation of Nicaragua, but maybe the pastor assumes that going back to Nicaragua is such a bad thing that deportation equates to a death sentence of some kind, which in his eyes is exactly equatable to abortion.

He did mention that he met the kid at a church that's found in what is the equivalent of a Brazilian favela. So the odds of him becoming part of a gang and killing or being killed is quite high, which could traumatize his mother like a woman who makes a difficult decision of having an abortion… It's just a very strange comparison.

Quote:
I personally dislike the fact that having views against abortion automatically lumps you into a religious category because of how famously quite a few Christians act towards it.

Amen!

Ferret 12 years, 1 month ago

Do the church youth meetings usually cover things like that? O_o

Oh yay, wisdom teeth… (my experience...)

And I choose to wish you luck, good luck.

Quote:
Hang on, I'm skimming through the Bible for a passage to counter your opinion.
http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/gen/contra_list.html

Ronnica 12 years, 1 month ago

@ ferret : Oh goodness, how traumatic >_< Sorry you had such a bad experience. And our youth group did. We didn't have the money bigger youth groups did to go on cool trips and do awesome things and get away with it by just bringing a Bible along.

@ Steven : That would be cool but I doubt the rest of the world would want the gangs of Central America roaming around they way they do in their home countries. Maybe in the future… *stares off into space*

firestormx 12 years, 1 month ago

This is the only thing I could hear while reading your blog:

The point of abortion and deportation isn't necessarily about "getting rid of the kid". That is the end result, but the reason to get rid of the kid isn't just "I dun want it here anymore".