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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? subscribe | newsletter | deals Home News Latest Stories State police search for pursuit suspect near Hyatt Lake Police Reports Cheering on the champs Ashland's Safeway part of Haggen acquisition Ashland to hold parade for the national champion Raiders Education For a friend: AHS seniors team up to help former fellow student Ashland builds a bridge across the STEM gap Chicken pox hits Ashland Middle School AHS speech and debate team to compete in Medford Ashland: Lions Club steps up for vision tests Environment New TAP pumps bolster Ashland's options Most residents speak against gas pipeline proposed for Southern Oregon Home Help: Make your new house feel like home ‘Tis the season — for wild mushrooms Business Ashland's Safeway part of Haggen acquisition The Playwright pub will be serving again Saturday Mt. 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SOU tops Marian in NAIA football finals High school Shibley-Styer, Malcolm lead Grizzlies to comeback win over Henley Feinberg scores 17 in Grizz loss Grizzlies tripped up late in tourney loss to Ridgeview Grizzlies' comeback attempt falls short against Mazama Ashland girls win three duals in home swim meet Southern Oregon University Raiders bring it home Weber's triple-double help SOU men survive OT thriller For fans who made trip, title game special Cheering on the champs Shibley-Styer, Malcolm lead Grizzlies to comeback win over Henley Opinion Latest Stories Herb Rothschild Jr.: The Christmas spirit Our View: Good news this week The vaccination deniers Granlund cartoon: Christmas season Matthew T. Mangino: The future of the death penalty in question? 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Raiders bring it home ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: The Christmas spirit ... State police search for pursuit suspect near Hyatt Lake ... Raiders bring it home ... Herb Rothschild Jr.: The Christmas spirit ... Jim Brock: Preserving American values? Comment By Jim Brock More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Jim Brock More Content Now Posted Nov. 25, 2014 @ 2:29 pm By Jim Brock More Content Now Posted Nov. 25, 2014 @ 2:29 pm » Social News The good ole boys at Fox News were less than impressed with President Barack Obama's Thursday-night primetime address on immigration. The president announced his plan to use executive authority on immigration policy, protecting 4 to 5 million illegal immigrants from deportation. “Mass deportation would be both impossible and contrary to our character,” the president said. “What I’m describing is accountability — a commonsense, middle-ground approach: If you meet the criteria, you can come out of the shadows and get right with the law. If you're a criminal, you’ll be deported.” Obama also made it clear that this was not amnesty, but a temporary delay on deportation for those who contribute to the American way of life. “Scripture tells us that we shall not oppress a stranger, for we know the heart of a stranger — we were strangers once, too,” the president said. Friday morning, Tucker Carlson of “Fox & Friends” accused the president of misusing Bible quotes to support his position. “For this guy specifically, the president who spent his career defending late-term abortion, among other things, lecturing us on Christian faith? That’s too much. That is too much. This is the Christian left at work, and it’s repugnant. To quote scripture? That’s out of bounds.” Elisabeth Hasselbeck, also on “Fox & Friends,” added, “That’s not what the scholars behind the Bible would interpret as proper use.” Let's look at the scripture, Exodus 22, 21-24 (NIV): “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt. Do not take advantage of the widow or the fatherless. If you do and they cry out to me, I will certainly hear their cry. My anger will be aroused and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.” How else would “scholars behind the Bible” interpret that? To be honest, we as Americans have a lot to learn about the Bible, and it's arrogant for us to think we have the authority to speak on God's behalf — particularly politicians and those who serve as a political party's sounding board. We are a nation that picks and chooses what parts of the Bible to shove down the throats of its citizens, and few people have a problem with it. Often times, it isn’t the “word of God” that moves the masses — it’s the person conveying the message. Latter-day prophets who mix right-wing American nationalism with Christian theology are effectively polarizing. Case in point: A June 2007 New York Times report tells the story of President George W. Bush’s immigration overhaul, which “collapsed” in the Senate. The bill offered “legal status to millions of illegal immigrants while trying to secure the nation’s borders,” the report said. Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., who opposed the bill, said talk radio was “a big factor” in the defeat of the immigration bill, as “supporters of the bill wanted to pass it quickly, 'before Rush Limbaugh could tell the American people what was in it,’” Sessions said in the report. Does Rush Limbaugh have that much power? You bet he does. He is the King of the Conservative Airwaves, and the people listen — intently. Limbaugh is loved by his devoted listeners because he has made racism, xenophobia and homophobia acceptable through the context of “conservative values.” He is a pusher, and the drug of choice is justifiable discrimination. Nearly every human being on Earth battles with some form of prejudice, and Rush is able to cajole the conservative base into believing such contempt is warranted in preserving America. And is “preserving America” simply code for American apartheid? One has to ask. The party of “Christian values” should think twice before asking questions like “Why can't we just round them all up and send them all home?” and “Why should I have to press 1 for English in my own country?” Not too long ago, the former was asked in reference to black Americans, and the anecdotal solution was “round them all up and send them back to Africa — if they'll even take them.” The question you have to ask yourself: Will America cease to exist if we let 5 million immigrants stay? Are the alarmist tactics of the right truly meant for our benefit? Sure, we are a nation of laws, but our leaders — Republican and Democrat — shouldn't be able to choose which ones to follow based on popularity, and the consequences of breaking those laws shouldn't be easy on some and harder on others. If corporations are truly people — as former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney says — then they should go to jail just like the rest of us. The same is true with the Bible: God either loves all of us, or he doesn’t love any of us. And our love for God is based on how we treat each other. Matthew 25:40 says “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’” Ponder that! Jim Brock is managing editor of the Nebraska City News-Press. He can be reached at [email protected]. By Jim Brock More Content Now DailyTidings.com By Jim Brock More Content Now Posted Nov. 25, 2014 @ 2:29 pm » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. calendar Connect with DailyTidings.com Facebook Twitter RSS Back to top Reader Services Reader Services home Subscriptions Subscriber controls Contact us Submissions Photos Events Letters to the editor Corrections Alerts Email alerts RSS feeds Text Alerts Advertise Media Kit Home Products and services Ad rates Advertising contacts Mail Tribune Daily Tidings The Nickel Shop Our Valley Blogs Stay Informed Email newsletter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Your privacy is important, read our privacy policy. © Copyright 2014 Local Media Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved. 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