The Rights Of Citizenship!

Hello Guys and Gals!

I got into a very fun debate the other day with one of my favorite friends in the whole world! I made this statement on FaceBook:

"If you are NOT an American Citizen, then the rights of U.S. Citizens, guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America, are NOT your rights! If you do want to become a Citizen of the U.S.A., then go through the proper legal means to attain that Citizenship, and then those very rights will be a right guaranteed to you as well!"

This friend of mine quickly pointed out a very good passage of scripture to me. Leviticus 19:33-34:

33 ‘When a stranger resides with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.
34 ‘The stranger who resides with you shall be to you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt; I am the Lord your God.

My friend convinced me through more debate that my statement was too general in the way I first stated it!

Over the next couple of days I could not get this debate out of my head. So I asked myself why. I started thinking about both sides of the issue.

I do fully agree with my friend that we should not do strangers who reside with us any wrong! And anyone who comes to the USA with the true intent of becoming as one who is native to the USA, abiding by our laws, our beliefs, and our constitution, then yes, they should be accorded all the rights with their good intent that a US Citizen would have!

But someone might say that everyone should have those rights no matter what. Well let us take a good look at exactly what that statement is saying.

First of all what constitutes a citizen?

A Natural Born Citizen can be defined as:

Currently, Title 8 of the U.S. Code fills in the gaps left by the Constitution. Section 1401 defines the following as people who are "citizens of the United States at birth:"

Anyone born inside the United States *
Any Indian or Eskimo born in the United States, provided being a citizen of the U.S. does not impair the person's status as a citizen of the tribe
Any one born outside the United States, both of whose parents are citizens of the U.S., as long as one parent has lived in the U.S.
Any one born outside the United States, if one parent is a citizen and lived in the U.S. for at least one year and the other parent is a U.S. national
Any one born in a U.S. possession, if one parent is a citizen and lived in the U.S. for at least one year
Any one found in the U.S. under the age of five, whose parentage cannot be determined, as long as proof of non-citizenship is not provided by age 21
Any one born outside the United States, if one parent is an alien and as long as the other parent is a citizen of the U.S. who lived in the U.S. for at least five years (with military and diplomatic service included in this time)
A final, historical condition: a person born before 5/24/1934 of an alien father and a U.S. citizen mother who has lived in the U.S.

This information was found here: http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_citi.html

A Naturalized Citizen, on the other hand, has certain requirements that need to be met in order for that person to become a Naturalized Citizen. These requirements are:

Foreign nationals who wish to become citizens of the United States may do so through the naturalization process. Citizenship confers many advantages -- the right to vote, protection from the government, access to certain jobs and benefits, and the option to hold public office. All naturalization applicants must meet a number of filing requirements, described below.

Age

An applicant for naturalization must be at least eighteen years old.

Residency

An applicant must be a legal permanent resident in the U.S. The applicant must have an I-551 (Alien Registration Card) to proceed.

Residence and Physical Presence

Just before applying, a naturalization applicant must have been physically present in the U.S. for at least 30 months out of the previous five years. However, if the applicant was absent for more than six months but less than one year, the applicant may still be eligible if he or she can show that the absence was not an abandonment of resident status.

Good Moral Character

A naturalization applicant must show good moral character during the five-year period prior to application (three years if married to a U.S. citizen or one year for certain military exceptions). Murder convictions are a permanent obstacle to naturalization, as are aggravated felony convictions on or after November 29, 1990.

Certain criminal convictions in the five years prior to the application will bar naturalization, but even if the applicant fears that a conviction will ruin his or her application, all convictions must still be disclosed. It is far worse to have U.S. immigration authorities discover a falsehood than to disclose the issue.

Attachment to the Constitution

An application for naturalization must declare the applicant's willingness to support and defend the U.S. and the Constitution. An applicant declares his or her "attachment" to the U.S. and the Constitution at the time he or she takes the oath of allegiance.

Language

Applicants must be able to read, write, speak, and understand English words in ordinary use. Some applicants may be exempt because of age or mental condition.

U.S. Government and History Knowledge

An applicant for naturalization must demonstrate knowledge of the fundamentals of U.S. history and certain principles of U.S. government. Applicants are exempt if they have a medically recognizable physical or mental impairment that affects their ability to learn or understand these topics.

Oath of Allegiance

U.S. citizenship is conferred after the oath of allegiance is taken. A modified oath may be available in certain instances, such as religious opposition to oaths.

Legal Help with the Naturalization Process

Successfully naturalizing in the United States requires a thorough understanding of the steps involved, and careful preparation at each stage. If you or a loved one are considering becoming a U.S. citizen through naturalization, you should contact an experienced immigration attorney who can guide you through each step of the process and protect your legal rights

This information can be found here: http://immigration.findlaw.com/immigration/immigration-citizenship-naturalization/immigration-citizenship-naturalization-requirements.html?DCMP=KNC-Immigration-Law&HBX_PK=united+states+citizenship+requirements&HBX_OU=50

I want to focus specifically upon the Naturalized Citizenship because I believe that many things should be of particular note here!

1. The right of Protection from the Government only comes with Citizenship!

2. An applicant for Citizenship must be of Good Moral Character!

3. An applicant must declare their willingness to support and defend the Constitution of the United States of America!

4. Applicants must be able to read, write, speak, and understand English words in ordinary use!

5. Citizenship is not granted until the applicant takes an Oath of Allegiance!

So the Right of Protection from the Government and the application of the Bill of Rights guaranteed to a Citizen of the United States of America under the Constitution of the United States of America is only given and guaranteed to actual Citizens of the United States of America! Therefore all rights such as a speedy trial, a court appointed attorney, humane treatment and everything else that the Constitution grants to their Citizens are only guaranteed to Citizens!

But we still extend and grant these rights to Non Citizens! Why? Because we are a Nation who believes in the Golden Rule where we treat others the same way we wish we would be treated!

So with all this, let's take another look at my statement above as well as my friend's passage of scripture.

My statement clearly states the case I have laid out for you as to who is considered a Citizen of the United States of America and that the Constitutional Guaranteed Rights of the USA are only guaranteed for Citizens of the USA as defined above!

But what about being strangers among us? This passage clearly indicates that we should treat those who live among us as a native citizen. Yet let us not confuse the fact that the US Constitution does not govern it's people by Holy Scripture but by the Constitution. So even if we are Christians and we believe the Holy Scripture, we should also follow the law of the land and that which defines the Law as is stated by Paul here in Romans 13:1-6:

1 Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.
2 Therefore whoever resists authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.
3 For rulers are not a cause of fear for good behavior, but for evil. Do you want to have no fear of authority? Do what is good and you will have praise from the same;
4 for it is a minister of God to you for good. But if you do what is evil, be afraid; for it does not bear the sword for nothing; for it is a minister of God, an avenger who brings wrath on the one who practices evil.
5 Therefore it is necessary to be in subjection, not only because of wrath, but also for conscience’ sake.
6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for rulers are servants of God, devoting themselves to this very thing.

I believe that it all hinges upon the foreigner who lives among us part of the passage. Let's look at the intent of someone from a foreign land who would choose to live among another people. They would be living among another people because they see something in the way that those people live which they value and want part of! What could this be? I believe that it is the freedoms and rights that every Citizen of the USA has that you will find in no other country on the face of this planet!

I believe that there are those who come to the US in order to commit crimes and terrorism against it's citizens and do not have Good Moral Character or Intent to live among us and abide by our laws! I believe fully and completely that each and every one of these subversive persons who come to the US with evil intent should not be given any rights whatsoever as guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States of America and that the authorities should use any and every means at their disposal to stop them from committing evil acts upon the Citizens of the USA!

But what about torture you may ask. I fully believe that those who use Enhanced Interrogation Techniques in our government do so with full knowledge that those they use them upon have evil intentions for the US Citizens and should have full clearance to do whatever it takes to protect it's people!

But just so we are clear, Enhanced Interrogation Techniques is NOT Torture! Anyone who wants to know the true difference between the two simply needs to talk to any person who was a Prisoner of War to a foreign country where they do use Torture to get information out of the PoW! Just talk to them and then compare what they say to Enhanced Interrogation Techniques as shown by any of a number of articles or news stories easily looked up on a web search!

The simple truth is that the US Government treats their prisoners better than any other government in the world! Not only that, but they also graciously grant rights, guaranteed only to Citizens of the US, to many who are not Citizens and have evil intent to do harm upon US Citizens!

So everyone out there who is says that we should be guaranteeing the Rights of a US Citizen to even non citizens, I say that you are wrong! The reason why is because if the roles were reversed, I can guarantee you that your rights would be the first thing to go under their authority!

In the end, it does not matter whether rights are given or rights are taken! What matters is that God will ultimately dispense true justice upon all evil doers and give forgiveness to all who accept His Son, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, as their Lord and Savior! All hail King Jesus, Lion of Judah and my best friend!

May God bless you all this day!

Conditional vs. Unconditional Calvinism!

Hello Guys and Gals!

I know many of you are not aware of what a 5 point Calvinist is! Here is a brief description: TULIP!

1. Total Depravity (also known as Total Inability and Original Sin)

2. Unconditional Election

3. Limited Atonement (also known as Particular Atonement)

4. Irresistible Grace

5. Perseverance of the Saints (also known as Once Saved Always Saved)

These points and their definitions can be found here:

http://calvinistcorner.com/tulip

But I want to focus on the 2nd point here! I used to believe in something called Conditional Calvinist! I used to believe that I was one!

A Conditional Calvinist is one who believes that God, Who exists outside of time, looked into a Believer's future and saw that point at which he would accept Jesus Christ into his life! God then supports and guides that Believer to be able to reach the point of decision where he will make his Free Will choice to accept Jesus as his Lord and Savior!

That is what I used to believe I was! I no longer believe that! I now believe fully and completely in the second point of Calvinism that my 'Election' to become a Believer is totally Unconditional and that even my Free Will choice was something given to me by God so that I even had the power to accept the Grace of God to believe in His Son, Jesus Christ!

Take a look at Ephesians 1:3-6!

3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love
5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.

It states that we were chosen by God before the foundations of the Earth existed so that we would be able to receive His gracious gift of Salvation which he freely gave to us through His Son, Jesus Christ! And He did all this simply for the 'good pleasure of His will.

"But that's not fair!" you might say. What does fair have to do with any of it? Have you never made something and destroyed it or thrown it away simply because you can do what you want with your creations?

Let's take a look at Romans 9:20-24!

20 On the contrary, who are you, O man, who answers back to God? The thing molded will not say to the molder, "Why did you make me like this," will it?
21 Or does not the potter have a right over the clay, to make from the same lump one vessel for honorable use and another for common use?
22 What if God, although willing to demonstrate His wrath and to make His power known, endured with much patience vessels of wrath prepared for destruction?
23 And He did so to make known the riches of His glory upon vessels of mercy, which He prepared beforehand for glory,
24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also from among Gentiles.

This passage is a clear view of God's rights as the omnipotent Creator! He does have the right to make vessels to fill with His mercy as well as vessels to fill with His wrath and vessels for every other thing which He decides to pour into them! It is His right and His right alone to do this!

"But that means that we do not have Free Will!" you might say. I would argue that we do still have Free Will.

Take a look at John 3:18-20!

18 "He who believes in Him is not judged; he who does not believe has been judged already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.
19 "This is the judgment, that the Light has come into the world, and men loved the darkness rather than the Light, for their deeds were evil.
20 "For everyone who does evil hates the Light, and does not come to the Light for fear that his deeds will be exposed.

In this passage of scripture it is evident that all Unbelievers are judged because of their unbelief in Jesus Christ and that they loved darkness rather than the Light!

Now take a look at Acts 18:9-10!

9 And the Lord said to Paul in the night by a vision, "Do not be afraid any longer, but go on speaking and do not be silent;
10 for I am with you, and no man will attack you in order to harm you, for I have many people in this city."

This passage shows that God had people in that city who have not yet come to Him and He was sending Paul to preach in that city so that they would come to Him!

Look at Ezekiel 33:11!

11 "Say to them, ‘As I live!’ declares the Lord God, ‘I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that the wicked turn from his way and live. Turn back, turn back from your evil ways! Why then will you die, O house of Israel?’

This is where God declares to all wicked His desire for them to turn away from their evil ways so that He does not have to put them to death as He takes no pleasure in it!

Look at Romans 9:16!

16 So then it does not depend on the man who wills or the man who runs, but on God who has mercy.

Again, we see here that it is solely on God's judgment with each and every one of us, believers and unbelievers alike, that He may have mercy on those who He chooses and judgment on those who He chooses!

In conclusion, I now believe fully and completely in Unconditional Election! Simply that God chose us believers to be elected into His grace for the simple reason of He simply chose us and not someone else!

All the good that comes out of me can only come out of me because God has poured it into me in the first place!

May God bless each and every one of you this day!

Straight To The Source!

Hello Guys and Gals!

This is going to be a tough one for me to write. The reason it is tough is because of a friend of mine who believes so strongly in something that I do not fully believe in. I don't want to hurt my friend's feelings or minimize his beliefs in any way. I don't want to minimize what he has gone through in his life. But that is not the same as what I have gone through in my life and where God has led me. One thing God has instilled within me is the Truth! When He shows me His Truth, I am humbled with the knowledge that He chose me to talk about it!

The topic for tonight is addiction! I am a Methamphetamine Addict! I have been for a very long time, over twenty years now. I am not using and have been clean for quite some time now. If you want to know how long, then just ask me!

My friend believes in an organization that I do not believe is right for me. It was right for him! He found a focal point in his life with them so that he could be free from his addiction to Meth. That focal point is the organization he went to in order to get the help he needed. I am very proud of my friend and I'm glad that he found his focal point in them. But that organization is not for me!

And yet, I'm clean! I am clean from using Meth and have not had any cravings for it since I did one very important thing. I prayed! I prayed to God and told Him that I had not the power to say no to my cravings and I had not the power to become clean and I had not the power to free myself of this addiction! I told God that if He wanted me out of this life, then it would have to be by His power that gets me free from it! I told Him I had not strength or will to do it on my own! Then I earnestly asked Him to lead me out of that life of lies, deceit, abuse, and immorality! So He did exactly that!

From the very instant that I prayed that very prayer, I have not had one single craving to do Meth again! It left me instantly! It left me completely! And there is no doubt in my mind, heart, or soul that it was Jesus who took those cravings from me and freed me from that horrible life of addiction!

John 8:34-36 states:

"Truly, truly, I say to you, everyone who commits sin is the slave of sin. The slave does not remain in the house forever; the son does remain forever. So if the Son makes you free, you will be free indeed."

I was a slave to Meth! Meth was my Master! But Jesus walked into my sin and broke the shackles that bound me, my own cravings! I am free from those cravings! I am free from that sin! I am free from my former addiction! Yes, I said former! I said former because since Jesus made me free, I am no longer a slave to it and no longer an addict of it!

My friend told me that the 'church route' never works! If he reads this, I do not want him to feel like I am speaking out against him but only from my heart! He is my friend and I value him very much! But I also want him to know that the organization he went to for his help in becoming clean also prays before and after each meeting to God! So if that organization has any power or strength to combat addiction, then it comes from God and has no other source than that!

I am not taking the church route! I am taking the relationship with Jesus route! I believe it is the only true route in life that matters! I could care less about any church out there when it comes to the truth! If they speak the truth, I will support them in every way that I am able! But if I find that they are promoting even the littlest of lies, then I know they are not a true church of God and I will not support them!

I want my friend to know that all that he has done is wonderful in my eyes! I want him to also know that there are many paths to freedom from addiction. I believe that all those paths that truly free one from addiction have but one source, that of God Himself! So instead of going through a middle man, I went to the source and it is with Him that I place my life!

I am very blessed by the people whom God has brought into my life since that prayer! I value each and every one of them! My friend is also one of them.

So, to my friend, I ask that you read this in the spirit it was written and not as an attack against what you believe!

May God bless each and every one of you this evening!