Questions for Pope Francis

As most everyone knows, Pope Francis is visiting our country, has met with our president, and spoken before our Congress.

Francis encouraged us to have wide open borders and use our wealth to fund global carbon reduction goals.

“Welcome them all in” and “fund carbon reduction around the world” would be the slogans.

So let me ask him some hypothetical questions….

On America Welcoming Any and All Migrants

Are we morally obligated to have no effective, functional borders, and no controls over who can and can’t enter our country?

Are we morally obligated to let anyone cross our borders who wishes–as long as conditions in their home country are economically worse than ours?

Are we morally obligated to treat foreign nationals who follow the legal process for entry and residency the same as those who violate/disregard that process?

Is raising the above questions sinful?  And is disagreeing with the policies of governments and/or advocacy groups that have this agenda morally wrong?

How does the Old Testament command to Jews to treat well the Gentile individuals in their midst, directly apply to a mass migration situation confronting Europe and the United States right now?

Did the Jews not guard their territorial integrity, safeguarding their societal and religious distinctiveness, all throughout their history–all in obedience to the Mosaic covenant?

Our immigrating great-grandparents entered the country legally, learned English, embraced American culture and the melting pot idea–is it therefore morally wrong to expect today’s newcomers to do this as well?

On America Funding Global Carbon Reduction

Is a nation so heavily in debt as ours is right now obligated to pay the bill for other nations’ carbon reduction programs, simply because we are wealthier than they are or industrialized earlier than they did?

If, as you point out, we are neglecting the care of our own people, do we have any business funding other nations’ environmental programs?

Is it right to point out that, in so many of these Third World nations, corruption reigns and the vast majority of our foreign aid has been squandered over many decades or lined the pockets of their elites?

Is it right to wonder if this endeavor won’t end up being another foreign aid boondoggle that ends up hurting our own working poor the most?

If, as you advocate, we ought to take the lead in funding the reduction of carbon emissions, will this cost not fall the heaviest on those poor folks who drive the oldest, least fuel efficient cars?

Will this not hurt rural communities with high levels of rural poverty, whose livelihood is tied to the coal industry and/or who must drive the furthest distances and travel the most miles to jobs, shops, etc.?

What about them?

Inside vs. Outside Perceptions

To be fair, Francis spoke in generalities, and he is, by his own admission, largely unfamiliar with the United States, its culture, and its unique society.

To his Argentinian eyes, we are the land of unrivaled plenty, a source of endless wealth, full of wide open spaces, and home base for an unbridled, exploitative capitalism that is destroying the world.

Almost like we still live in the late 1800’s–with its industrial robber barons, their monopolies, their exploitive rape of the environment, and their social darwinist approach to their workers.

This unchecked, exploitive, resource raping capitalism was curbed at home in the early 20th century, but continued abroad well into the 1960’s and 1970’s.

But, to our eyes, we have become a massively indebted society that is heavily regulated and deeply polarized–unfairly blamed for all the world’s current woes.

To our eyes, we are overwhelmed by the huge levels of chronic dependency and feel already overpopulated rather than empty.

We feel broke and crowded, and therefore think the most responsible thing to do is to reduce expenses and limit newcomers.

I wish Francis well.

But I wish he had truly understood us better as we are right now here at home, not as we used to be abroad.