Reprinted with permission from Creators.
“I’m a good Christian. If I become president, we’re going to be saying ‘merry Christmas’ at every store.” — Donald Trump, December 2015
In those days a decree went out from Emperor Augustus that all the world should be registered. … Joseph also went from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to Judea, to the city of David called Bethlehem … to be registered with Mary, to whom he was engaged and who was expecting a child. While they were there, the time came for her to deliver her child. And she gave birth to her first-born son and wrapped him in bands of cloth, and laid him in a manger, because there was no place for them in the inn. — Luke 2:1, 4-7 (New Revised Standard Version)
“A total of 2,551 migrant children were taken from their parents at the U.S.-Mexico border, many of whom were separated under the ‘zero tolerance’ policy that called for the prosecution of all immigrants crossing the border illegally.” — NBC News, July 2018
“Our investigation has found that the separation of families began far earlier and detained many more children than the administration has admitted. … (According to the Department of Homeland Security’s inspector general), one border station ‘made no effort to identify and reunite families prior to (their) removal (from the United States).’ The DHS inspector general says the agency was ‘not fully prepared’ and ‘struggled to provide accurate, complete, reliable data on family separations.’ The report found that incompatible computer systems erased data that connected children with their families.” — CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” November 2018
“You wouldn’t believe how bad these people are. These aren’t people. These are animals.” — Donald Trump, May 2018
Now after (the Magi) had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there till I tell you; for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt. — Matthew 2:13-14 (NRSV)
“They made the decision to leave their home countries, assessing that the danger of leaving was outstripped by the danger of facing gang death threats or feeding a family on $5 per day. And they made the decision to go together, joining the caravan as it progressed, instead of alone like tens of thousands of their fellow Guatemalans and Hondurans (and Salvadorans) do every year.” — Dara Lind for Vox, October 2018
“The United States will not be a migrant camp, and it will not be a refugee holding facility. … Not on my watch.” — Donald Trump, June 2018
“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.” — Matthew 25:35 (NRSV)
“I don’t know what part of your soul has to be missing to say, ‘We’ll take an infant from its mother with no provision about how they will ever get back together again.’ They might never see each other again.” — Cecilia Munoz to CBS News’ “60 Minutes,” November 2018
“A 7-year-old girl who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border with her father last week died after being taken into the custody of the U.S. Border Patrol. … The girl died of dehydration and shock more than eight hours after she was arrested by agents near Lordsburg, New Mexico. The girl was from Guatemala and was traveling with a group of 163 people who approached agents to turn themselves in. …
“It’s unknown what happened to the girl during the eight hours before she started having seizures.” — The Associated Press, December 2018
“A voice was heard in Ramah, wailing and loud lamentation, Rachel weeping for her children; she refused to be consoled, because they are no more.” — Matthew 2:18 (NRSV)
“I’m a good Christian … and I want to tell you something. … Christianity is being chipped away at in this country. It’s being chipped away at, and I’m not going to let it happen.” — Donald Trump, March 2016
Connie Schultz is a Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist and professional in residence at Kent State University’s school of journalism. She is the author of two books, including “…and His Lovely Wife,” which chronicled the successful race of her husband, Sherrod Brown, for the U.S. Senate. To find out more about Connie Schultz (con.schultz@yahoo.com) and read her past columns, please visit the Creators Syndicate webpage at www.creators.com.
