Since the Paris attacks, my Facebook feed has filled up with two things:
1. Temporary profile pictures in the blue, white and red colors of the French flag.
2. Friends debating the pros and cons of allowing Syrian refugees into the U.S.
Michael, a minister, sparked 100-plus comments when he declared:
I know a lot of people will strongly disagree with this, but I think terrorists within our borders is the price we must be willing to pay if absolutely necessary for showing Christ-glorifying love and help to Syrian refugees who live with this evil every day. A sovereign God has called us to help and defend the cause of the immigrant, regardless of the costs. "Your kingdom come, your will be done..."
Phil, also a minister, seemed to take a different position with this status:
The attack on France included at least one Syrian refugee. What will happen to us when we take them in? Do we want to invite our enemies into our house and support them?
Enter Donald Trump into the discussion, courtesy of The Washington Post.
Read the Post's lede, and many of the issues my friends are debating on social media emerge:
BEAUMONT, Tex. — For John Courts, the terrorist attacks in Paris that killed at least 132 people provided more evidence of something he has long suspected: Syrian refugees are not to be trusted.
“I think they’re wolves in sheeps’ clothing,” said Courts, 36, a police officer in this industrial town in southeast Texas who attended a political rally for Donald Trump on Saturday. “Bringing those refugees here is very dangerous. Yeah, they need help, but it’s going to bring terrorism right into our front door.”