Where I Stand: Refugees

Where to start with this. Is such a huge topic. Let's start with this:
I believe in giving all refugees refuge. I know if I faced life or death situations I'd like to know there is somewhere safe to run. Innocent people are fleeing their homes and their lives because of the tyranny of others.
That said, Syria is a breeding ground for those who want to destroy us. What they've done to their own country, they'd gladly do to all the countries of western society. But that doesn't mean there aren't genuine needs for innocent people fleeing.
I definitely believe in allowing refugees into this country, and others capable of helping. But there has to be a screening process. This process wouldn't be something genuine people seeking safety would fear, but the people who want to harm us...
Take for example the attacks in France. Is there no coincidence that this happened soon after the spike in refugees to their country? Look at the patterns of these terrorists. They are heartless and ruthless in their agendas. They don't care if they use innocent people to fulfill their goals. They obviously don't care about their own people since they are blowing them up within their own countries, so what's stopping them from taking advantage of the needy and slipping in hidden among them?
They know they can't face the military of the countries they hate, they know they'd stand no chance. Look at how easily Iraq was taken as an example. So they use small groups to kill hundreds, even thousands of civilians who are jut going about their lives. Less than twenty men brought down two towers, part of the pentagon, and crashed four planes in a matter of hours, killing thousands. That's how they fight. In the years since then, we've seen bombings and slaughter all around the globe. We're in a war, but we don't recognize it because it doesn't take on the usual this military vs that military. I remember growing up and going to major events and subconsciously always keeping an eye out and wondering, what if?
All it takes is one person bent on harming others. They want us to fear that, and they'll do anything to make sure we do, including sneaking in with innocent people whose lives they've already destroyed.
There has to be a screening process involved, otherwise it's like opening the door to a family being swarmed by bees and not closing the door behind them. We've helped them, we've had good intentions, but the bees came in and are now hurting our family as well.
May I also point out, what about all the homeless and misplaced that are already in our country? The children stuck in foster care? The mass slaughter of babies every day through abortion? If we can't adequately care for our own, how are we supposed to care for those in desperate need?
I also want to say thanks to the media. Because of you, we live divided. Because of you, we run the risk of imploding. I heard somewhere once, I can't remember who said it, that America wouldn't be destroyed from outside sources; the military is too strong for that. But America's demise would come about due to it's own internal conflict. The more the media slams those wanting to make a stand, calling them bigots, war mongers, and pushing it's over the top "politically correct" agenda, the more power we give the terrorists. There is great truth in the statement "United We Stand" because divided we fall. And right now, we are terribly divided, and those terrorists are loving it. They are slipping in like thieves in the night while we quarrel over petty things like the color of a cup. They are happy to take advantage of the bleeding hearts, and the second they have the chance, they will strike against those who showed compassion. Because that's what they do. We are "infidel."

So yes, please let the refugees in. Give them respite from those who have destroyed their lives, but let's make sure those who have destroyed their countries aren't allowed to destroy the safety of our own. Because they will, with great pleasure.

Where I Stand: Persecution

I grew up in a religion where to be persecuted was second nature. I can't deny it was hard, and times it almost broke me, but at some point I asked myself Is it worth it? My answer was a resounding YES.

We live in a world full of strife. People cry out prejudice for someone looking sideways at them wrong, for turning down service for things they don't agree with, for holding a sign up in protest. Let me tell you how I learned about hate.

When I was in high school, things were pretty good for me for a while, until suddenly, I found my faith in my religion. It meant a few changes, and yes, I got pretty excited about the things I was learning and told my friends about it. They did not like that. Admittedly, the whole thing was handled poorly, but I ended up isolated and estranged. Soon, people started telling me what I apparently believed, and no matter how much I tried to say they were off or just blatantly wrong, they still kept at it and told me I was brainwashed.

Frustration set in, and I withdrew more. This only made things worse, and something happened that almost crushed me completely.

Over the last two years of school, I kept my head down and my mouth shut. But even then people tried to taunt things out of me, especially when I started to prepare to go to the U.S. as an exchange student. Apparently this was so I could become some old man's third wife. There was no point trying to explain how that was wrong because again, I was brainwashed.

As an exchange student, I learned what it feels like to be loved again, and I grew a backbone.

In my years since, I've seen far more brutal persecution of my faith. It's not directed right at me anymore, but I still taste it's bitterness. I remember two Sundays running showing up to church and our building had been viciously vandalized outside and in. The first time, my dad, who was bishop at the time, received a call at 2 or 3 in the morning telling him to get a team down to the building so it would be safe enough for our meetings. The second time, someone chased them away before they could get inside, so by the third Sunday, a paid security service was patrolling to avoid it happening again.
We didn't know who they were. We didn't go out protesting, or marching as a church group. In fact, we did community service on a regular basis. We believe the best way to share our message is through service and positive relations in the community.

Our church also holds semi-annual worldwide conferences. People flock in the thousands to our headquarters to listen to our church leaders. And once they get there, they have to make their way through protesters lining the entrances. Every. Six. Months. Without fail we are taunted and scorned for our religion. Families with children who are simply going to a church meeting are met with hate. I don't think there's ever been a physical altercation. I believe church members have been hit, and our leaders have to travel underground for their safety, but in general, people pass by ignoring them or missionaries stand nearby singing hymns.

We don't teach hate, But we learn it because people throw it at us. But it's okay because we are Christians. We are the dreaded Mormons.

I wonder why it's okay to treat us like that, but other groups can get people arrested for doing things just like it. Is it because it's ingrained into our history? I mean, Missouri barely lifted it's shoot Mormon's on sight law about twenty years ago. People were slaughtered and run out of their homes to the point where they were forced to exodus across a continent. Even then the military dropped by.

Now, people still tell me what I believe and who I supposedly hate. I just don't get it. I think I'm pretty nice to everyone, but I guess not.

Now, I'm seeing this spread to Christians in general. Yes, there are extremist Christians who do hate (Trust me, those groups that protest at our events are mostly Christian groups) but there are extremist everythings. Those few don't speak for the majority. Every other sub-community and minority gets that benefit of the doubt, so why can't we?