Category Archives: immigrants

A Second Term for President Trump: Hopeful Realism and a Word of Wisdom

January 23rd, 2025 | Dr. Charlie Self

As I pen this essay two days after President Trump’s inauguration, I am aware of half the country being hopeful, even ecstatic and the other half feeling dejected and deeply concerned. The following insights are those of a Christian leader and public intellectual that appreciates the American ethos of freedom in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution. This historically unprecedented Amendment includes:

For the first time in global history, there is no state church or favored religious expression. This freedom of conscience/religion is the first freedom and undergirds all the others.
Freedom of speech.
A free press.
The right to petition government with concerns (redress) without fear.

For a quarter century, ideologues have been eroding these liberties, with some trying to erase religious influences (i.e., “freedom of worship” in private instead of true freedom of religion), especially Christian ones, from public view, and others aiming at censoring “offensive” speech and “disinformation.” This election was not only about the economy and global affairs. There are many people of conscience in both parties that desire a public square with civil debates and no cancelling of those who diverge from accepted narratives. We must defend for all others the rights we desire for ourselves and do a better job of persuasion instead of alienation.

The truth leaks out over time. Consider these issues:

COVID measures were arbitrary, sometimes extreme, and often rooted in opinion, not science.
Iran really is working on nuclear weapons and she and her proxies want Israel and the USA destroyed as part of their religious vision.
Government programs are often ineffective and wasteful, with many agencies unable to account for billions of dollars.
It turns out we cannot account for millions of undocumented immigrants, including over 300,000 children.

The 2024 election was a repudiation of policies set in motion since the early 2000s and the decisions of both parties. This said, some cautions are in order as we observe, defend, or oppose new policies. Here are five insights.

First, we do not elect messiahs. We choose flawed human beings who are made in God’s image and struggle with sin. This is why we are told to pray for ALL in authority, from local officials to our president.

Second, the President is not a King, and the Congress and Judiciary really matter for lasting change. We must urge legislators to balance a budget, improve effectiveness, and hold elected and unelected leaders accountable.

Third, sustainable flourishing for all, with access to education, capital, and opportunities requires more than lawmaking and government money. We must learn and apply the wisdom that transforms people and communities.

Fourth, we have far too high a percentage of the population that gets far more from the government that they give or have given. The long game must include government officials at all levels having the same private pensions and Social Security investments as the rest of us. Public employee unions are unneeded and subversive of true accountability. Remember, friends, when the government spends money, it is our money.

Fifth and finally, the American experiment in virtue-based liberty rests on a population committed to first principles and an ethical vision rooted in timeless truth. Without a spiritual awakening marked by humility before God, moral reformation, and unselfish love toward our neighbor, the efforts of any political leaders are temporary measures at best.

How shall we go forward?

On our knees in reverential awe of God and petitioning the Almighty for mercy and justice.

Hand in hand with each other, aiming for all to flourish.

Debating fiercely without personal insults and listening fully to each other.

Doing today’s work well, knowing that each daily decision builds our personal destiny and contributes to the preferred future we desire for generations to come.

I am hopeful and realistic about this moment. I pray for awakening and prophesy against the abuses of power. I pray for peace and know we must have moral and military strength. I labor so all can flourish and have my grandkids in my mind as I consider and discern the best ways forward. If you are grieving right now, lend your thoughtful voice to debates without labeling and libeling. If you are happy, be sober about the foundations that need repair for a positive future. Above all, let’s humble ourselves before God.

Thankful: The Complex Tapestry of American History

November 24th, 2020 | Dr. Charlie Self

The United States of America is – like every person we meet and any nation we study – beautiful and broken. Her history is filled with saints and sinners, imperial oppression and unprecedented liberty. As we gather around tables and express our gratitude to God and each other, here are some paradoxical facts that are part of our historical tapestry:

The First Thanksgiving was celebrated in Plymouth with genuinely cordial relations with the local tribes. The Pilgrims owed their survival to Squanto and others that helped them gather, harvest, and hunt well.
Just before the Pilgrims came ashore (1620), the colony of Virginia began importing African slaves for work in the tobacco fields (1619), inaugurating a history that only a Civil War and later Civil Rights Movement would change.
Maryland and Pennsylvania were colonial havens for Roman Catholics and Quakers respectively, and both colonies promoted freedom of religion.
Meanwhile in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, religious dissenters such as Anne Hutchinson and Roger Williams were exiled or punished severely into the 1690s.
The Methodists prohibited members from owning slaves as of 1757; alas, a century later this dynamic tradition was divided in to Northern and Southern branches…as were almost all denominations.
Ellis Island processed millions of immigrants in the late 19^th and early 20^th centuries. Though many faced prejudices and obstacles assimilating into a very White and Protestant America, within a few generations, most of their descendants were celebrating the opportunities the New World had to offer.
At the same time immigrants were gazing happily at the Statue of Liberty upon their arrival in the USA, millions of Native Americans and African Americans faced continued oppression, prejudice, and legal barriers to full inclusion into American society.

The USA continues as an experiment in virtue-based liberty, with a history of hospitality and generosity as well as nativism and xenophobia. As we rightly give thanks, let’s rededicate ourselves to building a land of access, equity, and opportunity for all.

What America Are We Celebrating?

July 9th, 2020 | Dr. Charlie Self

July 4^th reminds us of the best and worst of American history. Many celebrate Independence Day and the ideals of the Declaration of Independence. And there is much to be proud of as we remember the sacrifices of so many that keep freedom’s flag flying. Others consider the failure of the Founders and Framers to offer a clear road of Emancipation for the slaves, thus delaying justice for millions, costing our nation a horrible Civil War, the tragedy of Jim Crow, and the unfulfilled promises of the Civil Rights Movement. Add to this the almost 100% record of broken covenants and treaties between the USA and the indigenous Native American tribes and being suspicious of American ideals is understandable.

The USA is an experiment in virtue-based liberty and representative governance rooted in reverence of the Almighty, the equality of all people, and limitations on the power of government. But our history is a tapestry of tremendous and tortured narratives. We celebrate the Ellis Island Hospitality enshrined in the Statue of Liberty and forget the prejudice, racism, and exploitation of both slaves and immigrants. We rightly celebrate the entrepreneurial spirit and innovation of our culture and forget the painful road toward prosperity for most workers.

What makes America truly great? First, we see that our first liberty, enshrined in the first 16 words of the First Amendment of the Bill of Rights is complete freedom of conscience and religion for people of all faiths (or no faith) to live their lives and build their communities without government interference. Second, the promise of and potential for genuine access, equity, and opportunity for everyone. And third, our history of halting but continual progress toward justice.

Let’s celebrate heroes of the past and hopes for the future. Let’s feast in freedom and build a future so more can enjoy the fruits of freedom.