Should we tear down the Statue of Liberty?

One of the symbols of the US that stirs a great deal of national pride is this statue given by the French in commemoration of our Independence. The statue was erected at Ellis Island, overlooking New York Harbor. From 1892-1954, a station for international immigrants was located at Ellis Island and the 300 ft. tall lady, holding a tablet with "July 4, 1776" in one hand and a torch held high over head, welcomed over 12 million immigrants seeking a new life in America. Proof that the statue was dedicated to welcoming immigrants seeking a new start was an exerpt from a poem written by a Jewish American named Emma Lazarus, who dedicated her life to fighting for immigrant rights, inscribed on the statue's pedestal. "Give me your tired, your poor/Your huddled masses yearning to breathe free/The wretched refuse of your teeming shore/Send these, the homeless, tempest-tost to me/I lift my lamp beside the golden door." If the Statue of Liberty is a source of pride for you, then you can't value it while ignoring the fact that it was given as a gift to a nation of immigrants, placed in a location as symbol welcoming immigrants, and even witnesses that immigrants are welcomed to a nation which knows her heritage. You also must acknowledge that at the time the Statue was dedicated, the US was a place of compasssion and hope for foreigners who left their home countries for the hope of becoming an American.

At the same time, there are some of us who feel that a nation that welcomes foreigners and treats them with compassion, is attempting to reflect a biblical obedience to qualities God instructed His covenant people to reflect. In Deuteronomy 10:19, Israel was instructed to love the "sojourners/foreigners" in their land as they were the same at one time in Egypt. In seeking to identify applicable truth from God's word which we can directly apply to our nation, can there be a biblical truth more applicable than the command to "love the foreigners in your land because you were at one time foreigners" also? We also must consider the fact that just as the Israelites who received this command from God were DESCENDENTS of sojourners/immigrants, so are we today! One may argue that God also commanded the Israelites to destroy the foreigners in nations they would overtake, but as for the foreigners who would remain WITH them in their land, they were directly charged to love and care for them.

While there is no question that reform of the current state of immigration in America is desperately needed, I want to ask a questionn of those claiming to be the most patriotic and who also claim to be followers of Christ. "Has your dissatisfaction/impatience with the out of control illegal immigration in the US caused you to be at odds with God himself over the way you have directed your anger TOWARD immigrants seeking a new life?" Also, "Are the rants about illegals, foreigners, etc. a desire to be patriotic or just sinful racism cloaked in love for country?" We are a nation descended from immigrants. As difficult as the issue of illegal immigration is, as Christians and/or citizens of the US desiring to honor our nation's legacy, we must address this issue with a carefulness to not put ourselves at odds with God (as Christians) and our nation's history, OR...forget all of that and just TEAR THE STATUE OF LIBERTY DOWN! We no longer believe in what she stands for!