The debate over Donald Trump’s offensive Muslim ban has taken some peculiar turns. It’s already resulted in successful lawsuits rejecting his executive order as unconstitutional. And there are heartbreaking cases of heroes being refused entry after fighting alongside American soldiers in Iraq. Even a nominee for an Academy Award will be unable to attend the ceremony due to the restrictions.
Tuesday morning the cast of Fox & Friends took up the volatile issue of refugees (video below). While intending to rebut arguments connecting current events to the life of Jesus, the Fox crew veered wildly off course. The segment led off with the “Curvy Couch” potatoes mocking a tweet by Rev. Al Sharpton:
Before you head to church today, remember to thank God for his son, Jesus a refugee who fled to Egypt.
— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) January 29, 2017
On the surface, there isn’t anything especially controversial about that. However, to Fox News it was an abomination of the gospel and a personal attack on Trump. Co-host Steve Doocy introduced the segment and engaged in the following exchange with guest Carley Shimkus:
DOOCY: This morning a social media firestorm set off by the Rev. Al Sharpton after he slammed President Trump’s border order by calling Jesus a refugee. […] Well that’s not exactly accurate is it?
SHIMKUS: Well, according to the bible it’s really not. And a lot of people on social media had something to say about that.
Whereupon, Shimkus read two tweets replying to Sharpton. Oddly enough, they are the same two tweets posted in an article on this subject by The Daily Caller. That’s the website founded by Fox News host Tucker Carlson:
@TheRevAl @Wargs77 @jccolange @StephenKing umm, his parents weren't refugees. They traveled to pay their taxes. Please Al
— MC (@mcolange) January 29, 2017
@TheRevAl He paid his taxes unlike you. Different times, no comparison. He also returned to his home.
— Bryan K. Davis (@BryanDavis2014) January 29, 2017
It’s notable that Fox News turned to anonymous Twitter users for their biblical analysis. And they appeared to be quite proud of themselves for having debunked Sharpton’s sacrilege. Except for one thing: They couldn’t possibly have been more wrong. A quick glance at the bible’s book of Matthew (2:13-15) reveals that Joseph and Mary fled to Egypt with their infant son Jesus to avoid King Herod’s “massacre of the innocents.” That sounds like they were refugees to me. They only returned after Herod’s death:
(13) And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. (14) When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: (15) And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.
This is a perfect example of the approach to journalism as practiced by Fox News. Why bother consulting religious scholars, the clergy, or even the bible, when you have Twitter for divine guidance? It obviously doesn’t matter to Fox whether the information is correct, something that’s apparent in most of their reporting. And the cherry on top was co-host Brian Kilmeade’s closing shot at Sharpton saying “Who gave him his gift certificate to be a reverend?”
No doubt Kilmeade actually believes there are such certificates. Maybe someone should ask him where he got his gift certificate to host a “news” program. And why is Fox News always making African-Americans provide certificates of authenticity, birth, etc.?
How Fox News Deceives and Controls Their Flock:
Fox Nation vs. Reality: The Fox News Cult of Ignorance.
Available now at Amazon.
Why is anyone surprised? Faux Fox News makes everything up as their talking heads speak. But this is a new low, using the Bible to spread its lies. And lying about it. They are afraid to ask real biblical experts so they resort to Twitter.
Fox news is imitating Trump, if they say it then it must be true. Modern Americans are the most gullible people.
It’s mind boggling FOX talking heads can’t take 5 minutes and do some research. I am going to copy and paste a quote from your article hoping that with repetition we can get through to their thick skulls and that of their viewers: : ” Matthew(13 ) And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. (14) When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: (15) And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. ” Jesus and his parents were refugee’s plain and simple !!!
Haaahh….
All of Jacob’s family were refugees entering Egypt as well to escape the famine.
And taxes have nothing to do with the issue of refugees, so I really don’t know why those twitter trolls broght those up. Refugees are supposed to pay taxes to whom again?