September 25, 2021

Subject: Legal Immigration: Circumcision of the Heart = An Objective Moral Oath of Allegiance

Exodus 12:48 “When a stranger sojourns with you and wants to keep the Passover to the Lord, let all his males be circumcised, and then let him come near and keep it. He shall be as a native to the land…”

As we celebrated Constitution Day (September 17), the Unites States Citizenship and Immigration Services welcomed 21,000 former “strangers” as citizens of the United States. How did they accomplish what so many others around the world wish they could also do? These 21,000 people followed the objective law – the Code of Federal Regulations Section 337.1 of the Immigration and Nationality Act (INA).

Part of the process of an immigrant, a “stranger”, becoming a United States citizen involves he or she swearing an oath of allegiance to the United States. They make an objective moral pledge to no longer living according to the laws of their original country but live by the laws of the United States of America.

Here is the Naturalization Oath of Allegiance to the USA, per Section 337.1, administered by the US Citizenship and Immigration Services: “I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Constitution and laws of the USA against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the US when required by the law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the US Armed Forces when required by the law; that I will perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by the law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God.”

All applicants must swear an oath to these 7 commitments: 1) Support the Constitution; 2) Renounce all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty of whom or which the applicant was before a subject or citizen; 3) Support and defend the Constitution and laws of the US against all enemies, foreign and domestic; 4) Bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and 5) Bear arms on behalf of the US when required by law; or 6) Perform noncombatant service in the US Armed Forces when required by law; or 7) Perform work of national importance under civilian direction when required by law.

This legal process of a foreigner becoming an American has its roots in the Bible. This week’s verse provides God’s legal requirement for any foreigner who wished to become an Israelite: circumcision.

The Jewish practice of circumcision was instituted by God Himself to mark every willing person as God’s special treasure – a person chosen by Him. That person who willingly underwent circumcision was making a covenant allegiance to the God of the Bible (“He who is born in your house and he who is bought with money (from any stranger who is not your descendant) must be circumcised. My covenant shall be in your flesh for an everlasting covenant” (Genesis 17:13).

But God’s command of physical circumcision was not what separated one to Him – it is a circumcision of the heart: “The Lord your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you will love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live” (Deuteronomy 30:6). The oath – the objective moral declaration of allegiance, made from the heart – is the key to circumcision.

Paul explains how Old Testament circumcision is an outward declaration of an inward heart circumcision, showing allegiance to God through their inward allegiance to Jesus Christ: “In Him you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ” (Colossians 2:11). Christianity is a relationship with God through the circumcision of your heart to Christ.

America’s Naturalization Oath of Allegiance is a takeoff of biblical circumcision. Anyone wishing to become a US citizen must solemnly swear, with their heart and soul, to the US Constitution. Contrary to what the news media is telling us, foreigners cannot be recognized as US citizens outside of this legal process.

As US citizens, we celebrate when former strangers follow the laws of the US and become citizens. That’s biblical: “You shall love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt” (Deuteronomy 10:19).

But what our government is doing at the US border in Del Rio, Texas violates the Section 337.1 of INA. Our taxpayer dollars are paying for our government to transport Haitian migrants illegally to cities throughout the US. It is a horrible injustice to all American citizens. The solution is simple: follow the objective law.

vEd Croteau is a resident of Lee’s Summit and hosts a weekly study in Lees Summit called “Faith: Substance and Evidence.” He can be reached with your questions through the Lee’s Summit Tribune at [email protected].