Yet as time went on, it seems it only ever applied to abortion or human trafficking or drag queens or certain books. Because when it comes to saving children from starving and dying in Gaza, it seems protecting an unwavering support of a nation state is more important. When it comes to saving children from being wrongfully detained by ICE or having to represent themselves before a judge in immigration court alone, it seems protecting a hardline immigration approach is more important. When it comes to saving children from dying by gun violence, it seems protecting our guns is more important. When it comes to saving children relying on SNAP and Medicaid, it seems protecting our ideas of personal responsibility is more important. When it comes to saving children relying on USAID for food and medical resources, again it seems protecting our money is more important. When it comes to saving children of color facing economic and systemic injustice, it seems protecting ourselves from learning the history of racism in our country is more important. When it comes to saving children facing an uncertain future because of the continued damage to our planet, it seems protecting our profit margins and ignorance of science is more important. It seems as though “we have to save the children” only applies to certain issues, like abortion and human trafficking. Yet even with those issues protecting children still isn’t the goal. Because the extreme laws we’ve chosen towards abortion rather than addressing poverty and lack of healthcare only leads to higher abortion rates, as well as higher infant and maternal mortality rates. All while eroding women’s rights. Because our focus on human trafficking was solely placed on the border or drag shows, we have become unfocused on how kids are more likely to be trafficked by family members or abused at church than they are by an undocumented immigrant or a drag queen. It seems as though “save the children” was just a phrase used to make people angry and support certain politicians, but not actually about saving children. When are we Christians actually going to care about the children? Because if we aren’t, then we need to stop acting like we have any moral high ground. “Then people brought little children to Jesus for him to place his hands on them and pray for them. But the disciples rebuked them. Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” -Matthew 19:13-14 “The children are always ours, every single one of them, all over the globe; and I am beginning to suspect that whoever is incapable of recognizing this may be incapable of morality.” -James Baldwin Rev. Benjamin R. Cremer (@brcremer)
