Some Christians in Iowa are struggling to be compassionate towards incoming refugees even as they harbour fears that some of the refugees could turn out to be terrorists.
The fear is borne out by the fact that at least one of the terrorists who took part in the Paris attacks on Nov. 13 was able to enter Europe by joining the exodus of refugees from Syria to Greece, where they later fanned out to various European countries.
Moreover, Richard Tucker, as Iowa resident, said he is finding it difficult to consider the welfare of refugees in his area when he wants to prioritise the welfare of his own family.
"You can be very compassionate towards people, but to me, my first responsibility is to my family, my community," Tucker told CNN.
"No matter how much compassion I may have for some other group, if I don't think I can allow that group into my community or near my family and be safe," he added.
Tucker nevertheless said he is not doubting the goodness of many Muslims.
"I'm not trying to cast aspersions on Muslims in general, because I'm sure the vast majority of Muslims are good people just like the vast majority of Christians are," he said.
Carl Arson, a farmer from Iowa, however, has a stronger opinion towards Syrian refugees.
"I really don't want to get blown up by them... I don't trust them. Isn't this a Christian nation? Am I wrong?" Arson said of the Muslim community, as quoted by CNN.
Pastor Josh Byers of the Willowcreek Baptist Church in West Des Moine agreed that the United State should not have allowed Muslim refugees in its territory.
"The church's role is not to be the state. The state's role is not to be the church," Byers said. "It's very clear scripturally that that's the case, and practically, it works out pretty well, too."
Iowa Rep. Steven Holt, for his part, blamed President Barack Obama for putting his constituents in this situation.
"I'll tell you, the compassionate thing to do would've been for President Obama to have a policy that would not lead to what were dealing with right now," Holt told CNN.
"I'm a 20-year Marine, I'm a Republican. I'm not afraid of widows and orphans. I do fear for the safety of my country and the safety of my children," he added.
