We have another story that reinforces the adage that you have to be careful what you wish, or pray, for. Hannah Gastonguay, 26, and her husband Sean, (and his father) took their two young children on a small boat to leave the United States to “see where God led us.” The family opposed what they viewed as the lack of religious freedom in the United States and set out to find a new home on the tiny island nation of Kiribati. Instead, they found themselves battered for weeks in powerful storms that left them adrift with little food or water. They were finally rescued, taken to Chile, and now plan to return to Arizona.
The small boat held Hannah, her 30-year-old husband Sean, his father Mike, and the couple’s daughters, 3-year-old Ardith and baby Rahab. It was a considerable risk when they set sail from San Diego. They were eventually found by a Venezuelan fishing vessel and then transferred to a Japanese cargo ship which took them to Chile. Once in Chile, the godless American government that they were fleeing arranged for tickets to take them back to Arizona.
Hannah Gastonguay said that they wanted to leave a country where they felt Christians were being forced to support “abortion, homosexuality, in the state-controlled church.” They also objected to being “forced to pay these taxes that pay for abortions we don’t agree with.” She insisted that “[t]he Bible is pretty clear.” That led them to set out to move to an island and put themselves in God’s hands. They would be adrift for 91 days but insisted that they never lost faith “God would see us through.” They don’t blame God for the storms and instead insist that “[b]eing out on that boat, I just knew I was going to see some miracles.” Result: the trip proved that God had a plan all along for them
Hannah says that they are now planning to go back to Arizona and “come up with a new plan.” God only knows what that will be.
Source: Chroncile
The whole point was not religious freedom, but tax imprisonment. That is, paying taxes for things you are completely against, and stepping up to the plate to release themselves from it (i.e., took steps to support their freedom).. Most people are not perfectly successful on a big, new adventure the first time out, but they stuck to their convictions and did it. More guts than most comfies have. Did they actually ask to be returned to the US? Nowadays all countries see people as being owned by a particular country (government) as evidenced by the all-critical passport or “ownership papers” of your government. Passports were once used NOT as political identity but as a request from the bearer’s country to ensure a safe passage in travel. It was never used as a tracking device as it is now.
Sounds perfectly reasonable. They talked the talk and then walked the walk. Go home and watch telly if it offends you.
Have them try any of the following countries:
Somalia, Yemen (ladies don’t forget your burqas), North Korea, Waziristan in Northern Pakistan, Mali ESP. Timbuktu …
Need I say more …. See how fast they high-tail it back to AZ after going to any of these countries .
Pete, LoL you had me at the JC image, the music was a bonus. Excellent and on point comment.
I though think it’s going to be a much more harsh judgment and he has the music for that also. Bookends on a theme.
LK
you know god’s not gonna let global warming happen. he’ll stop it any day now.
raff, Mohammed is a Cardinal’s fan!
nick,
I didn’t realize that Mohammed was a White Sox fan too! 🙂
All you people saying that their kids should be taken away from them: don´t you think the kids have already been through enough?
Didn’t even have the common sense to check the Google machine:
“In June 2008, Kiribati officials asked Australia and New Zealand to accept Kiribati citizens as permanent refugees. Kiribati is expected to be the first country to lose all its land territory to global climate change. In June 2008, the Kiribati president Anote Tong said that the country has reached “…the point of no return.” He added, “To plan for the day when you no longer have a country is indeed painful but I think we have to do that.”[19][20][21][22]
In early 2012, the government of Kiribati purchased the 2,200-hectare Natoavatu Estate on the second largest island of Fiji, Vanua Levu. At the time it was widely,[23][24] but incorrectly,[25] reported that the Government planned to evacuate the entire population of Kiribati to Fiji. However, in April 2013, President Tong began urging citizens to evacuate the islands and migrate elsewhere.[26]”
Send these, the homeless, tempest-tossed back to AZ.