A Call for Immigration Reform Informed by the Bible

The Christian Post ^ | February 15, 2014 | JIM WALTERS, CP GUEST CONTRIBUTOR

[moonshinner_09]

With just a few clicks on an ancestry website, I recently traced my own U.S. immigration story to 1650 - just 30 years after the Mayflower's landing - when my nine-times great grandfather, John Whitlow, stepped off a boat into what would later become Virginia. Undoubtedly, he did not have permission or a visa from the Rappahannock Indians, so truth be told, he was an "undocumented" arrival.

Considering the complexity of my own family tree, alongside my experiences growing up in central Texas, I have to ask myself: How should I respond as an evangelical pastor to the current immigration issues in the United States? Going to Scripture, I quickly find that the Bible instructs Christians to obey the laws of the land in Romans 13, while also repeatedly calling followers to welcome the stranger like in Matthew 25.

So I must ask myself; so we must all ask ourselves: How can we honor and respect the rule of law taught in Romans 13 and follow God's many instructions to love our immigrant neighbors like in Matthew 25?

The U.S. government has in many regards simply looked the other way as people immigrated here unlawfully, perhaps because unauthorized immigrants greatly contribute to our economy. Much like driving over the speed limit is illegal but you are unlikely to get a ticket, the vast majority of the people present in the U.S. unlawfully have never faced any penalty.

So while the nature of immigrating illegally definitely disrespects God's command in Romans 13 to submit to the law and governing authorities, we as American citizens must also come to terms with our own disrespect of Romans 13. Turning a blind eye to people coming here to work and contribute to our economy - not to mention to contribute

[moonshinner_09]

I wonder why these pastors never say anything like,what would Jesus do if he lived in Mexico ? Would Jesus also seek out the very dangerous drug cartel smugglers, giving payment of money to be smuggled out of the country ?What would Jesus say, I do not care that the money I give you keeps your many organizations in business so that you may continue to be terrorists and terrorize all of Mexico and support the many gangs in America with this money I will give you. Would Jesus run away from Mexico and let it be someone's else's problem ? What would Jesus do about the smugglers announce we are now making stop to buy some fraudulent documents you will need these to obtain work.We carry wide assortment of fake or stolen documents.Today we have on special actual real SSN'S belonging to real Americans.Why do these pastors think shifting Mexico's problems to become America problems means any immigration laws passed leaves Mexico being the same country with the same problems and more people will head north. The pastors are turning a blind eye to the people of Mexico by never saying,what would Jesus do if he were regular citizen of Mexico ?

[cripplecreek]

[MeshugeMikey]

Amen and AMEN!

[Guenevere]

This is propaganda from the ‘ church of social gospel’ masquerading as compassionate conservatism........feh!

[Rockingham]

America is insanely accommodating to illegal immigration, far more so than Mexico and the other countries flooding with with their poor and criminals. As to immigration, that "do unto others" command has a simple and clear resolution: you stay in your country, and we'll stay in ours.

[ealgeone]

Sorry, but this guy is busted and he is not be forthcoming in his article.

From the article:

What I am describing is not amnesty. I was a pastor in Texas in 1986, when our nation offered an “amnesty” program for a half a million undocumented immigrants (it helped our businesses thrive, kept families together and spurred new ministries like ESL classes in churches). I’ve seen amnesty, so let me be clear: the proposals under consideration in Washington, D.C., right now are not amnesty. If these policies become law, immigrants in the United States unlawfully will have to come forward and pay a fine to earn the chance to get right with the law. There will be no free passes.

It’s time for both parties to work together. This issue is too urgent to be politicized, and for too long folks have jumped to one side because their opponents are on the other. This is a people issue, and with a government of the people, by the people, and for the people, this situation can be greatly improved.

From the website http://evangelicalimmigrationtable.com/#principles
As evangelical Christian leaders, we call for a bipartisan solution on immigration that:
••Establishes a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents.

There were some other things they wanted to see, but this one was the main one. It clearly shows he is a member of an organization who has a stated goal of providing citizenship if possible for people who have broken the laws of this country.

I call him a liar on his position regarding immigration.

[dadfly]

the first difference (i have many others but one is enough to refute him) i have with this *pastor* is the comingling of his version of amnesty with our Lord’s commands in Matt 25. for me, it is obvious that our Lord is commanding that our charity—and note here that we are refering to His definition of charity, not this pastor’s—extend directly from us as individuals to the “least of His brethern.” he is not talking about the state or the government rendering our charity for us. that is impossible of course, laughable really; only an individual can give love to another individual.

[Bryan24]

As a LAW ABIDING citizen, why will the US Government not respect the rule of law and bar those who willingly break the law to get into the country? If I break the law, I can’t expect to say “but, but, but” and get them to forget about me breaking the law.

[Politicalkiddo]

Plenty of people entered the country through either Angel Island of Ellis island. Those who were deemed as dangerous (health wise, usually) were sent back in order to protect the U.S. citizens. Now we allow idiots to bring diseases and criminal activities from their third world country and risk ours in the process. The primary job of a government is to protect its people first. No questions asked.

[Some Fat Guy in L.A.]

Both the Old and New Testaments urge Christians to be fair, honorable and charitable in dealing with aliens. They also instruct us to “render unto Caesar that which is Caesar’s”, which many soft-hearted people seem to forget. Illegals broke the law to be here, plain and simple - there is no Christian responsibility to treat them as citizens. A gentle and loving push back across the border and a nice tall fence to keep them there is called for.

Once they are back where they came from and the fence is built, I have no problem with a controlled guest worker program so rat elites can keep their nannies and maids - but part of the deal should be that they must pay their registered guest workers per the applicable wage laws. Paying Jose $2 per hour for work that Leon would make $7.29 for is what is enabling the whole issue - eliminate that loophole and the playing field is leveled. And if Jose wants to be more than a guest worker he can get in line for the process like millions of legal immigrants have done over the years.

[Sheapdog]

I find that most Christians are unable to Biblically defend a nation state at all. I was in seminary a few years back and would often pose our modern dilemmas regarding immigration and borders to both students and professors and the answers and results weren’t good.

I would often show people Acts 17:26 - just to show people that borders and countries are okay with God and in fact a part of God’s plan.

26 And he made from one man every nation of mankind to live on all the face of the earth, having determined allotted periods and the boundaries of their dwelling place,

I would then have to point out that sojourners who would have an inheritance with the natives must abide by the laws of the land and not fight them or try to upend and take over or else they are no longer sojourners but an invasion and maybe if it is possible anymore for a person to be an enemy or at minimum unwelcome.

Ezekiel 47:22-23 (English Standard Version)

22 You shall allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the sojourners who reside among you and have had children among you. They shall be to you as native-born children of Israel. With you they shall be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. 23 In whatever tribe the sojourner resides, there you shall assign him his inheritance, declares the Lord God.

Of course the verses regarding the ‘ger’ or the sojourner are always brought up but in a cherry picked fashion I would add.

Exodus 22:21

21 “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

Leviticus 19:33-34

33 “When a stranger sojourns with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. 34 You shall treat the stranger who sojourns with you as the native among you, and you shall love him as yourself, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God. 35 “You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measures of length or weight or quantity. 36 You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin:[a] I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt. 37 And you shall observe all my statutes and all my rules, and do them: I am the Lord.”

What needs to be pointed out is that if the sojourner or alien does not abide by the same laws then they lose their rights and certainly have no place for an inheritance.

Numbers 15:15-16

15 For the assembly, there shall be one statute for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you, a statute forever throughout your generations. You and the sojourner shall be alike before the Lord. 16 One law and one rule shall be for you and for the stranger who sojourns with you.”

Deuteronomy 27:17-19

17 “‘Cursed be anyone who moves his neighbor’s landmark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
18 “‘Cursed be anyone who misleads a blind man on the road.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’
19 “‘Cursed be anyone who perverts the justice due to the sojourner, the fatherless, and the widow.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’

I would suggest modern immigration and amnesty is all about exploiting people and the citizens of America. This is a curse.

Loving one’s neighbor and the stranger is not the same as giving them one’s inheritance and oppressing your own family in the process.

This article below has some valid and good points to make as people of faith having to deal with 21st century issues.

http://cis.org/statement_on_faith_and_immigration

[Nifster]

More importantly this ‘pastor’ is misrepresenting what the Bible actually says.

The stranger he refers to is NOT an ILLEGAL immigrant trying to sneak into a country to take jobs away from others who are there legally. The stranger is someone outside of the tribe that would ordinarily be killed to protect the tribe from foreign influence and invasion. To welcome the strange simply means to allow them to pass through unharmed, to help them with food and water and bid them fare well and send them on their way. It is not a directive to allow them to over run your country and destroy your culture.

This man should be ashamed of himself for misusing God’s word in this manner.

[Nifster]

you have it right

[Linda Frances]

This may all be moot. If Mexico has the fracking boom that is being talked about, everyone will be headed there. Thanks to obama and the lefts obsession with environmental extremist , Mexico economy might pick up while US remains in trouble.

[dadfly]

thanks. we know it can get more complicated—that God can work through the body of believers; He can weld us into unified groups, but keep it simple. it really comes down to us; how we choose to take responsibility.

[VerySadAmerican]

The Bible says nothing about the government helping the stranger that was robbed on the road. It was a Good Samaratan who helped him. If someone wants to open their home to immigrants, good for them. But the government should not force people to be kind. If they could, everyone could be forced to be a Christian or a muslim or....never mind.

[Wuli]

“Turning a blind eye to people coming here to work and contribute to our economy - not to mention to contribute.”

the bible also teaches us to treat our neighbors right

so when will our neighbor to the south start treating us right

when you neighbor steels their way into your house

and declares he has a right to steal his way into your

house, is he treating YOU like a good neighbor

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the “Christian” arguments for amnesty are all one side and hypocritical

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the phrase in the poem honoring the statue of Liberty, says to “send me your..................YEARNING TO BE FREE”

and in the immigration debates that last part is always left out, togther with the fact that those stealing their way into the country by-and-large FREE and in democratic societies

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the “Chistian” argument for amnesty is simply more excuses

[enduserindy]

I can tell you if Jesus had kids he would try to get them out of that war zone anyway he could, just as I or you would.

[paudio]

St. Paul is a Roman citizen, and he sometimes discussed the privileges that come with the status and made some comparison with being a citizen of Kingdom of God which require a claim by the Host.

[huldah1776]

Before the Israelites went into the promised land God warned them not to do as the natives did - Sacrifice their children to Molech. If they did, their nation would also be invaded. What goes around, comes around.