Tuesday, July 31: A response from PRCalDude:
“I’ve debated illegals online about the fact that they claim to be Christian yet violate our laws to be here. They see no problem with this because they are Roman Catholic and they don’t know the Bible. When I refer to Romans 13, they have never read it. In the Roman Church, the authority of the Pope and the Magisterium comes before the authority of Scripture. Therefore, when Cardinal Mahony and Roman clergy in Mexico tell them it’s alright to come here, they take that as ‘The Word of God’ rather than Romans 13.
“I’d like to add that for this reason, some churches won’t even admit illegal immigrants into their congregation. The Orthodox Presbyterian Church came out with this ruling on the subject [PDF document] which basically stated that they were not admissible for their failure to obey the ruling authorities. Then there is this take from De Regno Christi:
“‘President Bush has secured his legacy. The promise of immigration reform has degenerated into amnesty. How should Christians think about the issue?’
“This is an excerpt from the Understanding the Times Committee Report to the Reformed Presbyterian Synod in 2006. The controversial report was received as information. I am the author:
Wars and Rumors of War: Border Security
While American soldiers are fighting in the Middle East, and army of illegal immigrants is invading the homeland. Of course, the invasion of our southern border is not a military conquest but it does have grave cultural and economic implications. The RPC recognizes the moral dilemma involved in the discussion.
First, as Christians, we must remember that we were strangers who dwelt in Egypt. When Israel inherited the land of promise, they were called upon to remember this history of subjection when dealing with aliens in their midst. As such, we should be tenderhearted to those in need and show liberality toward those who seek refuge.
Yet, our sympathy is moderated by the unwillingness of illegal immigrants to show respect toward the American system of ordered liberty. Radical leaders of the pro-immigration movement speak of reclaiming the southwest for Mexico. Thus, as millions of illegal aliens cross the border under the flag of Mexico, the question is not how can we deal mercifully with needy refugees, but rather how can the United States defend its historic, cultural, and linguistic heritage? The moral law of God maintains the individuals inherent right to self-defense. Do nations and cultures have no such right? Such a conclusion would appear absurd.
“A year later, I say amen.
“Unfortunately, even in Reformed circles, there is very little Biblical thinking on the matter.”
Over the years my community has been negatively impacted by a massive influx of illegal immigrants. There’s been a huge increase in violence and crime, job loss, and a housing shortage. It’s taxing our education and health care systems. We’re all paying the price for people who refuse to abide by the law. I know that as a Christian, I’m supposed to have compassion for the poor and needy. But I’m really struggling with this.
—Overwhelmed
That’s an e-mail sent to the editor of the “Everyday Theology†section of Today’s Christian magazine last year. The editor replies:
Your frustration is understandable. The Scriptures have a lot to say about what is just and fair. It admonishes us to honor both the laws of God and the law of the land, showing respect for civil authority: “For the Lord is a God of justice … ” (Is. 30:18).
But many of the same Scriptures—often in the same sentence—also remind us that the Lord is a God of mercy, that He longs to be gracious to us and wants us to extend grace to others. Consider His words to Israel in Deuteronomy 10:17-19: “The Lord your God … shows no partiality and takes no bribes. He gives justice to orphans and widows. He shows love to the foreigners living among you and gives them food and clothing. You, too, must show love to foreigners, for you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.”
Christians who criticize other Christians for complaining about illegal “immigration†typically cite the “love those who are aliens†verses in the Bible as some sort of proof that we shouldn’t complain about illegal aliens, but those verses are instructing Christians not to be prejudiced against foreigners simply because they’re foreigners. They’re not instructing us to turn a blind eye to foreigners breaking the law.
(This post isn’t a direct response to the editor who answered the letter. It’s mostly in response to people who’ve criticized me.)
I doubt ancient Israel had immigration laws, but if it had, do you imagine the God of the Bible would admonish his people for regulating their borders? It may seem like a silly question, but based on what I know of God, the answer would be, “No.”
It is not unbiblical or “un-Christian” to speak out against illegal “immigration” and what it’s doing to our country, or to use legal means to curb the problem.
While I don’t believe the term “aliens” in the Bible refers to aliens who disregard a host country’s laws, the message is understood. Christians, commissioned to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ to all, are to evangelize, love, and be compassionate toward aliens as well as their own countrymen.
But here’s where some Christians get it twisted: Christ-professing foreigners are under the same mandate as Christian citizens: to evangelize, to honor and obey God, to love the people of that land, and, let’s not forget, obey the laws of that land.
Every time Christians have criticized me in the comment section for speaking out — and speaking loudly — against illegal aliens, they cite the same verses and remind me that Jesus ministered to the poor, was merciful, etc. In turn, I asked those same critics, sometimes in the post itself, sometimes in the comment section, if they’ve ever admonished illegal aliens who say they’re Christians, and if not, what they’d say to them about crossing our borders in violation of our laws and showing little compassion themselves.
I have never — never — gotten a coherent answer to that question. Not one.
Now, as sinners, we do have to be careful of prejudice and bigotry. If the influx of illegal aliens belongs to a homogenous group, there is a tendency to lash out at the entire group or people who look like members of the group. That is something we Christians need to pray about and to work on. But that in no way implies we should cease complaining about foreigners invading our land and changing our culture for the worst — or trying to stop the invasion through legal means — simply because we don’t want to be perceived as bigots.
If you’re a Christian who has confronted Christ-professing illegal aliens about their lawbreaking activity, I’d love to hear from you. I’ll post instructive (and coherent) responses. My e-mail address is barbersview [AT] yahoo [DOT] com.
Related posts:
