More than 200 evangelical Christian leaders, moderates as well as influential conservatives, have signed an open letter urging the presidential candidates of both parties to reflect “biblical principles on immigration.” While challenging both parties, the letter signals particular discomfort with the approach taken by former President Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, to the issue.
The letter, released on Monday, was organized by the evangelical humanitarian aid organization World Relief and signed by the group’s vice president of advocacy and policy, Matthew Soerens, as well as Timothy R. Head of the Faith and Freedom Coalition; Daniel Darling of the Land Center for Cultural Engagement at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; and National Association of Evangelicals President Walter Kim.
Other signers include Gabriel and Jeanette Salguero, leaders of the National Latino Evangelical Coalition; Raymond Chang, president of the Asian American Christian Collaborative; Dave Dummitt, senior pastor of Willow Creek Community Church; and Rich Nathan, pastor of Vineyard church in Columbus, Ohio.
“There’s no single evangelical perspective on U.S. immigration policy,” the letter argued, but added, “the vast majority of American evangelicals are neither anti-immigrant nor advocates for open borders.”
The letter instead detailed three “core principles” regarding evangelical beliefs and immigration: the belief that immigrants are made in the image of God and have innate dignity, a desire for secure and orderly borders, and opposing immigration policies that separate families.
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The call for more secure borders seemed to appeal to critics of the current administration, as did the letter’s concern about the “record number of apprehensions of individuals who have unlawfully crossed the U.S.-Mexico border” and those who have entered without being apprehended. The signers argue the influx increases “the risk of entry of those intent on harming the United States and its citizens,” a concern heavily emphasized by Trump’s presidential campaign.
“We believe our government can and must both maintain a secure, orderly border and protect those fleeing persecution,” the letter reads.
But the letter appeared more reflective of criticism lobbed at Vance and Trump, particularly in light of controversy sparked by their repeated false claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. “Dehumanizing language is offensive to evangelicals, especially because many of us are immigrants, are descendants of immigrants or have personal relationships with the immigrants who make up a growing share of our movement,” read World Vision’s letter, using language similar to religious leaders who have come to the Haitian community’s defense, with local and national clergy signing statements rallying in support.
The letter also singled out the “zero tolerance” policy instituted in 2018 by the Trump administration, which led to immigrant children detained along the U.S.-Mexico border being separated from their parents and sent to other facilities, sometimes without enough information to easily reunite them later. The policy, overwhelmingly condemned by faith leaders at the time, induced hundreds of United Methodists to join an unsuccessful effort to bring church discipline against then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions, a UMC member who had attempted to justify the policy with Scripture.
At least one Catholic bishop also suggested “canonical penalties” — which includes denial of Communion — for any Catholics who helped implement the policy.
The letter connected the policy to recent proposals by Trump to enact the “largest deportation” in U.S. history.
“While those convicted of serious violent offenses should face deportation,” the letter reads, “any initiative to deport all unauthorized immigrants — the vast majority of whom have lived within the United States for at least a decade and have not been convicted of any serious crime — would result in family separation at an unconscionable scale.”
In an email to media, Soerens argued the Trump campaign “is making not just a moral error in using dehumanizing language and proposing policies that would separate families on a large scale, but also a political misstep.” He said that while Trump has long enjoyed ironclad support from white evangelical voters, his approach to immigration could damage the former president’s prospects come Election Day.
“I’m obviously not predicting that most white evangelicals in Wisconsin or any state are going to vote for Harris, but if even a small share of 2020 Trump voters make that switch or — perhaps more likely — are so dismayed by both candidates that they simply stay home, it could be decisive in states like Wisconsin, North Carolina and Georgia, where the margin of victory is sure to be very close,” Soerens wrote.
The signers of the letter, who hail from all 50 states, include Myal Greene of World Relief, president of the Council for Christian Colleges and Universities David Hoag and an array of local faith leaders in states such as Wisconsin, among others.
“As you seek to appeal to evangelical voters, we urge you to reflect each of these biblically-informed values in the rhetoric you employ and the policy solutions you propose,” the letter concludes. “Regardless of the outcome of this or any election, American evangelicals remain committed to the biblical call to love our neighbors — including our immigrant neighbors.”
The letter comes less than two days after a faith-themed event in Pennsylvania where Vance offered a theological defense of Trump’s border policies. Speaking before a conservative Christian crowd, Vance, a Catholic, suggested his hardline position on immigration is rooted in the “Christian idea that you owe the strongest duty to your family,” and that leaders should prioritize their own citizens first.
“It doesn’t mean that you have to be mean to other people, but it means that your first duty as an American leader is to the people of your own country,” said Vance.
Jack Jenkins is an award-winning journalist and national reporter for the Religion News Service.
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89 Responses
Trump built the wall, just as Nehemiah did to protect the Israelites. Read Scripture to see what God told His people about who they were to allow into their camp. Just as heaven has walls and gates along with a very restrictive entrance policy, every nation in the world should have the same. All opposed to this prove they are with the evil cabal while pretending to be Christian. Thank you, Heavenly Father for giving us Donald J. Trump!
Donald Trump is morally disqualified from the office of President. God may allow his election, but it may well be a precursor to impending judgment. Before you work yourself into a lather, I’m not saying that Kamala Harris is a better option. In my 70 years, I don’t remember a time when the choice was so bleak.
I have a sneaking suspicion that the “walls and gates” of Heaven aren’t about restricting entrance.
This is a joke, right? It has to be parody.
wow. By that logic – why don’t we just go ahead and kill them all and take their cattle and resources, eh Dee? That’s what God told the Israelites to do originally. I guess we can ignore the parts about welcoming the alien / stranger, caring for the hurting, etc…
Thankfully – America is NOT the new Israel, nor the old one (and for that matter, though it should be able to go unsaid – Israel itself is not the Biblical nation of Israel – unless I missed the press conference where Bibi offered a sacrificial atonement at the temple for the nation) so the wall, Nehemiah etc…don’t matter a hill of beans to the current situation. The only time you can count on Nehemiah being taught in the US anymore is at the start of a new church building campaign.
Dee’s comment is proof positive why it won’t matter what other evangelicals say – for all the “evil cabal” talk, it’s pretty clear most Trump supporters are amazingly and wildly deluded and decieved. Alas.
Nathan Campbell: Dee’s comments are just her own. I notice that the people who are completely in support of allowing 1000’s of illegal aliens to break the laws of this country every single day they remain here and are paid by the government to do so paint the people who support actually enforcing our immigration laws as evil Neanderthals who want to kill everyone. What an asinine tactic. Anyone who breaks the law to enter this country should be returned to their place of origin. Period. Unless you think we should just ignore the laws altogether? Because in reality, that is exactly what you are saying.
While I agree with you in principle, Eddie, what has “illegal immigration” looked like for the past 300 years from the Native American’s viewpoint? “1000’s of illegal aliens to break the laws of this country”? Suppose I stole someone else’s land using laws to justify such actions, then created laws to protect it, does that make me right in God’s sight? Suppose my grandchildren and great grandchildren inherit the land that I stole. They had no part and bear no guilt for the stealing of the land. But, does that change the status of the land to “not stolen”? How does God see it?
This isn’t to justify illegal immigration. But, a little circumspection and humility before Jesus on this subject would be in order… on all our parts.
“With what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you” ~Jesus
“Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them” ~Jesus
David Jay,
You will have to ask God why he sanctioned the Jews’ taking of the lands currently occupied by Israel. Would you say the land was stolen? Or was it given to them?
Ms. Norbeck said: “You will have to ask God why he sanctioned the Jews’ taking of the lands currently occupied by Israel. Would you say the land was stolen? Or was it given to them?”
Is this implying that God took the land of the Native and gave the US to Europeans to possess… by divine mandate? If so, what is the Biblical basis for concluding that?
Disclaimer: I have jewish family in the US, and Israel (whose safety I pray for, and am very concerned about). Because hostilities broke out days before I was due to visit Israel, I was unable to see my uncle one last time before he passed :(
False dichotomy. The people that you are talking about 300 years ago stole it from other people who were there before them. That happened on this continent just as it happened in Europe and Asia. When one group gets run out of one place and they get large enough and strong enough to take someone else’s place they do so because that is part of mans sinful nature. So you actually prove the opposite of what you are trying to say. And yes, if you come at the issue in any way other than saying people need to immigrate lawfully then you are supporting border jumping whether you wish to admit it or not. The “stole the land from this other group” is always a dodge and it’s always a logical non-starter.
“Anyone who breaks the law to enter this country should be returned to their place of origin. Period.”
Even if they are parents of American citizens?
Even if sending them back to their place of origin would almost certainly be a death sentence?
And even if you don’t care about your non-citizen neighbors and their families, there would be huge economic consequences: it would devastate industries like construction and agriculture where the undocumented population make up a disproportionately large share of the workers. Food and housing are two areas with the biggest complaints about inflation, but what do you think would happen if we drastically cut back on those workforces?
Your comment is right on the truth. God did not want foreign people and nations to bring corrupt ways and pagan beliefs to His people. Walls make good neighbors. This article is a very liberal point of view and not one that Christian Conservatives should have. Our country is the way it is largely due to the open borders.
Joan – “His people”? And who are “His people” in this case? I DO hope you know that America is NOT a Christian nation (by “official” religion or by majority practice/beliefs), and hasn’t been for quite some time. No need to blame immigrants or “foreigners” for “corrupt ways and pagan beliefs”. They have been here!
By the way, you are conflating verses – God didn’t want His people to marry or be yoked with foreigners/unbelievers. He said nothing about blocking all contact. I mean, didn’t He send us out into the world to evangelize it?
Joan Keller are you saying that undocumented immigrants are bringing corrupt ways and pagan beliefs to our nation?
You might be persuaded to see it a differently if you knew that the vast majority are our Christian brothers and sisters.
They are not undocumented immigrants. Immigrants enter the country legally. Every single person who crossed our borders illegally is an illegal alien. You can try and Band-Aid it with a less icky label but it doesn’t change the people’s status. Exactly how do you know that the “vast majority” of illegal aliens are also Christians? Source?
Saying that everyone who crosses the border illegally is an illegal is circular logic.
But that’s not the picture of what is actually happening.What about asylum seekers, migrants looking for work, people seeking to reunite with family?
https://www.pewresearch.org/religion/2013/05/17/the-religious-affiliation-of-us-immigrants/
“Unauthorized immigrants, by contrast, come primarily from Latin America and the Caribbean, and the overwhelming majority of them – an estimated 83% – are Christian. That share is slightly higher than the percentage of Christians in the U.S. population as a whole (estimated at just under 80% of U.S. residents of all ages, as of 2010)”
Not a recent study but I doubt it has drastically changed.
Recent studies that don’t distinguish legal versus illegal have Christianity at 47%. That would come from a completely different mix of people than those who are known to cross the border.
A wall is a wall is a wall is a wall is a wall? Not!
Dee said: “Trump built the wall, just as Nehemiah did to protect the Israelites.”
As long as we are using the Bible to prooftext ideologies…
Using that same logic, Artexerxes gave Ezra and the exiles “reparations” (Ezra 7:12-23) from the state’s coffers. About 150 years after the original exiles were taken to Babylon. So, shall we also say that it is ‘right and just’ for the US Government to pay “reparations” to descendants of: 1) Natives on reservations exiled in their own land, and 2) Africans exiled from their lands?
If not, why not? If one can draw a parallel between America and Israel, wouldn’t it be equally justified for Natives and African Americans to draw parallels between themselves and Israel? If one disagrees with what I have advanced, does that mean that they are “with the evil cabal while pretending to be Christian”?
Why is it that we are quick to pick and choose precedents from the Bible, only as long as they serve our ends?
“Diverse weights are an abomination to the Lord, And dishonest scales are not good” (Proverbs 20:23).
I wish these guys would have spoken up earlier. They have a good perspective and it should be heard.
The majority of World Relief’s income comes from government grants. In FY2019 (pre-Covid) under the Trump administration, they received $45,315,451. In FY2022 under the Biden administration, they received $126,026,563. They stand to lose a lot of funding if Trump is elected. https://worldrelief.org/financials/
1 Timothy 5:8 New Century Version (NCV)
“Whoever does not care for his own relatives, especially his own family members, has turned against the faith and is worse than someone who does not believe in God.”
“Romans 13:1–7 makes it abundantly clear that God expects us to obey the laws of the government. The only exception to this is when a law of the government forces us to disobey a command of God (Acts 5:29). Illegal immigration is the breaking of a government’s law. There is nothing in Scripture that contradicts the idea of a sovereign nation having immigration laws. Therefore, it is rebellion against God to unlawfully enter another country. Illegal immigration is a sin.”
https://www.gotquestions.org/illegal-immigration.html
Entry without inspection by an immigration officer, or overstaying one’s visa, is a misdemeanor offense.
Are you willing to apply this treatment to all misdemeanors, including traffic violations?
Brian, here’s the law: “Noncitizens whose entry is suspended, including those who cross unlawfully between ports of entry instead of using a lawful pathway will generally, not be eligible for asylum and face a higher screening standard for other forms of protection. Noncitizens who do not establish a legal basis to remain in the United States will:
be promptly removed to their home country or a third country,
face at least a 5-year bar on re-entry, and
confront possible criminal charges for a subsequent unlawful reentry.” Yes, the 1st offense is a misdemeanor. It’s still a crime with different consequences.
Your logic about government laws and rebelling against God is appalling. Did you know that slavery was once protected by law? Get it?
As was segregation. And disenfranchisement/denial of citizenship.
This is the danger of legalism. This same “we are called to obey laws of the government” argument was used to call out Christian leaders of the civil rights movement for disobedience.
It’s why we must be grateful for those who said, “but treating others as lesser (based on race, gender, or even NATIONALITY) DOES force us to disobey a command of God!” God knows where we’d be without them.
It is simply astonishing that people of faith, not to mention ministry people do not perceive the kind of man President Trump is! This may be more about trying to stay relevant, when more and more Christians have had enough of present day organized church, and the pitiful state of disappointing leadership.
Do you want ME to tell you want kind of man Trump is ??????? I will mostly gladly WILL….. to start a racist, rude, disrespectful, narcissistic 34 times felon….. need I go on?
Don’t forget the infidelity to marriage and sexual assaults. What a man of God!
These so-called “Evangelical Leaders” sing the same old tired song every election cycle! Rather than worrying about Trump, why don’t they worry more about sleeping with little girls and boys, other People’s spouses?, and staying true to the call of the Gospel? Trump is right on the Border. There is nothing in the Scripture that says that a sovereign nation must allow illegal immigrants to disregard their laws and come any against the foreign country’s will!
We’ve all seen that there are criminal and thuggish people that have come into our country that have hurt people, murdered people, and take over Apartment complexes. I don’t give a DARN what others think about it, that kind of rebellious behavior MUST be put to an end at ANY cost, and President Trump will get it done!
The Cato Institute says he didn’t get it done! https://www.cato.org/blog/president-trump-reduced-legal-immigration-he-did-not-reduce-illegal-immigration
Jack Jenkins is a liar. If you had done any sort of journalistic work at all to verify the claims of Hatiians eating pets you would have quickly found that what Trump and Vance said were in fact not lies. In fact, Chile is in the process of passing laws to stop the butchering of pets. As is state4d on gatewayhispanic.com : “In Chile, it is documented that foreign communities, particularly Haitians, consume the meat of domestic animals and pets, such as cats…”
https://gatewayhispanic.com/2024/09/chile-advances-in-banning-the-slaughter-and-consumption-of-pets/
Not only that but we have a the daughter of a Hatian migrant who is estranged from her dad explaining the practice of Hatians eating cats and dogs, why they do it, and how animal sacrifice is a part of the Voodoo religion. In the comments on that video, many people from both the Dominican Republic and migrants from Haiti say that it is true. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EQ_q7DFeucY
And to top it off, their are both 911 calls concering haitians taking geese from the park and City comission meetings where the towns people are saying EXACTLY what both Trump and Vance said. So again, I say, Jack Jenkins is either a liar, or poor journalist who didn’t even bother to verify the DNC lies he is repeating.
So where is your documented proof from reliable sources that Haitians are eating pets and geese in Springfield Ohio?
Wait, I thought we were talking about what’s happening in Springfield.
So we are stereotyping an entire Haitian AMERICAN community based on what’s happening in Chile, the Dominican Republic, and Haiti. I thought stereotyping was wrong?
Unless it’s correct. Please open your neighborhood to our millions of new found friends. Oh and remember to include that Jesus was once an immigrant. How naive can you people be.
Unless what’s correct? Not sure I follow. And can you point to scriptures backing this up?
I REALLY hope you’re not saying it’s ok to stereotype based on nationality (or race or whatever). Slippery slope….do we really want to play the “all Americans do this”, “all Haitians do that” game?
I thought we are all individuals to be judged based on our OWN behavior…not the behavior of those who happen to share the same nationality or race or whatever.
It started off as a Facebook post that the original poster admitted to being false. When you look at the claims, no one actually has a credible, certifiable source. They reference things like an AI-generated image of a van going around and taking people’s pets.
It is amazing that this author falsely claims that Trump/Vance repeatedly lie. Do some basic research they did not lie.
They Did Lie! They, particular Vance, admitted to it publicly. For the love of all things Holy, stop carrying water for these guys… Please, just stop… just stop… please.
Andrew, how about show some receipts? Barry showed receipts and stated his opinion. Your words have no weight and are rude. So, please stop… just stop….. telling other people to be quiet… pretty please!
James –
In his live interview on CNN’s State of the Union, Vance said he was willing to “create stories” to draw attention to the suffering of the American people. Dana Bash then pressed him if one of those “stories he created” was about immigrants in Springfield. Vance answered YES, stating it was to draw attention to the relatively large Haitian community in Springfield.
This interview is all over the internet.
The woman who accused some local Haitian migrants of kidnapping her missing cat to eat it went online and apologized, as her cat was found in a neighbor’s basement.
This is also online.
Now…how about those receipts on what Haitians in Springfield are eating whose pets. I notice a lot of deflecting about “but here’s what some of them do in Haiti, and Chile, and the Dominican Republic”, but NOT ONE RECEIPT on accusations in Springfield. Do you have any to share?
Vance’s own words:
“I’ve been trying to talk about the problems in Springfield for months,” Mr. Vance said on CNN, referring to strains he said that a large influx of Haitian migrants had placed on the city’s public services. He went on: “The American media totally ignored this stuff until Donald Trump and I started talking about cat memes. If I have to create stories so that the American media actually pays attention to the suffering of the American people, then that’s what I’m going to do.”
When the CNN host, Dana Bash, noted that he had used the word “creating,” Mr. Vance replied, “I say that we’re creating a story, meaning we’re creating the American media focusing on it.”
Even as Mr. Vance was standing by the claims in interviews on CNN, CBS News and NBC News, Gov. Mike DeWine of Ohio, a Republican, was rebutting them in an interview on ABC News. Mr. DeWine said the claim that migrants were eating pets was “a piece of garbage that was simply not true.” And the governor said that while there had been some “challenges” involved in accommodating thousands of migrants, they were there legally and had benefited Springfield economically.”
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/15/us/politics/jd-vance-springfield-pets.html
Vance said “If I have to create stories so that the american media actually pays attention to the suffering of the american people, then that’s what I’m going to do, Dana, because you guys are completely letting Kamala Harris coast…”
This question and the answer is at 10:30, and the whole interview is there for context.
You failed to mention how the Biden Harris administration managed to lose track of over 100000 children; most likely to forced labor or sex trafficking. This alone is a national disgrace, right up there with the historical stain of slavery. Also the current administration, not the Trump campaign, released numbers this week of the tens of thousand criminals are now loosed among our citizens. I know it’s not polite these days to call these friendly visitors criminals, but the victims of their crimes may disagree.
We have ONE criminal let loose trying to run America……Let’s start by putting him in jail….. Trump needs to be accountable for his crimes 👍
Isilma Henry,
Could you tell us what crimes President Trump has committed? You seem to be an authority on the matter. Thanks.
Rape, sexual assault, denying housing to people based on race, and fraud all come to mind.
Maybe you should understand what the letter said! https://www.cbsnews.com/amp/news/immigrants-criminal-convictions-trump-ice/
“… repeated false claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio…”
“…hardline…”
It’s so wearisome. We expect Leftist, distorted reporting, but from this source? As far as I know, the Haitian immigrant phenomenon in Springfield is quite real; out of 70,000 people in Springfield, 20,000 are Haitian immigrants. This is ludicrous. No area can manage such an onerous onslaught of people from an entirely different culture. What is false here? Are they eating house pets? Maybe not, but people who know Haitian culture well are unanimous that it wouldn’t be out of character for them to be doing so. Anyone can go online and see outraged citizens of Springfield venting their rage about the immigration inundation at city council meetings. They don’t think it’s something the Trump/Vance ticket is demagoging.
“What is false here? Are they eating house pets? Maybe not, but…”
You answered your own question. THAT is what is false. And the people of Springfield ARE outraged at the bomb threats, church break-in, and subsequent evacuations of schools and hospitals – all rooted in a FALSE statement.
I’d think we as Christians would be outraged, but hey, to quote Kendrick Lamar, “They not like us! They not like us! They not like us!”, so lying on their ENTIRE community is understandable, right? Oh, then blame “the left” for the tarnish on our witness. This is today’s American church. Lord, have mercy.
Marin Heiskell:
The bomb threats came from outside the United States.
And….this makes it ok? I answered Bobby’s question by pointing out the CLEAR falsehood that has led to a community being attacked and accused and THAT is your takeaway?
Who cares where it comes from? It’s wrong! Whew, I didn’t think I’d have to say that on a Christian site….
Lord, have mercy.
And the lies that led to those bomb threats came from inside the U.S and were spread by those who were supposed to be responsible leaders but were not.
Marin Heiskell:
All hoaxes, according to multiple news sources. So, you have no case here. Trying to make Republicans look bad doesn’t actually count when the accusations are false.
And, to repeat for the thousandth time: Haitians who practice Voodoo sacrifice animals on a regular basis, including cats, dogs, ducks, geese, pigs…you name it. FACTS are often embarrassing, aren’t they?
Cynthia:
The vast majority of bomb threats are hoaxes. That doesn’t mean they don’t have real consequences. I’ve had police approach my home with their guns drawn because of an incorrect claim. It’s not fun.
There’s a business owner in Springfield Ohio who is getting death threats because he spoke positively about the Haitian workers he employs. Posters are being put up around his town calling him a traitor.
Cynthia –
And there is NO proof that Haitians IN SPRINGFIELD are doing this. After REPEATED sources – including those who have RECANTED their accusations – have come out, this narrative continues. WHY?
Republicans are relying on stereotypes and “what Haitians in other parts of the world do” to accuse Haitians in SPRINGFIELD of something without proof.
I don’t have to try to make Republicans look bad; they are doing it all by themselves by REFUSING to apologize or acknowledge this flawed logic. The pride is astounding. We all misspeak at some point. But it’s what we do when CAUGHT misspeaking that is revealing.
Beyond politics, I’m actually embarrassed that Christians believe this is ok. Why are you ok with such stereotyping and unfounded accusations being hurled at an entire community? I’m STILL waiting for an answer to this.
Shall I accuse Russian and Chinese communities here in Chicago of being pro-communist or pro-fascist like they are in Russia and China? After all, it’s ok to extend similar stereotypes to Haitians in Springfield.
I’ll wait for an answer to this too.
PBS did a documentary about Springfield. It was a dying city until recent immigration revitalized the local economy. Local businesses have found Haitian workers to be more reliable and harder working than local residents. When you look at who are complaining the loudest, it’s clear why: some of the residents are very racist.
George Hamilton:
To love your community and seek its welfare is not “racist” by ANY stretch of the imagination. If your community grows by 20,000 people overnight, it is going to change your community in ways the federal government did not anticipate.
To object to such a forced inundation is NOT a racist objection. It is an objection that would be made by any city or country trying to cope with people they are forced to accommodate over and above their own families and neighbors.
It would be helpful to concentrate on community consequences, not color. Start with the strain on an already broken safety net for long-time Springfield residents.
Cynthia – I think it’s good to discuss the impacts of a community growing overnight. I’ve heard both sides of the argument on what’s happening in Springfield: one side has said that it’s a strain on resources; the other side has said that the migrants are taking jobs that others didn’t want and filling the labor force gaps. I haven’t been to Springfield, but think it’s good for the members of that community to discuss without a bunch of outsiders making outrageous unfounded accusations.
I also don’t think is good is to hide behind the “but 20,000 people came here overnight” argument to excuse LYING on a community. Accusing legal Haitian migrants of eating pets to “draw attention” and “start the narrative” (as JD Vance said he was doing) is inflammatory and dishonest. Talk about what the issue is without all the extra. Without all the LIES.
Everyone seems to be quiet on this issue….
“In Warning for Trump, Evangelical Leaders Urge ‘Biblical Principles’ on Immigration”
What a dishonest headline, the letter is for both parties, per the letter:
“Dear Vice President Harris, Governor Walz, former President Trump and Senator Vance,”
Trump is not singled out.
“open letter urging the presidential candidates of both parties to reflect…”
Until everyone who signed that letter starts to personally house/sponsor immigrants in their own homes or churches they use, need to remember Mt 7:3-5, until then their words are empty Mt 7:15-17 .
“immigrant children detained along the U.S.-Mexico border being separated from their parents and sent to other facilities,”
Happens all the time, under any administration, the children must be proven to belong to the people they are traveling with, and not being trafficked, or sold.
There’s no biblical issue with deporting people who came here illegally en masse, and to do so is in many ways the most compassionate thing we can do to stop the current flow of human trafficking and gang violence. Trump’s family separation policy may have seemed harsh, but the effect was a much more humane system than we currently have, where hundreds of thousands of children are sex trafficked because the gangs know they can claim the children as their own and ship those kids off to their designated slave houses.
In short, there’s no biblical problem with any Trump policy, and these pearl clutching elites need to stop pretending to speak for Jesus.
Thank you Sean Wilson, Dee Waggoner, Cynthia Norbeck and the rest of you who speak the truth, the other half of you get a life.
May God richly bless you and fill you with His love, Nancy.
This journalist’s bias is obvious, headline is deceptive, information is curated to exaggerate negative hot takes against Trump while ignoring the failures and gaffes of Harris.
I have loved The Roys Report for what it accomplishes for those affected by ravages of spiritual abuse, but the trend in articles showing this obvious bias (not against policy but against Trump) is disappointing and discrediting. Christians need to be encouraged to look at political policy trajectories now more than ever. Neither personality on the ballot is respectable. Harris seems like she’s running for Queen of girl’s night out … and Trump is trying to win best guy on the middle school play ground.
Alan Parr (The Beat) put out a video titled “Should Christians Vote Democratic or Republican” that offered the kind of information and encouragement the church needs right now.
Please be better journalists. No personal bias should be detected.
Every country needs secure borders for a multitude of reasons. It has been unfair to U.S. citizens and to the refugees themselves to have “open borders.” I don’t know how this is going to be resolved in the coming months or next Administration, but I do believe this: no matter how people come to this country it’s biblical that Christians feed, clothe and see to their healthcare needs. It’s costly, but it’s the right thing to do.
THIS. Thank you, James.
We are all going to be held accountable before God one day. And I’m not sure that “I didn’t care for them because they weren’t Americans…America first!” or “I didn’t care for them because they came here illegally” will hold up.
Marin Heiskell:
According to Real Clear Politics, “as of July 21, 2024, ICE let 435,719 convicted criminals and 226,847 people with pending criminal charges in their home countries into the United States…”
Sorry, but I do not believe the Bible supports aiding and abetting criminal behavior.
Where did this logic come from?
But again, if you are fine leaving immigrants hungry and naked on the streets because of “people with pending criminal charges”, then do so. I fail to see how you’ve connected the dots – are you saying all immigrants are “people pending with criminal charges”? Is this yet ANOTHER stereotype we are applying to entire groups of people?
Please don’t tell me you believe discrimination is wrong or that you don’t play identity politics EVER again.
And I don’t read anywhere in scripture about leaving immigrants hungry and naked being ok. My Bible says quite the opposite. Maybe you can point me to a different translation.
I have a question, is the Roy’s Report backing the Kamala \Harris campaign? This is the vibe I have gotten by several things that have been reposted.
No. We do not back any candidates. This is a news story about an initiative by evangelical leaders. Publishing a story about it does not denote support or opposition. We’re just reporting.
I understand and appreciate the sentiment of these Christian leaders. However, while scripture does not tell us what our immigration LAWS should state, scripture DOES speak to how WE as Christians are to treat immigrants.
And based on the comments justifying the mistreatment of immigrants, THAT is what I’m concerned about. First, the argument they hid behind was, “but they aren’t here legally”; but even when it’s proven that they are (like the Haitians in Ohio), they move to a “but but but…here’s why it’s ok to spread a falsehood about them” narrative. There’s nowhere to hide now; our bigotry against immigrants is on FULL display.
It’s interesting – the same Christians who say “it’s up to us to take care of the poor, not the government!” (which is in line with scripture), are quiet (or worse – actively backpedaling) when the same sentiment “it’s up to us to care for immigrants, not the government” is ALSO found in scripture.
By the way, we don’t do EITHER very well.
Marin, maybe you are missing the point. Every human should be treated with respect, even a murder on death row. There is humane and a inhumane way to treat that person, while them receiving the just punishment of there crime. American Christians are not out of bounds for raising there voice against illegal aliens and say they must go. My wife is an immigrant. I paid thousands of dollars to do it the right way. If you don’t do the right way. Please go back to your home country. It’s our country, we have the right to say who comes in. The political issue is that our current leaders care more about illegals than there own citizens. My wife, again – an immigrant knows and sees this is true and she thinks is wrong!
“The political issue is that our current leaders care more about illegals than their own citizens”
No. They care more about the issue and keeping it an issue then they do about the “illegals” or the citizens.
Just a side note, calling people “illegal”is dehumanizing. We would not call anyone else who has committed a misdemeanor offense an “illegal”.
I said nothing about it being wrong to raise voices or anything of the sort. I said nothing about politics, as I do not think scripture speaks to what immigration laws should be.
I DID say when immigrants cross our paths as Christians, scripture tells us how to treat them.
– Have you been following threads on this site where Christians are saying to feed and clothe anyone here illegally is to enable them – thus implying we should leave anyone here illegally naked and hungry?
– Are you reading this thread (among others on this site) where Christians make excuses for LYING on a community of LEGAL MIGRANTS that has received threats as a result?
THAT is what I’m talking about. That is not treating immigrants with respect. That is unBiblical.
Go back to their country… to what? Haiti, where there is no government and gangs control everything? Venezuela, where the economy is destroyed by sanctions and is ruled by a dictator? We have more than enough resources to share with desperate people seeking safety and prosperity in the US.
As usual, thank you for your thoughtful thoughts, Ms. Heiskell. God is exposing all of our Christianity – the good, the bad and the ugly. This decade has sobering and eye opening… seeing how much culture and ideology has masqueraded and passed for Christianity in the past. People seem more interested in the “laws of the land” (as though it was incumbent on God to endorse those laws) rather than Jesus’ law.
“Whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them” ~Jesus
Julie Roys and the Roys Report has lost all credibility posting such a biased article. More and more the articles here are one opinion piece after another. No real objective journalism anymore.
Would you be more specific? What in the article do you believe reflects bias?
In Warning for Trump, Evangelical Leaders Urge ‘Biblical Principles’ on Immigration – Misleading Headline and Opinion “In Warning for Trump” Second sentence of the article states “While challenging both parties…..
While challenging both parties, the letter signals particular discomfort with the approach taken by former President Donald Trump and his running mate, JD Vance, to the issue. – Opinion “letter signals”
But the letter appeared more reflective of criticism lobbed at Vance and Trump, particularly in light of controversy sparked by their repeated false claims about Haitian immigrants in Springfield, Ohio. Opinion “letter appeared”
The call for more secure borders seemed to appeal to critics of the current administration, as did the letter’s concern about the “record number of apprehensions of individuals who have unlawfully crossed the U.S.-Mexico border” and those who have entered without being apprehended. – Opinion “seemed to appeal”
ETC…..
Trump is mentioned 10 times but Harris is mentioned once.
From cover to cover, I don’t see anything in scripture that endorses the sense of entitlement many Americans hold uncritically. Illegal immigration is a complex issue, and scripture tells us to pray for our leaders to have wisdom. It also gives us very strict warnings on how we treat the least of these, and that what we do to them we do to our Lord. Paul warned Timothy not to associate with those who are lovers of self, lovers of money, boastful, arrogant, revilers, ungrateful, unloving, irreconcilable, malicious gossips, brutal, treacherous, reckless, conceited, yet holding to a form of godliness. Do we need these kinds of people to do our dirty work for us? Or does the kingdom of God seek to do better?
Whoops…Looks like FEMA spent their money on…illegal aliens instead of Americans. Now there is just barely enough money left to help Hurricane Helene survivors…
But there are more hurricanes coming. To repeat: We are to take care of our own families first.
This works in a perfect world. And I’m sure I don’t have to prove that this world is anything but. To leave some people who are ALREADY in our communities naked and hungry impacts us all.
And we as Christians need to stop acting like helping others robs us of something, as if our Provider is finite or limited. In His word, God calls us to help the most vulnerable – yes, even those who are not like us – and when we rise up to fulfill the calling on our lives, we know He meets us there and provides.
Or do we have our eyes on circumstances rather than on Him? Are we listening more to political talking points than His word?
Or – to repeat an argument used often by conservatives to cut off government aid to the poor – are we relying on the government (FEMA) to do what WE should be doing?
Deuteronomy 10:14
“Behold, to the Lord your God belong heaven and the heaven of heavens, the earth with all that is in it.” The pride of mankind!
Please those calling themselves church leaders if it’s the Lord you serve, then serve the Lord’s people. Make up your minds, Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to the God what belongs to Him. You can’t serve 2 masters…
Dear evangelical leaders, serve the Lord, let the Caesars do their thing. Let’s be humble before God and remember.
Job 12:13-25
Wisdom and strength belong to God; counsel and understanding are His.
What He tears down cannot be rebuilt; the man He imprisons cannot be released.
If He holds back the waters, they dry up, and if He releases them, they overwhelm the land.
True wisdom and power belong to Him.The deceived and the deceiver are His.
He leads counselors away barefoot and makes fools of judges.
He loosens the bonds placed by kings and fastens a belt around their waists.
He leads priests away barefoot and overthrows the established.
He deprives the trusted of speech and takes away the discernment of elders.
He pours out contempt on nobles and disarms the mighty.
He reveals the deep things of darkness and brings deep shadows into light.
He makes nations great and destroys them; He enlarges nations, then disperses them.
He deprives the earth’s leaders of reason and makes them wander in a trackless wasteland.
They grope in the darkness without light; He makes them stagger like drunkards.
When I first moved to Chicago, I developed several close relationships with grad school classmates and work colleagues who are Haitian American. I have been mistaken for Haitian when hanging out with them several times. In today’s environment – and especally since I’m in the Midwest – I’m GRATEFUL that the interactions were positive (I have been asked to prepare Haitian cuisine – which is I am LAUGHABLY unskilled in cooking – and to participate in cultural wedding rites of which I am also ignorant).
Reading this thread, it’s outright sad and scary when I think of the accusations I could face from being mistaken for a Haitian today, especially since my “brothers and sisters in Christ” would all be ok with whatever comes of it.