Migration and the Rule of Law
We serve a loving God, a God who provides principles for us to live by. After Israel fled Egypt, God gave His people a system of laws, some of which have even inspired elements of American Law, so that people may live in peace and order and ultimately know and follow Him. He also divided Israel into tribes and gave them allotted portions in the Promised Land to which He led them. Acts 17 provides the reminder:
26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,
27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'
The issue of immigration has continued to energize and even divide Americans. And, when you have people who have come to America illegally, breaking our laws in order to pursue a better life and some even participating in criminal acts when they get here, it becomes problematic, and current federal officials are attempting to gain control of a broken system and to send people in our country illegally back to their country of origin. And, if a person desires to come into our country, that they would leverage legal channels that are available to them.
This issue has generated a longstanding debate among Christians. Back in 2015, Kelly Marie Kuhlberg wrote a piece for The Christian Post, which stated:
26 And He has made from one blood every nation of men to dwell on all the face of the earth, and has determined their preappointed times and the boundaries of their dwellings,
27 so that they should seek the Lord, in the hope that they might grope for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us;
28 for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, 'For we are also His offspring.'
The issue of immigration has continued to energize and even divide Americans. And, when you have people who have come to America illegally, breaking our laws in order to pursue a better life and some even participating in criminal acts when they get here, it becomes problematic, and current federal officials are attempting to gain control of a broken system and to send people in our country illegally back to their country of origin. And, if a person desires to come into our country, that they would leverage legal channels that are available to them.
This issue has generated a longstanding debate among Christians. Back in 2015, Kelly Marie Kuhlberg wrote a piece for The Christian Post, which stated:
The Bible's teaching does not equate "welcoming the stranger" with our emerging 2015 scenario of anonymous entry through open borders, disregard for laws and customs, blanket amnesty, and cradle-to-grave social services. This is not biblical "justice." It is unsustainable presumption and theft.
God loves us all. God teaches us to love the well-intended sojourner who comes lawfully as a blessing (the 'ger' in the Old Testament), and so we welcome and protect lawful immigration. (America is likely the most welcoming nation on the planet.)
God loves us all. God teaches us to love the well-intended sojourner who comes lawfully as a blessing (the 'ger' in the Old Testament), and so we welcome and protect lawful immigration. (America is likely the most welcoming nation on the planet.)
Kuhlberg has been a leading advocate of taking a Biblical view of the immigration issue. She has also been outspoken about the maneuvering of a very wealthy, influential man by the name of George Soros, he of "rent-an-evangelical" fame. That's right - in 2016, Kuhlberg led a coalition of over 600 Christian leaders to counter the progressive agenda that Soros and his soul mates were attempting to foist upon the Church. An article at The Stream shared excerpts of their letter:
As recent leaked documents confirm, and as Rev. Jim Wallis of Sojourners eventually admitted, wealthy, anti-Christian foundations, following the lead of billionaire George Soros’s Open Society Foundation, fund and “rent” Christian ministers as “mascots” serving as surprising validators for their causes. The consequent realities include injury to countless people, the Church, the family, nation and the global Church including many martyrs.
Kulhberg noted at The Christian Post that: "One of the groups lobbying for reform is the Evangelical Immigration Table. The EIT told Breitbart News in 2013 that it does not legally exist but was begun by the National Immigration Forum. The NIF is a multi-million dollar Progressive slush fund for comprehensive reform and amnesty. When journalists downloaded the NIF's IRS 990, they found that its largest donor is George Soros's Open Society Institute (OSI), followed by Ford, Carnegie, Rockefeller and other globalist and liberal foundations..."
Well, the EIT is at it against in the midst of the current immigration debate. One of the leading entities that has supported the Table for years is the Southern Baptist public policy arm, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the ERLC, an organization that over 40% of Southern Baptists at the recent annual Convention indicated they believe should be defunded. A recent article written by Brianna Lyman at The Federalist stated:
Well, the EIT is at it against in the midst of the current immigration debate. One of the leading entities that has supported the Table for years is the Southern Baptist public policy arm, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, the ERLC, an organization that over 40% of Southern Baptists at the recent annual Convention indicated they believe should be defunded. A recent article written by Brianna Lyman at The Federalist stated:
The George Soros-linked Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC) is pushing mass amnesty under the cloak of evangelicalism instead of representing the interests of Southern Baptist Churches who fund its existence.
In a letter sent to Congress, the ERLC claimed that the recently re-introduced DIGNITY Act is “necessary reform” to “protect our communities.” The DIGNITY Act would provide mass amnesty to millions of illegal aliens who broke the law by placing them in a twilight-legal status after they’ve paid a certain fee.
In a letter sent to Congress, the ERLC claimed that the recently re-introduced DIGNITY Act is “necessary reform” to “protect our communities.” The DIGNITY Act would provide mass amnesty to millions of illegal aliens who broke the law by placing them in a twilight-legal status after they’ve paid a certain fee.
The article goes on to say:
As pointed out by reporter Megan Basham, EIT is merely “a front group for the secular, open borders lobbyist” NIF.
And, increasingly, ERLC has drawn the ire of religious leaders for its uselessness and divisiveness.
Just recently, former Southern Baptist Church President Jack Graham expressed support for defunding the ERLC, calling the organization “the single most divisive entity of the SBC since the days of [former ERLC President] Russell Moore.”
The SBC Executive Committee established a task force to evaluate the ERLC’s effectiveness. The task force found in 2021 that the ERLC is “a source of significant distraction from the Great Commission work of Southern Baptists.” Two main criticisms lodged at the ERLC, according to Purnell, are that it is “useless and ineffective on the right political issues, and that it actively devotes resources to the wrong ones.”
And, increasingly, ERLC has drawn the ire of religious leaders for its uselessness and divisiveness.
Just recently, former Southern Baptist Church President Jack Graham expressed support for defunding the ERLC, calling the organization “the single most divisive entity of the SBC since the days of [former ERLC President] Russell Moore.”
The SBC Executive Committee established a task force to evaluate the ERLC’s effectiveness. The task force found in 2021 that the ERLC is “a source of significant distraction from the Great Commission work of Southern Baptists.” Two main criticisms lodged at the ERLC, according to Purnell, are that it is “useless and ineffective on the right political issues, and that it actively devotes resources to the wrong ones.”
Elle Purnell writes at The Federalist:
“They’ve been completely absent on the big fights over big issues,” Sen. Mike Lee told Basham earlier this year. As Basham noted, Lee has been at the forefront of several legislative battles over the issues the ERLC purports to focus on.
Rachel Bovard, a Federalist contributor and Hill veteran, told Basham a similar story. “In 12 years on the Hill I don’t ever remember hearing from the ERLC,” she said.
“They really are not viewed as being actively helpful on advancing conservative politics on the Hill,” added Mike Whitehead, the ERLC’s former general counsel.
Eric Teetsel, CEO of the Center for Renewing America, put it more bluntly when speaking with Basham, calling the ERLC “worse than useless” and “actively counterproductive.”
Rachel Bovard, a Federalist contributor and Hill veteran, told Basham a similar story. “In 12 years on the Hill I don’t ever remember hearing from the ERLC,” she said.
“They really are not viewed as being actively helpful on advancing conservative politics on the Hill,” added Mike Whitehead, the ERLC’s former general counsel.
Eric Teetsel, CEO of the Center for Renewing America, put it more bluntly when speaking with Basham, calling the ERLC “worse than useless” and “actively counterproductive.”
I grew up Southern Baptist, so I am not a complete outsider on these matters. And, from my position, it's important that I am cognizant of various trends impacting the Church. There is no shortage of concern about Christian participation on the immigration issue. But no amount of virtue signaling and the idea that welcoming the stranger means excusing illegal activity will solve a raging problem that was clearly a top, if not the top issue in the 2024 Presidential election.
We have to be careful not to be distracted from our clear mission. The love of God does not demand that we tolerate sin, but it does require us to be forgiving. We should always strive to make things right in all circumstances, but those who break the law should be punished. And rehabilitated. Illegal immigrants are not going to jail, unless they have committed other crimes - but many are going home, some of their own volition.
This is an issue that has been complicated by politics. Lawmakers have now taken to blocking Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, facilities - to what end? To score political points, it seems. We should be pursuing authentic and God-inspired policy positions and speaking out accordingly. But, always, we should be Biblical in our pronouncements. If we follow God's commands and live according to His principles, our civic life will reflect the fruit of those principles.
We have to be careful not to be distracted from our clear mission. The love of God does not demand that we tolerate sin, but it does require us to be forgiving. We should always strive to make things right in all circumstances, but those who break the law should be punished. And rehabilitated. Illegal immigrants are not going to jail, unless they have committed other crimes - but many are going home, some of their own volition.
This is an issue that has been complicated by politics. Lawmakers have now taken to blocking Immigration and Customs Enforcement, or ICE, facilities - to what end? To score political points, it seems. We should be pursuing authentic and God-inspired policy positions and speaking out accordingly. But, always, we should be Biblical in our pronouncements. If we follow God's commands and live according to His principles, our civic life will reflect the fruit of those principles.
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