by Dr. Ed DeVries
I recently listened to a “Christian” congressman on a major news network demanding “legal status” for 1.8 million illegal aliens. He also called President Trump’s proposed border wall “stupid.” He declared that ending “chain migration” and the “diversity lottery” were “ungodly.” He appealed to Matthew 25:35, “For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in.”
Asked what I thought about the congressman’s sermonette, my personal response to the congressman would be, “Then take them into your home!”
Open border and amnesty advocates, at least the ones I’ve met, refuse to “practice what they preach.” Moreover, Jesus’s statement is directed toward individuals who welcomed strangers into their homes voluntarily. Amnesty imposed by government is not voluntary.
It all started when religious leaders pressured Obama to enact the DREAM Act. And now those “reverend” men are leading the opposition to President Trump’s efforts to secure our nation’s borders.
One such pastor, Samuel Rodriguez, the president of the Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, told the President, “The wall is a physical object created by man to exclude 800,000 human beings created in the image of God.”
I’d like to remind “Rev.” Rodriguez that walls are biblical. Scripture commanded the construction of walls around Jerusalem, both the Old (Nehemiah 1:1-7:3) and the New (Isaiah 54:12; Ezekiel 42:20).
Nations and their borders are ordained of God. Daniel 2:21 tells us God “removeth kings, and setteth up kings.” Acts 17:26 tells us it is He who has determined national borders.
The “new world order,” “globalism, and “one world” ideologies are not inspired by God, but by the Devil. In Genesis 11, God Himself created multiple languages and nations to prevent mankind from building a global order. There will come a time when every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Christ Jesus as Lord (Philippians 2:10-11). Until then, the sovereign nations remain as God’s plan.
Citizenship is clearly seen throughout the Bible. In the Old Testament, men are declared as citizens of numerous nations. In the New Testament, the Apostle Paul professed his Roman citizenship and declared his rights under Roman law (Acts 22:22-23:11). He addressed his fellow Christians as “citizens of heaven” (Philippians 3:20, Colossians 3:5-16).
In the Old Testament, “aliens,” strangers sojourning in the land, were to be respected (Leviticus 19:34, Deuteronomy 10: 19), but they were also expected not just to obey the laws, but to adopt all of the customs of Israel (Numbers 15: 14-29). In other words, they were not to retain their original cultural views. Rather, they were to assimilate and conform themselves to the culture in every regard. In the New Testament, Christians are called to honor rulers (and rules) among the nations (1 Timothy 2:1-2; 1 Peter 2:17). This includes the authority of rulers on matters of immigration.
Many illegal aliens, especially DREAMers, are hell-bent on retaining and imposing a non-Christian and non-Western culture in this country. They refuse to assimilate. This is a violation of both the “letter” and the “spirit” of God’s law as given in the Scripture, both in the Old Testament and in the New.
In a letter to Congress lobbying for legislation to make the DREAM Act permanent, religious leaders wrote: “Roughly 700,000 young people are poised to lose their right to work lawfully in the U.S., not to mention their dreams of a future in this country—the country they were brought to as children, without choice.”
First of all, the parents of all DREAMers either are, or were, criminals. “This country” is not responsible for any of those parents’ crimes. The Bible is clear that children should not be punished for the sins of their parents (Jeremiah 31:29). But natural consequences remain.
Secondly, the blunt truth is illegal aliens are stealing this country’s space, resources, and wealth. If an illegal alien steals anything, if they break into someone’s home, steal a car, steal money, or if they simply steal a job which they are not legally entitled to work from someone who is, even if it was to “feed their children,” it is still theft! The person(s) stolen from is biblically entitled to restoration (Exodus 22).
Instead of distorting the Scripture to excuse illegal aliens, well intentioned religious leaders should advocate for immigrants to enter lawfully. And they should encourage assimilation into our Christian society. The ideal example, from the Bible, is Ruth the Moabite. Unlike the millions of illegal aliens in our country, Ruth did not break into her adoptive nation. She had a sponsor, her mother-in-law, Naomi. And Ruth submitted herself to the laws of the land (Ruth 1:16-17).
Ruth recognized her place in her new country. She did not enter as a political radical. She worked and supported herself, not depending on the State or taxpayers, to provide her housing.
On coming to the land, she told Naomi, “Your people will be my people.” Complete assimilation. With the exception of President Trump, and maybe Attorney General Sessions, how long has it been since we have heard our leaders talk about the importance of immigrants adopting American customs, rather than demanding that we accommodate their foreign ways?
And Ruth told Naomi, “Thy God [will be] my God.” While our Constitution does not demand religious adherence to one creed, we should expect immigrants to embrace our cultural and moral values. For this reason, I am adamant against accepting adherents of Sharia Law, or from places whose religion or morality are simply incompatible with the Christian mores of Western culture.
“Where thou diest, will I die, and there will I be buried.” Ruth pledged a complete break with her pagan country and culture. She refused to abandon her new country or identity.
Every country has a right to strong borders, safe citizens, and national sovereignty. These are not un-Christian expectations in the slightest. They are biblical and just.