Faith and immigration policy

I’m going to try to do something here without getting into a political argument, which is difficult because the current political climate is what has prompted me to write this missive.  I’m going to take a little different approach here because, for right or wrong, religion has been injected into the argument.  I see posts from well-intentioned Christians and from angry atheists who all want to tell me how Jesus would view the current political situation with immigrants.  I think they are all entitled to their opinions but it is offensive to me to be told how I must view the word of God.

I am Episcopalian and as such, my faith stands upon 3 legs:  Scripture, tradition and reason.  Some denominations rely more heavily on scripture and others more on tradition but I am proud that reason (or logic) plays a strong role in my faith.  It allows one to ask questions to make sure things make sense and are taken in the context in which they were written or spoken. 

So let’s start by talking about context.  Did Jesus ever offer suggestions to government and how to govern people?  Did he ever discuss public policy?  He didn’t.  His mission had nothing to do with how government functions.  His mission was to teach the world how individuals related to other individuals and how to relate to God.  Taking anything in the Bible outside that context gets dicey.

Dicey how?  Well, we get into the world of “unintended consequences” which is a place that is hard to justify with Biblical quotes.  For instance, if we allowed all immigrants into this nation without any regard for how they will contribute to the betterment of this country, how long would this country be the bastion of liberty and justice that it is today?  If the people coming here do not appreciate the culture into which they are moving, will they uphold that culture?  Our national culture is built upon individual rights, responsibilities and freedoms but what if those coming here don’t like that part of our culture?  How many generations will it take before this nation descends into poverty, injustice and/or repression because too few people were willing to defend the God given (and Christian based) rights enumerated in the Bill of Rights?  Is that a Christian thing to allow?

How about another unintended consequence?  How about respect for the communities from which these immigrants are coming?  Let’s look specifically at the tide or immigrants coming in from Central America.  That part of the world is a mess.  Gang violence, corruption in the government, repression of basic civil rights and very limited ability to better oneself is the reality for many people.  But how are those people’s lives improved if more and more good people move North?  Who is left to build the houses, tend the fields, run for office, vote, start a business or help their neighbors in need?  The more good people who are lured to America, the fewer there are to effect change in a part of the world that desperately needs it. 

Being Episcopalian also means I participate in the baptismal covenant from time to time.  That covenant requires a number of things, including a promise to “strive for justice and peace among all people, and respect the dignity of every human being.”  There are a number of ways to honor that charge.  In my opinion, it does not require an open border immigration policy and in fact, I view that as anathema to it.  “All people” includes those still residing in Honduras, Guatemala and others.  It includes people who would be adversely affected by mass emigration from those areas. 

To my mind, the more Christian approach is to encourage policies that create incentives for people to stay in their own country and focus on improving the culture there.  Every country in Central America has a rich cultural heritage that deserves to flourish.  Attempting to move that culture to America would destroy that culture or turn it into something different.  Working with governments, churches, NGOs and charitable organizations to improve things there, rather than luring them away just makes more sense and to my way of thinking is more in line with my Christian values.

I am human and I have human failings, but I do strive to have God’s love for my fellow man.  This is true on both a micro and macro scale and it irritates me to no end when either Christians or atheists try to tell me how my faith is defined.  There is no cognitive dissonance between my faith and my public policy views. 

On a final note, there is obviously a LOT more to the discussion and a lot more nuances and specific policy issues that could be discussed.  This is meant only as a way to get people to understand that one’s faith and politics can’t be assumed.  It may also serve as a way to illustrate that the “hate” that some ascribe to opponents of open immigration policies is the opposite of reality.

(edited to add on 7/3/2018)

In reading this again, I realize that I failed to make the distinction between private action and public policy.  The Bible is very specific about how people should relate to other people.  On an individual level, one should not display cruelty or prejudice to any human being.  Showing God's love to everybody is part of the Great Commandment.  Being kind to the immigrant and showing respect and compassion is not incompatible with laws that attempt to preserve our national heritage.