Evangelicals Supporting Asylum in the US Thank Biden, Ask for Further Reforms

Baptist News Global: Thanks for Visiting the Border, But We've Got Some Concerns 

Here's a phrase with some words that may be somewhat surprising, considering the current stereotypes in American Politics.  A group of Evangelical Christian immigration advocates, yes, advocates, had some very positive praise for the Biden Administration's immigration policies.  

Positive praise for President Biden's immigration policies from Evangelicals?  

That makes sense to anyone who understands the actual perspective on immigration that is clearly defined and explained in the Bible.  Leaders of the group Evangelical Immigration Roundtable, representing several denominations and groups of Evangelical Christians, including, amazingly, the Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, pointed out their beliefs, based on the biblical text, that all persons, regardless of their nationality or ethnicity, are created by God and made in his image with inherent dignity.  They expressed the desire for the United States to "respect its legal obligations to ensure that those who face a credible threat of persecution not be returned to their countries of origin without due process.  

That stems from core Christian principles, along with the belief that God created government for clear purposes which include maintaining order, ensuring security and protecting the vulnerable.  

So this particular group had words of praise for the President regarding his recent visit to the border and the emphasis he has placed and is placing on immigration policy.  As might be expected with a group of Evangelicals, among whom praise for this President is either rare, or virtually non-existent, there were a few complaints.  However, with this group, the complaints were that the interference and the attitude of congressional Republicans prevents the country from developing comprehensive immigration reform, not to restrict the vast majority of those heading here to seek asylum, but to help them.  

What they want sounds to me like a laundry list of leftist, "woke" reforms that are the proverbial camel's nose under the tent that the extremist right wing media keeps harping about.  

• They want the current parole status for immigrants who have come from Cuba, Venezuela, Haiti and Nicaragua to allow for permanent legal status after further vetting.  Currently, they must remain under temporary status, even though they would likely be in grave danger if they had to return.
• They want the rules for blocking those seeking asylum because they came through another country relaxed or removed.
• They wanted proposed increases of border security, a hard-liner position of Republicans, paired with a solution for resolving the status of Dreamers in a manner that is favorable to them.  Yikes!  Negotiation and compromise on border security and the status of a group of people who have not ever known life outside the United States is an Evangelical position?  

According to this group, it is.  It sounds "woke" to me.   

A Far Cry From Accusations that the Biden Administration Advocates for Open Borders

Lying is not a Christian virtue, at least, not in real Christianity.  Starting off a debate on immigration by claiming that the other side has a policy that they clearly do not have is not negotiating in good faith, it is a means of preventing it to push an agenda.  The Evangelical Immigration Roundtable is dealing with reality, not propaganda, because they are genuinely interested in improving the status of refugees who are literally running to the United States for their lives.  They're not objects for political debate, they are people who need help.  

Nor is the Roundtable advocating for open borders.  They recognize the political situations in those countries in particular, and their compassion, something that comes from genuine Christian faith, is prompting them to do whatever they can, including making an approach to the President of the United States.  

Evangelicals who have become caught up in extremist right wing politics have had to abandon almost all of the values and convictions that originate from their faith, and from the guidance of the Bible in order to support the secular politics of their preferred candidates.  They have betrayed their faith by their actions which undermine the principles that are its very essence.  They have elevated the importance of a single issue, abortion, over all of the values and principles that define the Christian faith, most notably their integrity, and abandoned belief in the sanctity of all human life with political defense of a small percentage of life at the expense of all other human life.  

This is Real Christianity at Work

Jesus never intended for the Christian church to take a political side or to be used as a political influence.  What Evangelical leaders like Jerry Falwell initiated in the United States, and what others like Franklin Graham, Robert Jeffress, Greg Locke and others have promoted, is contrary to the Christian gospel, an aberration and deviation from what they themselves call the written "word of God," interfering with the mission and purpose of churches and leading to historic declines in conversions and church involvement and membership.  If these self-labelled leaders really believe in the sanctity of human life, they'd be right there with the EIR, advocating for immigration asylum, against racism and bigotry and discrimination that also leads to poverty and deprivation, fair housing, the right to universal medical care and a hundred other things that relieve suffering and give glory to God.  

"Who is there to harm you, if you are eagar to do good?" said the Apostle Peter.  

Who, indeed?