The Gospel and Immigration

The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born. Love him as yourself, for you were aliens in Egypt. I am the LORD your God.

Leviticus 19:34

Do not oppress an alien; you yourselves know how it feels to be aliens, because you were aliens in Egypt.

Exodus 23:9

He administers justice for the fatherless and the widow, and loves the stranger, giving him food and clothing. 19 Therefore love the stranger, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Deuteronomy 10:18-19

When you have finished setting aside a tenth of all your produce in the third year, the year of the tithe, you shall give it to the Levite, the foreigner, the fatherless and the widow, so that they may eat in your towns and be satisfied.

Deuteronomy 26:12

Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, I was a stranger and you did not invite me in....

Matthew 25:41-43

Don't forget to show hospitality to strangers, for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it!

Hebrews 13:2

Even though the ancestors of most Americans were immigrants, it seems that immigration has become yet another "hot button" issue in the United States. There are many different ways to look at the issue, but for the Christian – it shouldn’t be terribly difficult. God said we are to treat "aliens" living among us as if they were "native-born." I think that pretty much resolves most immigration questions.

Of course Jesus talked constantly about loving our neighbor and treating others better than ourselves. So, it’s difficult to conceive of a Christian rationale, applying gospel values, that would support opposition to proposals like the Dream Act.

The Dream Act proposes to grant residency to aliens who arrived in the United States as children, brought mostly by their parents, stayed here, didn’t break laws, contributed to society, and have demonstrated "good moral character." These are exactly the kind of people we want in America, contributing to our society.