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Conservative Christians and immigration reform

Conservative Christians and immigration reform

Last updated on: March 22, 2013 at 6:00 am by Gene Veith

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Conservative Christians and immigration reform 2013-03-21T21:18:03-04:00 Gene Veith

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A group of Bible-believing Christians has formed the Evangelical Immigration Table to promote immigration reform. It is promoting what it is calling the “I Was a Stranger” Challenge. They give you 40 Bible passages that have to do with how we should treat immigrants. They ask you to read, meditate, and pray about each one, one a day, over 40 days. And then see what you think about immigration reform. After the jump, read the details and see the 40 Bible passages.

The organization includes lots of religious conservatives, though also some on the evangelical left. (See this.) At any rate, it is clear that the Bible tells us to be kind to “sojourners.” One could make a case that Christians should champion immigration reform because it is the right thing to do and also because the immigrants in question tend to be religious, pro-family, pro-life, anti-homosexuality, and potential cultural and political allies. Do you agree? If not, could reading the 40 Bible passages at least in theory change your mind?

From Religious conservatives make moral case for immigration reform – The Washington Post:

Advocates of a far-reaching overhaul of the nation’s immigration system are hoping to use their allies on the religious right to prod the Republican Party to embrace reform.

They aim to use a broad consensus among religious leaders and institutions to promote a rewrite of immigration laws as a moral imperative, mobilizing conservatives to pressure the Republican politicians they have long supported on the basis of other issues. . . .

Religious groups — some of which have previously sat on the sidelines in the debate to avoid becoming embroiled in a politically divisive issue — are aiming for a new and potentially divisive push.

The Evangelical Immigration Table, a coalition of religious groups that represent more than 100,000 churches, is making grass-roots phone calls and a widespread effort to get Christians to read 40 Bible verses that deal with how to treat strangers and neighbors as part of a prayer challenge called “I Was a Stranger.”

The name is taken from a verse in Matthew 25:35: “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me.”

The main targets of the effort are lawmakers who in the past have paid closer attention to constituent concerns about amnesty or whether illegal immigrants drive up the costs of government services.

“I think in the past many of us thought it would be the economic argument that would bring Republicans along,” said Frank Sharry, executive director of the group America’s Voice. “But for many Republicans . . . this has become viewed more as a cultural issue — almost a social issue. So when you have pastors preaching that the Bible says we should welcome the stranger in 40 different ways, that becomes a very powerful message.”

Bible Passages for The “I Was a Stranger” Challenge [Click the link for the accompanying materials.]

Genesis 1:27-28

Exodus 12:49

Exodus 22:21

Exodus 23:9

Exodus 23:12

Leviticus 19:9-10

Leviticus 19:33-34

Leviticus 23:22

Leviticus 24:22

Numbers 15:15-16

Deuteronomy 1:16

Deuteronomy 10:18-19

Deuteronomy 24:14

Deuteronomy 24:17-18

Deuteronomy 24:19

Deuteronomy 26:12

Deuteronomy 27:19

Job 29:16

Psalm 94:6-7

Psalm 146:9

Jeremiah 7:5-7

Jeremiah 22:3

Ezekiel 22:6-7

Ezekiel 22:29

Zechariah 7:10

Malachi 3:5

Matthew 2:13-14

Matthew 25:35

Mark 2:27

Luke 10:36-37

Acts 16:37

Acts 17:26-27

Romans 12:13

Romans 13:1-2

Ephesians 2:14-18

Philippians 3:20

Hebrews 13:2

1 Peter 2:11-12

1 Peter 2:13-14

Revelation 7:9-10

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