The Bible and the Immigration Debate

Transcription

1 The Bible and the Immigration Debate Dr. Brian L. Webster Tyler TEA Party Grassroots for America We the People

2 Headlines and Rhetoric illegal / undocumented nation of immigrants anchor babies chain immigration 60,000 criminal illegals released amnesty / pathway to citizenship border security drug cartels economic effects personal stories family values fear need for workers depressed wages rule of law racism broken system compassion image of God Rom 13 social justice

3 Appeals to the Bible Matt 2:13-23 Jesus stay in Egypt compared to being an illegal immigrant 1 Tim 5:8 admonition to provide for ones own Matt 25 Care for the least of these Deut 10:18-19 Love the ( (גּ ר ger, stranger/alien/sojourner/immigrant

4 Matt. 2: Jesus as illegal immigrant? Russell Moore, president of the SBC s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission /17/immigration-and-the-gospel/ BUT, Egypt controlled its borders, admitted foreigners through a legal process. Joseph probably complied.

5 1 Tim 5:8 provide for ones own Evangelicals for Biblical Immigarton evangelicalsforbiblicalimmigration.com Taking care of Americans first BUT, one s own refers to one s family; context is personal responsibility not leaving family to rely on others character qualifications to be helped

6 Matt 25 the least of these BUT, the least of these, my brothers In Matthew Jesus applies the term brothers to his disciples The issue in Matt 25 is not how the church serves the least of these The question is how will the world receive those sent by Jesus with the Gospel, those who are: the least of these, my brothers

7 Deut 10: Love the (גּר ר) ( ger BUT who are the ger? strangers, aliens, sojourners, immigrants, or? AND how do the ger relate to the immigration debate? AND who gets to define love?

8 The love fallacy The Bible says to be LOVING. I think such-and-such is LOVING. Therefore we should do THIS through THESE means. Opponents of 'My-Loving-Idea' are bad and wrong. (BTW, Don't examine my results.)

9 The love fallacy In our current setting, any proposal has as its underlying structure: We should use the force of government to take money from other people and borrow money from our children and grandchildren in order to. And please don t examine the results or the [in]efficiency.

10 The love fallacy Toxic Charity: How Churches and Charities Hurt Those They Help, Robert D. Lupton When Helping Hurts, Steve Corbett and Brian Fikkert The Tragedy of American Compassion, Marvin Olasky Dead Aid, Dambisa Moyo Demons of Poverty, Ted Boers and Tim Stoner

11 The Ger ) in Translation (גּר ר ( KJV stranger; NIV alien; CEB immigrant; NASB stranger, sojourner, alien, immigrant, and foreigner; NET stranger, temporary settler, resident foreigner, foreigner, hired help, foreign resident, and immigrant

12 The Ger ) in Dictionaries (גּר ר ( The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament p. 201 someone who leaves village and tribe... and seeks shelter and residence at another place, where his right of landed property, marriage and taking part in jurisdiction, cult and war has been curtailed.

13 The Ger ) in Dictionaries (גּר ר ( The New International Dictionary of OT Theology and Exegesis, p. 822 The sojourner is distinguished from the foreigner in that he has settled in the land for some time and is recognized as having a special status. As individuals or a group they have abandoned their homeland for political or economic reasons and sought refuge in another community

14 The Ger ) in Dictionaries (גּר ר ( The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon, p sojourner, a temporary dweller, new-comer (no inherited rights). 2. dwellers in Israel with certain conceded, not inherited rights

15 The Ger ) in Dictionaries (גּר ר ( distinct from other foreigners recognized as having a special status have conceded or granted rights curtailed rights

16 The Ger O.T. ) in the (גּר ר ( Conceptual level Native Born \\ Foreigner (ז ר) zār /(נ כ ר י ( nokrîy \\ (א ז ר ח) ezraḥ (גּ ר ( ger vs. (תּוֹשׁ ב ( tōshāv Foreign: Residency: location, duration, motive, intention Level of Association: degree of conformity, participation, rights

17 The Ger O.T. ) in the (גּר ר ( Love the ger (Lev. 19:34; Deut. 10:19) Do give equal justice under the law (Lev 24:22; Num 35:15; Deut 1:16) Don t oppress or distort due justice (Ex 22:21; 23:9; Lev 19:33; De 24:13,17,19)

18 The Ger O.T. ) in the (גּר ר ( Include ger with the needy the widow, orphan, sometimes the Levite to receive material help from the community (Lev 19:10; 23:22; Deut 10:18; 14:29; 24:19-21; 26:12-13; Also Lev 25:35.)

19 The Ger O.T. ) in the (גּר ר ( Were we to start, and to stop, here, we could develop an important piece of the puzzle, but ultimately a very distorted picture of scripture s teaching.

20 The Ger O.T. ) in the (גּר ר ( Ger receive material help from the community Gleaning: with widow & orphan (depends on the recipient s work) Portions of religious tithe: with widow, orphan, and Levite (raw food items) Basis: Denial of land ownership

21 The Ger O.T. ) in the (גּר ר ( Rest on Sabbath & Day of Atonement (Exod 20:10; 23:12; Lev 16:29; Deut 5:14) Celebrates Feasts of: Weeks, Tabernacles, Unleavened Bread (Deut 16:11, 14; 26:11; 2Chr 30:21-27) Passover (Exod 12:19; 12:48,49; Num 9:14) But must be circumcised.

22 The Ger O.T. ) in the (גּר ר ( Religious laws re: offerings, forgiveness (Lev 17:8; 22:18; Num 15:14-16, 26) Religious laws re: cleanness (Lev 17:15; Num 19:10) Religious laws re: eating blood (Lev 17:10-13) [cf. Gen 9:4; Acts 15:20] Religious laws re: idolatry, blasphemy (Lev 20:2; 24:16; Num 15:30)

23 The Ger O.T. ) in the (גּר ר ( Can t own land (Lev 25:23ff implied) Can eat meat from animals that die (Deut 14:21) May be excluded from Passover (Exod 12:48; if uncircumcised) May be blessed if Israel is punished (Deut 28:43)

24 The Ger O.T. ) in the (גּר ר ( Members of the Congregation of Israel (Exod 12:19) Assembly of Israel (Josh 8:33-35) Members of the Covenant (Deut 29:11) Obligated to the whole Law (Lev 18:26; Num 15:29; Deut 31:12) equal standing = equal protection + equal obligations

25 The Ger O.T. ) in the (גּר ר ( On joining the assembly of Israel Ammonites and Moabites are excluded from the Assembly of the Lord (although Ruth proves the exception) Edomites and Egyptians are admitted in the third generation

26 The Ger O.T. ) in the (גּר ר ( Social Summary. The Ger gave up... Homeland Family Land Ownership Religion/idols Diet Legal system Name Way of life (all the regulations) The Ger join/accept... New people Religion Laws Diet Limited economic opportunities Delayed civic participation Language

27 The Ger O.T. ) in the (גּר ר ( Outside Mosaic Law Gen 26 Isaac respects the water rights of local citizens and leaves wells that he dug Num Moses requests permission to pass through Edom; being denied he respects their borders and leads Israel around Edom

28 The Ger O.T. ) in the (גּר ר ( Who are the ger? strangers, aliens, sojourners, immigrants, or? The ger appear to be naturalized citizens. 2 nd class citizens, but citizens. Illegal immigrants cannot fall under the heading of the ger in the OT.

29 Comparisons What we are not suggesting What we can suggest

30 Suggesting Migration immigration Border security is legitimate and necessary based on various threats Corporate identity is a high value For Israel, the Covenant For America, the Constitution Assimilation Fair to have a high standard Fair to have a long period of time

31 Suggesting Rule of Law is precious Limits on when to invoke we ought to obey God rather than men Reduce problems by Restore the Constitution Control the borders Track visa holders Penalize lawbreaking employers Export American exceptionalism & capitalism (not imperialism)