“Invader” or “neighbor” - What would jesus Call Illegal aliens?
“We’re being invaded.”
“They are taking our jobs.”
“They are a drain on the system.”
These are just some of the ways believers have described illegal aliens
Do you wonder if Jesus would refer to illegal aliens, the legal term, as “Invaders” or would he have approached this subject differently?
Do we, as Christians, support public policies that are incongruent with a biblical worldview? And if so, how would we know?
Let’s do a thought experiment…You were born in Venezuela as it is today. You have a family. You understand that America is the land of opportunity and that if you can just get there, just get your family there, life would be entirely different for you all.
Paul told us in his letters to the Galatian and Colossian congregations that believers we are one in Christ Jesus, no longer Jew or Greek.
Are we thinking about and seeing illegal aliens through the lens of which of our national identities?
- How should we approach immigration in general, and illegal immigration in particular?
- If our national identity is “the church” our fellow body of believers and while our dual citizenship here in the United States allows us to participate in the lawmaking process, how should we approach those laws differently?
- Is it even possible to have a view on this that aligns with our true identity as believers while not making America more dangerous?
- Have you met people who have come here from Venezuela and learned of their plight to get here?
- Is it possible, just possible, that you haven’t thought through your view on illegal immigration as a Christian, but as a voter tied to a particular political party?
asked ChatGPT 3.5: on March 10, 2024, "What does the Bible prescribe to believers, followers of Jesus, in terms of how we should treat foreigners?”
ChatGPT:
The Bible provides several teachings about how believers, followers of Jesus, should treat foreigners or strangers. Here are a few key principles:
Love and Hospitality: The Bible emphasizes love and hospitality towards strangers. In the New Testament, Jesus teaches his followers to love their neighbors as themselves (Mark 12:31). This love extends to strangers or foreigners, as exemplified in the Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37).
Welcoming the Stranger: The Old Testament contains numerous commands to welcome and care for strangers. For example, in Leviticus 19:33-34, it states: "When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. I am the Lord your God."
Justice and Fairness: The Bible advocates for fair treatment of foreigners and strangers, urging believers to provide justice and protection for those who may be marginalized or vulnerable (Deuteronomy 10:17-19; Exodus 22:21; Zechariah 7:9-10).
Compassion and Empathy: Christians are encouraged to show compassion and empathy towards foreigners, recognizing their humanity and dignity (Matthew 25:35-40 NIV) 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’
37 “Then the righteous will answer him, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?’
40 “The King will reply, ‘Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.’
Overall, the Bible encourages believers to treat foreigners with kindness, love, and respect, just as they would treat their fellow citizens. The principles of hospitality, justice, and compassion form the foundation of how Christians are called to interact with foreigners and strangers in their midst.
- Chat GPT has a good understanding of what we ought to do; the question is, then, how often do we do this?
Is seeking harsher immigration laws the answer?
Is removing all barriers to entry the answer?
What about the costs that the taxpayer bears due to illegal immigration?
The economics of illegal immigration.
Net Drain?
Taking versus giving?
I assumed that most were women or families eager to have “anchor babies,” or were using welfare, or that more illegals were criminals than native born citizens.
Is that accurate?
What does the data tell us?
Going back more than 20 years to an ACLU article titled Immigrants and the Economy Document Date: March 12, 2002
We learn the following:
“taking jobs” - most persistent fallacy because there are not a “fixed” number of jobs…
Often, immigrants are blamed for unemployment by Americans because they see jobs immigrants fill but not the ones they create through productivity, capital formation, and demand for goods and services.
Back in 2002, immigrants paid more than $90B in taxes every year and received only $5B in welfare. Without their contribution, the economy would suffer not only from the loss of productivity but from the public treasury as well.
A 1994 study of unemployment and immigration by Richard Vedder and Lowell Galloway of Ohio University spanning 100 years (from 1891 to 1991) found that higher rates of foreign-born population historically have corresponded to lower unemployment rates. The study found that immigrants expand total output and the demand for labor, tend to be highly productive, and promote capital formation through high savings rates.
In 2018, the labor force participation rate of foreign-born adults was 65.7%, higher than the 62.3% rate for the native born, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. Some 27.2 million foreign-born adults, 63.4% of all foreign-born adults, were employed that year, compared to 59.8% of native-born adults.
In March 2018, immigrants with less than a four-year college degree made up 10% of all persons (and 11% of all U.S. workers) in the United States, but they reflected a large share of all workers in many important occupations and industries, according to Census data. (See Table 1.) Fully 36% of workers in the farming, fishing, and forestry fields are immigrants without a college degree, as are 36% of building and grounds cleaning and maintenance workers, 27% of hotel workers, and 21% of home health care industry workers.
In these and other jobs, immigrants help fill key gaps in the U.S. economy. Indeed, in an authoritative 2015 report, a National Academy of Sciences (NAS) panel of experts determined that immigrants’ economic contributions would be hard to replace:
The high employment levels for the least educated immigrants indicate that employer demand for low-skilled labor remains high. There are still many jobs in the United States for low-skilled workers (Lockard and Wolf, 2012). Among the important reasons cited for this high demand have been the substantial shrinkage since 1990 of the U.S.-born, younger, less-skilled working-age population (those who are native born, ages 25-44, and with educational attainment of a high school diploma or less), owing to the aging of Baby Boomers; higher educational attainment among the U.S.-born; and a fertility rate below the replacement rate for the U.S.-born…. In other words, immigrants appear to be taking low-skilled jobs that natives are either not available or unwilling to take.
National Academy of Sciences Panel on the Integration of Immigrants into American Society, The Integration of Immigrants into American Society, National Academies Press, 2015, p. 266, https://www.nap.edu/read/21746/chapter/8#260.
The Fiscal Impact of Immigration in the United States March 21, 2023 [CATO Institute]
Immigrants have a more positive net fiscal impact than that of native‐born Americans in most scenarios in the Updated Model and in every scenario in the Cato Model, depending on how the costs of public goods are allocated. The Cato Model finds that immigrant individuals who arrive at age 25 and who are high school dropouts have a net fiscal impact of +$216,000 in net present value terms, which does not include their descendants. Including the fiscal impact of those immigrants’ descendants reduces those immigrants’ net fiscal impact to +$57,000. By comparison, native‐born American high school dropouts of the same age have a net fiscal impact of −$32,000 that drops to −$177,000 when their descendants are included (see Table 31). Results also differ by level of government. State and local governments often incur a less positive or even negative net fiscal impact from immigration, whereas the federal government almost always sees revenues rise above expenditures in response to immigration. With some variation and exceptions, the net fiscal impact of immigrants is more positive than it is for native‐born Americans and positive overall for the federal and state/local governments.
If I loved my neighbor as myself, would I not treat the illegal alien whose only crime is crossing the border without permission better?
Would I refer to them as “invaders?”
True, those who commit violent crimes while here or other property crimes like embezzlement should be prosecuted and suffer relevant consequences.
If I were born outside of the United States and saw that as a way to help my family thrive, would I break the border laws to get here? Pretty sure I would, yet maybe my faith would keep me from it, but if I were not a believer, then certainly I would be headed here. As a believer, as someone who professes to follow Jesus, should I, should we, not think differently about those who are here to better themselves?
If I love my neighbor as myself, could I pick a side in the political discussion that would expect others to live as I would, as a Christian, even if they weren’t? Didn’t Jesus die for my sins, love me despite my failures and wickedness, and if so, how then can I expect others to live a life I cannot without the Holy Spirit, without being forgiven of my transgressions?
Are my political thoughts correct and perfectly aligned with the Bible? There’s a chance I have some things wrong, no doubt. I am wise enough to admit I don’t know it all, finally, but I am sure that today, I am far closer to the Truth than I was 10 or 15 years ago.
If, as a follower of Jesus the Messiah, I am to be a peacemaker between rival groups, the political elite, progressives, and conservatives, am I not required to do things differently when it comes to laws? My own life ought to reflect the highest standard because I am a follower of Jesus, yes I fall far short, and at the same time, I have to protect the rights of others to do things I find contrary to living our best lives because the law does NOT change hearts. Jesus changes our hearts, but the law does not.
You may say, Bryan, if you had “alleged” illegal aliens in your congregation, should you not have them seek out to rectify their immigration status once they have become part of the “church?” Yes, indeed, we should. We should find people in every congregation who can help those new believers navigate the process to be in line with the law.
While we are guiding the new believer in the ways of Jesus, why not change our conversations regarding immigration?
Why not lead the way with compassion so that those here are not working for wages below what the market would naturally pay?
Why not push our elected leaders to create real reform, reform that readily allows those who are not violent criminals to enter the country quickly and easily, knowing they are a net benefit to society overall?
Why not reduce the crime committed against those who are unaware of what they will be forced into in exchange for being brought to the United States? Why allow our harsh immigration policies to foster a black market that is full of various forms of slavery?
Most of those crossing over are neither drug dealers nor criminals, they are men and women like you and me, who want to flourish. Why not find a way to enable that lawfully, with open arms, and take the issue from the two parties that control this country? No, I am not suggesting a new political party, but that if we talk about it, we desire such change, the politicians will do it because they crave being in office more than anything else. Why not be wise as the serpent yet gentle as the dove? Why not change the discussion to connect with the marginalized who some are calling invaders and instead see them as Jesus and Mr. Rogers would, as our neighbors.
Just think about it because we will be discussing these things and more on The Just a Thinker podcast and online. We will ask ourselves how a biblical worldview should inform our approach to Criminal Justice, Education, Immigration, Prohibition, Taxes, and more from a public policy standpoint? We are all capable of thinking critically about these subjects even if we are not an expert in a specific area, but are we thinking biblically about them?
Or, is it possible, as believers with a biblical worldview, that we have not fully considered our approach to these subjects in light of how Jesus handled the relevant situations of His day?
Should we not at least consider the possibility that our approach is influenced more by the world’s norms and ethics than Jesus?
That what Jesus said then could still have a powerful impact upon today’s politics: in precisely the places where ethics meets public policy.
I think so.
Consider what Jesus said to believers who were in a country occupied by a foreign superpower:
"Observe those who bring about harmonious relationships between opposing people, they assuredly are fortuned with the 'good life,' for they shall be called the sons and daughters of God."
The good life. You know, the kind of blessed life everybody desires to have.
Jesus says, it is the peacemakers.
Not the Machiavellian power colluders who are playing all the right angles, and scheming for all the advantages, and securing whatever they can for themselves. No, not them.
And not the moral legalists either, who are so diligent to keep themselves untarnished by the messiness of life. No, not them.
Not the isolationist, who retreats and stays far away from the conflict.
Nor the armed revolutionaries so confident in their just cause.
No, to Jesus, the good life, the blessed life, belongs to those who step into the messiness of life and attempt to bring harmony from the conflict.
Those folks… the risk takers… they’re living the ‘good life.’
Will they be successful in their attempts for peace? Perhaps.
Doesn’t change that they are flourishing because the flourishing is in the doing, not necessarily in the successful outcome.
Those in conflict may have reasons to want to keep the conflict alive. Consider the foreign military officer, the Roman commander, and the local revolutionary fighter, the Jewish Zealot. One or both may have seemingly rational reasons for not wanting peace.
Nevertheless, a peacemaker will try to bring these two opposing sides together in some harmonious relationship. This is no trivial matter.
And even if those two directly involved are truly appreciative of the peacemaker, many others within the broader sphere of political influence may not be so pleased.
Okay, what’s the point?
Everyone has reasons to justify their strong positions of opposition against one another. Roman commander vs Jewish Zealot; Democrat vs. Republican. Rights to ancestral lands. Appropriateness of education curriculum. And the list could go on and on and always will. Why?
Because divisiveness is easy.
“Staying out of it” is easy.
Apathy is easy.
But peacemaking is not.
It wasn’t then. It isn’t now.
But it does lead to the Good Life.
And don’t we believers want as much of the Good Life as we can get?
I think so, although that probably means we need to reconsider how our biblical worldview and ethos shape our approach to relevant and often contentious subjects of today but, also how to engage those entrenched in political opposition. Which at times includes us. #JustThinkAboutIt
