What does the Bible say about illegal immigration?

[faroukfarouk]

Mercy is no excuse for sin and disobeying the law. It's just plain wrong.

The Lord Jesus said:

"If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea."

"And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell."

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them."

You are using these verses to refer to families that have already been given residence by the authorities??

 

[Ματθαίος]

Illegal immigration into the developed world is also wrong for countless reasons, some of them are as follows:

1) Usually it's the most talented people who cross over. They need to pay lots of money to smugglers, sometimes they buy forged documents, they devise intricate schemes to deceive the authorities in order to get in the country as part of official sports delegation, as students, as tourists etc. It's not easy and requires to have connections and money, education, and smarts. This results in brain drain

2) By allowing illegal immigration to happen, the developed countries teach the rest of the world (developing countries) that law means nothing. They already suffer from all kinds of problems of crime and corruption. The rich countries send a strong message that it's ok.

3) Instead of encouraging the people to stay where they were born and work hard to improve the conditions in their home counties, the developed world simply accepts the influx of the illegals. The population in the poor countries thinks, I can always leave to a better country and they spend all their efforts to acheive this goal.

4) Instead of staying in their countries and working hard, the people in poor countries strive to emigrate. It's an easy solution, but it leaves their respective countries in the worst state that they even are in. People flee instead of contributing and fighting against injustices and corruption. So the bad governments' hands are free to do what they wish. The people just leave, they do not resist.

5) Very bright and talented people who could have contributed greatly to their developing countries, run away, therefore the bad governments are happy and content as people don't do anything against them and see a "paradise" in another developed country that they didn't work for.

6) This "paradise" in the developed world didn't happen by chance. It was created by many generations of hard-working and honest people. If you think that you can just come and enjoy the fruits of that work, it destroys completely the moral of the people in those developed countries. Because those who have not worked for anything, receive the benefits. It's injustice.

7) The developed countries lose their moral and hard-working spirit, and other countries like China pick up the slack and become the leaders of the world. The hard-working people of the developed world have to support multitudes of hordes of illegals and other low-quality immigrants. Therefore, they can't be productive for their country and their families as much.

 

[Ματθαίος]

You are using these verses to refer to families that have already been given residence by the authorities??

For anybody breaking any kind of law.

The OP is about illigal immigration. I don't know why you stick to this mantra.

 

[faroukfarouk]

For anybody breaking any kind of law.

People who have been given leave to remain after an application process are legal residents. In any case, the local church should be prioritizing the Great Commission.

 

[Ματθαίος]

People who have been given leave to remain after an application process are legal residents. In any case, the local church should be prioritizing the Great Commission.

I'm sorry, but the OP is about illegal immigration. And that's what I'm talking about, respecting the rules of this website.

Arriving into a country illegally or residing in a country illegaly, or obtaining legal status being an illegal immigrant and/or through the means of providing misleading information (immigration fraud) are two different, though related topics.

 

[Ματθαίος]

Under the disguise of refugees and other needing categories of immigrants, countless very very bad people like criminals or people of very very bad religious ideologies come in the millions into the Christian countries. The societies are getting destroyed and a future total islamization and death of Christianity is becoming a reality.

 

[faroukfarouk]

I'm sorry, but the OP is about illegal immigration. And that's what I'm talking about, respecting the rules of this website.

...and often it's a complex process for the competent authorities to work out exactly which families can stay and which need to leave. There are very big grey areas here; it's not for local churches to raise heat about these grey areas, but to concentrate on the Great Commission, Matthew 28.18-19

 

[dqhall]

The system here is totally skewed big time. Overly benevolent to illegals, but very strict towards those who have the legal grounds to immigrate and are doing it honestly. The system throws the book at the good guys, but closes its eyes to the crimes of the truly bad ones and eagerly welcomes them.

Asians are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. They arrived on jet planes and did not go back. A friend from the Toronto area wrote to me Toronto is about half Asian. New Mexico has a Hispanic majority. California has more Hispanics than White non-Hispanics. Texas might become a Hispanic majority state.

The British once controlled Palestine. They were limiting Jewish immigration. The Jews decided to fight for their independence. They won and declared Israel a Jewish homeland in 1948. Many Jews immigrated to Israel. In the 2000's Africans were fleeing conditions in Africa. They entered Israel illegally at the Sinai-Negev border. They found work as day laborers, standing outside in the morning waiting for people to hire them. The Israelis did not want non-Jewish immigration, so they have built a border fence along the Egyptian border topped with barbed wire. Israel is now trying to deport thousands of illegal Africans. There are Ethiopian Jews in Israel legally. Christians trying to immigrate to Israel were denied citizenship. The Palestinian population is growing faster than the Jewish population. Israel built a concrete wall around the West Bank. Churches complained the Israelis were seizing church property by imminent domain.

 

[Ματθαίος]

...and often it's a complex process for the competent authorities to work out exactly which families can stay and which need to leave. There are very big grey areas here; it's not for local churches to raise heat about these grey areas, but to concentrate on the Great Commission, Matthew 28.18-19

Arriving into a country illegally or residing in a country illegaly, or obtaining legal status being an illegal immigrant and/or through the means of providing misleading information (immigration fraud) are two different, though related topics.

It's simple. You obey the law, or you don't. Yes, the forest of immigration law is such, that it can be abused. I know it very very well. Many people do it, because the desire to live in a "paradise" of the West is ever so great.

 

[Ματθαίος]

Most immigrants don't have the morality that the Christian developed countries were built upon. Therefore, the modern immigration from countries of a different kind of heritage destroys these developed countries. I see it year by year. Stealing, fraud, dishonesty etc become more and more everyday norm.

 

[Ματθαίος]

Asians are the fastest growing ethnic group in the United States. They arrived on jet planes and did not go back. A friend from the Toronto area wrote to me Toronto is about half Asian. New Mexico has a Hispanic majority. California has more Hispanics than White non-Hispanics. Texas might become a Hispanic majority state.

It's the end of the West and of the Christian world as we know it. Taken by total invasion.

 

[Marvin Knox]

.............There are very big grey areas here............

NO - there are no grey areas. Illegal immigration is sin and anyone who encourages sin will answer for it at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." Romans 13:1-2

If you think the immigration and deportation laws of the U.S. are unfair in some way - by all means lobby to change them. That is not sin - in fact it may even be a righteous act.

But as long as the laws stand as is - you are sinning if you shield illegals in any way which abets their sin or encourages others to sin in the same way.

This isn't really spiritual rocket surgery. It's plain and simple systematic theology concerning the biblical answers to the questions posed by our brother in the OP.

 

[faroukfarouk]

NO - there are no grey areas. Illegal immigration is sin and anyone who encourages sin will answer for it at the Judgment Seat of Christ.

"Let everyone be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God. Consequently, whoever rebels against the authority is rebelling against what God has instituted, and those who do so will bring judgment on themselves." Romans 13:1-2

If you think the immigration and deportation laws of the U.S. are unfair in some way - by all means lobby to change them. That is not sin - in fact it may even be a righteous act.

But as long as the laws stand as is - you are sinning if you shield illegals in any way which abets their sin or encourages others to sin in the same way.

This isn't really spiritual rocket surgery. It's plain and simple systematic theology concerning the biblical answers to the questions posed by our brother in the OP.

Often it's a complex process for the competent authorities to work out exactly which families can stay and which need to leave. I have worked for years with Hispanic immigrants. There are very big grey areas here; it's not for local churches to raise heat about these grey areas, but to concentrate on the Great Commission, Matthew 28.18-19

Up here in Canada, the government active encourages immigration. There is a huge trend whereby many people who are turned down by the US are allowed to stay in Canada.

 

[faroukfarouk]

It's the end of the West and of the Christian world as we know it. Taken by total invasion.

Up here, Toronto is called the world's most racially diverse city. More people in Toronto were born outside Canada than within Canada. As regards asylum applicants, it's a complex process with many grey areas; and local churches don't tend to raise heat against those who are in the immigration processing stage.

The Canadian government actively encourages immigration. Its asylum criteria are also interpreted less stringently than many other countries.

 

[rjs330]

Thank goodness us sinners -- you and me -- us at-times lawbreakers -- you and me -- thank goodness we will be shown Mercy! Thank goodness there is Someone Who redeems us from our sins!

Yes, but only if we repent and believe in him. Those that do not are not let in. They would be illegal immigrants in heaven.

God is more strict on the border of heaven than we are on our countries border.

 

[Halbhh]

Yes, but only if we repent and believe in him. Those that do not are not let in. They would be illegal immigrants in heaven.

God is more strict on the border of heaven than we are on our countries border.

Amen!

 

[discipler7]

What is the biblical solution to illegal immigration?

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When we follow the biblical command to love our friendly neighbors as ourselves,(MATTHEW.22:37-40) we do not have to let them stay in our houses unless absolutely necessary.(eg war refugees)

We can always help our friendly neighbor when he/she is in real need, eg lend money, babysit their kids, fix their computers, etc. Drug addicts, evildoers and other unrepentant law-breakers should be excluded as our friendly neighbor - eg for USA, it's China/North Korea, Iran, ISIS, etc.(MATT.18:17, 1COR.5:1-13)

 

[DavidPT]

Arriving into a country illegally or residing in a country illegaly, or obtaining legal status being an illegal immigrant and/or through the means of providing misleading information (immigration fraud) are two different, though related topics.

It's simple. You obey the law, or you don't. Yes, the forest of immigration law is such, that it can be abused. I know it very very well. Many people do it, because the desire to live in a "paradise" of the West is ever so great.

Perhaps it might seem from the following that I hate Mexicans, yet I don't hate Mexicans, but the way I reason things is like this. Suppose Mexico was the land of opportunity and that the USA no longer was. And suppose, just like many Mexicans now do, where many of them illegally enter this country, then steal jobs from Americans by performing these jobs at much lower wages than Americans would get, that Americans started doing the same things themselves. Suppose they started entering Mexico illegally, then stealing jobs from Mexican citizens by doing these jobs at lower wages, what do you think would happen to these Americans that went into Mexico like that? I can make a pretty good educated guess. And that would be, they wouldn't let you get away with this, period. Americans would be getting killed left and right, likely by the citizens of Mexico themselves. And the ones not killed, they would likely end up in prisons indefinitely. So IOW, it's perfectly ok for Mexicans to illegally enter this country, then steal jobs that should have been jobs for Americans first, but if it were the exact opposite, it wouldn't be ok for Americans to do the same in their country, assuming Mexico were the land of opportunity and the USA no longer was.

So why should I sympathize with any illegals coming into this country when they wouldn't sympathize with any illegals coming into their country, then doing the same to them that they had been doing to others, that assuming the USA was no longer the land of opportunity but Mexico now was? Like I said, I don't hate Mexicans, yet I dislike what they have been illegally doing for decades now. And it's total nonsense that these illegals are only taking jobs Americans didn't want to begin with. Some of us have learned skills and trades, and clearly Mexicans have also learned some of these same skills and trades. That means they are taking jobs Americans want after all. I should know for a fact since I learned my trade almost 35 or 40 years ago, and I can't even count all the times illegal Mexicans beat me out of jobs that should have been mine first.

 

[Ματθαίος]

Perhaps it might seem from the following that I hate Mexicans, yet I don't hate Mexicans, but the way I reason things is like this. Suppose Mexico was the land of opportunity and that the USA no longer was. And suppose, just like many Mexicans now do, where many of them illegally enter this country, then steal jobs from Americans by performing these jobs at much lower wages than Americans would get, that Americans started doing the same things themselves. Suppose they started entering Mexico illegally, then stealing jobs from Mexican citizens by doing these jobs at lower wages, what do you think would happen to these Americans that went into Mexico like that? I can make a pretty good educated guess. And that would be, they wouldn't let you get away with this, period. Americans would be getting killed left and right, likely by the citizens of Mexico themselves. And the ones not killed, they would likely end up in prisons indefinitely. So IOW, it's perfectly ok for Mexicans to illegally enter this country, then steal jobs that should have been jobs for Americans first, but if it were the exact opposite, it wouldn't be ok for Americans to do the same in their country, assuming Mexico were the land of opportunity and the USA no longer was.

So why should I sympathize with any illegals coming into this country when they wouldn't sympathize with any illegals coming into their country, then doing the same to them that they had been doing to others, that assuming the USA was no longer the land of opportunity but Mexico now was? Like I said, I don't hate Mexicans, yet I dislike what they have been illegally doing for decades now. And it's total nonsense that these illegals are only taking jobs Americans didn't want to begin with. Some of us have learned skills and trades, and clearly Mexicans have also learned some of these same skills and trades. That means they are taking jobs Americans want after all. I should know for a fact since I learned my trade almost 35 or 40 years ago, and I can't even count all the times illegal Mexicans beat me out of jobs that should have been mine first.

I agree. Many countries are extremely tough on illegal or even legal immigration.

In the US, the rampant problem of llegal immigration is the fault of the responsible government bodies. They completely failed their citizens in this area. They do not even enforce the existing laws, many of which are too lax anyway. Must be tough. Very tough. It's in the interest of your people.

Catch them, fine them big time, load them up, deport them. 100% of the time. Don't let illegals back in. Be strict, tough and thorough. Punish severely any person or organization who aid illegal immigration or provide employment. Fines, jail time. Soon new ones wilk think twice before even trying to come. Problem solved.

This isn't anything new. Many countries do exactly that.

 

[rjs330]

What many Christians miss is the admonition to live and help people is individualistic. Jesus commanded you and I to love and be good to people. He did not command us to force everyone else to do that nor did he command the government to do that. In fact Paul tells us to obey our laws. Jesus didn't say one word about helping people break the laws of the land except to visit them in jail.

If I found an illegal crossing our border I should give him drink and food and medical care if need be, then I should turn them over to immigration.