There’s an interesting discussion at AgentTimOnline over Agent Tim’s latest post, in which he discusses the Bible and illegal immigration. He opens his post with a link to an article that claims to show that “The Bible is unabashedly pro-immigrant.”

Unfortunately, the article, which you can read here, is guilty of the logical fallacy we call a “red herring,” or diversion.

The author of the article apparently can only find one Bible passage to support his view that the Bible is “explicit[ly]” and “unabashedly” pro immigrant:

Immigration is different: The Bible is explicit. In the Torah, Moses commanded, “Do not mistreat an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in Egypt.” The Bible is unabashedly pro-immigrant.

The author continues:

The argument is simple: You were immigrants in Egypt, and you didn’t like being mistreated, so now that you have your own country, you should treat immigrants compassionately. Compassionate treatment of immigrants is basically an early version of the Golden Rule: Treat people the way you used to want to be treated when you were in Egypt.

That’s all fine and dandy, except he is arguing for a conclusion that isn’t at issue. No Christian “hard-line conservative,” as this author refers to those who want to put a stop to illegal immigration, thinks that immigrants should be mistreated. The real issue at hand is illegal immigration, and whether a nation has the duty to punish those who break the law by illegally entering this country.

Are we “mistreating” or “oppressing” immigrants by deporting them after they broke the law by entering our country illegally? Or are we instead upholding orderly conduct, the rule of law, and respect for our nation’s borders?

Later on the author claims, without a shred of evidence, that Jesus and his parents “crossed the border to Egypt illegally” for fear of persecution from Herod. The Bible does not state that they did so illegally, and if there is historical evidence that they did so illegally, he does not provide it. Ultimately though, he can only cite one passage from the Bible while claiming that the Bible is “explicit” and “unabashedly pro-immigrant”—and the one Bible passage has nothing to do with the real issue at hand.

The title of AgentTim’s latest post is misleading, because there really is no “Biblical worldview on immigration.” Immigration is not a religious issue—it’s a political one. Having said that, there are many Bible passages that speak of obedience to a nation’s government, including:

1 Peter 2:13: “Be subject for the Lord’s sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme, or to governors sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good.”

Romans 13:1-2: “Let every person be subject to the governing authorities . . . those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incure judgment.”

Subjecting oneself to the governing authorities also means subjecting oneself to the laws of that country. It is clear from this that the Bible leaves no room for illegal immigration—rather, such an act is wrong and should be punished.