Jeff Sessions points to the Bible in defense of separating immigrant families
Attorney General Jeff Sessions used a Bible verse on Thursday to defend his department's policy of prosecuting everyone who crosses the border from Mexico, suggesting that God supports the government in separating immigrant parents from their children.
"I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained the government for his purposes," Sessions said during a speech to law enforcement officers in Fort Wayne, Indiana. "Orderly and lawful processes are good in themselves. Consistent and fair application of the law is in itself a good and moral thing, and that protects the weak and protects the lawful."
Sessions announced in May a zero-tolerance policy in which the Justice Department would begin prosecuting everyone who crosses the Southwest border with Mexico. Part of the policy shift meant that migrants traveling with children and unaccompanied minors end up detained; U.S. law charges the parents with a crime, but not the children, which means they're held separately.
The Associated Press cites U.S. Customs and Border Protection figures from two weeks in May in which more than 650 children were separated from parents.
>>>This is beyond ridiculous, the long-standing protestant practice of finding a Bible quote, no matter how far out of context, and make it fit your agenda. I guess if we follow Sessions logic all the way, then even the most devout Christian would have to say that abortion is the law so tough stuff God; or so-called gay marriage, again, tough stuff God. Well slavery was the law of the land, Jim Crow, rounding up and imprisoning Japanese Americans during WWII, tough stuff God and can we go on. Christians indeed should be model citizens, lawfully obeying just laws. However, the Christian is NOT obliged to follow/promote those laws that are unjust. Absolute obedience is never due the state. The state has no authority to decide moral truth, divine law or even natural law. Since Sessions wants to quote Scripture than how about Acts 5:29: obedience to God over obedience to man. According to the Compendium of the Catholic Church the Christian is not obligated to follow civil law if it 1) violates the moral order; moral natural law, 2) violates basic human rights and 3) violates the teachings of the Gospel, the teachings of Holy Mother Church.
Furthermore, the Compendium states that:
"It is a grave duty of conscience not to cooperate, not even formally, in practices which, although permitted by civil legislation, are contrary to the Law of God. Such cooperation in fact can never be justified, not by invoking respect for the freedom of others nor by appealing to the fact that it is foreseen and required by civil law. No one can escape the moral responsibility for actions taken, and all will be judged by God himself based on this responsibility (cf. Rom 2:6; 14:12)." (Compendium, No. 399).
So in conclusion, AG Sessions is wrong, separating families is wrong and the system is wrong; or at least broken.
Hopefully the government will fix this and continue to work out a just and honest approach to immigration and we can live out God's holy will on earth!
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