Is illegal immigration a sin in the Christian sense?
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https://www.nytimes.com/2025/12/21/us/southern-baptists-immigration-trump.html
“I would not knowingly extend communion to an illegal immigrant who is visiting our church,” [a Southern Baptist pastor] said. “That person would be in sin by being in this country illegally, and Christians should obey the law of the land.”
Something I have thought of before but haven't settled on an answer:
Is illegal entry or unauthorized presence in a country (by secular legal standards) considered a "sin" in the Christian sense?
On a spectrum of "illegal entry" and "unauthorized presence," which of the following are considered "sins" in the Christian sense?
- "Breaking and entering" a private residence or business establishment
- "Squatting" -- unauthorized prolonged presence in a sheltered space without paying rent (or, for that matter, while owing lots of back rent and the rightful property owner has asked you to leave)
- "Trespassing" -- say, you walk into an open space that is behind a "no trespassing" sign, you see the sign, but there was also no one else there to stop you
- "Illegal immigration" in the sense of, say, someone slipping into a country (that normally requires a visa) without getting a visa
- "Unauthorized presence" in the sense of, say, overstaying a visa
Any of the above strikes you as a "sin" in the Christian sense? Why or why not?
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The concept of "illegal immigration" is modern. You will find nothing scriptural addressing the modern conception of "illegally" crossing a border.
The broader issues of "uphold the law" versus "welcome the foreigner" are addressed here.
I don't think you will find any support for ICE raids in here.
https://biblehub.com/q/bible's_view_on_illegal_immigration.htm
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It all depends on how you choose to define sin.
It’s a pretty flexible concept and changes regularly.
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It seems irrelevant unless one is a creed affirming adherent.
Woe to those who make unjust laws, to those who issue oppressive decrees, ...
I think, if one takes the life of Jesus as one's model, compassion and fairness would take precedence. Isn't that what makes a christian a Christian?
One wonders how many adulterers (and other "sinners") the minister extends communion to on a daily basis.
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As I put it next door, we’ve seen this movie plenty of times.
1 - select your desired opinion
2 - look in the Bible for supportive phrases
3 - declare your desired opinion biblically correct
4 - tell everyone there can be no other Christian opinion on the matter, since you believe in the infallibility of [your interpretation of] the Bible. The part in brackets is unspoken but implied.
