As thousands of refugees from Syria flood into Europe from their drought and war-stricken land, and President Obama has said that he would like to see the United States take ten thousand refugees and give them safety, many Americans are very uneasy with the idea of immigration. Illegal immigration is a hot topic in the upcoming presidential race, with the majority of Americans feeling that illegal immigrants should be deported, and many feeling that legal immigration should have stricter standards. Leading Republican nominee hopeful Donald Trump has been strong in his stand against illegal immigration, which has cast him in a favorable light with the majority of Republicans.
However, Christian and other religious leaders are concerned that the lack of empathy for refugees from war-torn countries is unethical and portrays the United States in an unfavorable light. While the majority of refugees are heading to Europe, the situation has been dire, with bodies washing ashore from capsized boats and cattle trucks found packed with dead refugees in Austria, apparently the result of suffocation as human smugglers attempted to get them into the country illegally. Photographs of dead babies washed ashore , as the Inquisitr has previously reported, have flooded the media and caused a very public debate over immigration and the ethics involved.
Reverend Franklin Graham, son of famous evangelist Billy Graham, took to social media via Facebook to share his views on the plight of refugees , according to Christian Today .
“The Middle East is collapsing and people are fleeing in huge numbers, flooding into Europe desperately trying to find safety. Today Germany announced that they can take up to 500,000 refugees annually and expects 800,000 refugees this year alone. France said they could take 24,000, and UK said they would accept 20,000 by 2020. Have you ever thought about the fact that He (Jesus Christ) was a refugee? When Jesus was a baby his parents, Mary and Joseph, had to take him and flee to Egypt to escape the murderous ruler, King Herod. Can you imagine what it would be like to have to flee your home with only what you could carry?”
According to Reverend Kevin Jessip, leader of the Global Strategic Alliance, persecution is happening around the world, not just in Syria, and Americans not offering asylum is a disgrace , according to the Christian Post .
“It’s inappropriate for the Untied States of America to discriminate against a minority religion who is in dire need of asylum. These are proven cases at the UNHCR that we’ve seen of people who have been denied, and are in jeopardy of losing their lives.”
He also urged U.S. churches to take in refugee families, stating, “We will give until it hurts.”
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