U.S. Attorney General Jeff Sessions spoke out Thursday in defense of the Trump administration’s handling of our immigration laws. The government is treating newly immigrant families by separating children from their parents for weeks. Many Americans are greatly disturbed about this, especially Christians. They are citing biblical passages which they think command otherwise by showing empathy, etc.
Sessions said Thursday in response to “church friends” that “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. 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.”
Mr. Session, the question is about whether or not the law you are applying is a just law or whether or not you are interpreting it correctly. Americans protesting what you are doing are not disputing that we should have an orderly society governed by authorities who enforce just laws. They’re just saying the laws should be fair. After all, you’re boss is always using the words “fair” and “unfair.”
Attorney General Sessions, who is from Alabama, seems have forgotten important American history that concerns his background. If the South would have won the Civil War, slavery would likely still be legal in this country, that is, unless it would have resulted in two nations. Thus, Sessions’ remarks betray a refusal to consider that a nation can have unrighteous, unjust laws that need to be changed and made right, just as happened with human rights in this nations when the North won the Civil War resulting in slavery being made illegal, which had been legal for nearly a century.
Ever since Sessions made these remarks Thursday, religious authorities, politicians, and others in the U.S. have been speaking out in protest against what Sessions said. Many are saying he has misapplied or misinterpreted what Paul says there in Romans 13. I agree, although I do think our immigration problem is difficult to solve. See my post about Romans 13 made several weeks ago, thus well before this controversy erupted, entitled “Did Paul Teach Unconditional Obedience to Civil Rulers?“
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