United Methodist Church Slams Jeff Sessions Over Migrant Separation

By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America (Jeff Sessions) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
By Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America (Jeff Sessions) [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons
It said quoting Biblical passages does not offer justification for this harmful act

The United Methodist Church (UMC) has closed ranks in its fight against the Trump administration and specifically Jeff Sessions[/tweetit], the United States Attorney General, for promoting and acting on an immigration policy that forcefully separates families at the U.S. border. The UMC described this draconian policy as a piece of legislation which goes precisely the opposite of what the United States represents.

United Methodist Church Slams Jeff Sessions Over Migrant Separation[/tweetthis]

Reverend Susan Henry-Crowe, the General Secretary of Global Board of Church and Society, has requested the Trump administration cease the existing policy of wrenching apart immigrant families. The church also denounced the policy of denying asylum to people fleeing gang violence and domestic abuse. It is to be noted Attorney General Sessions is himself a member of the UMC. He has defended such policies by mentioning multiple Biblical passages to justify such a government program.

In the speech Sessions gave in Fort Wayne city, Indiana, he said he does not believe church history or the scriptures condemn any secular state for merely incorporating reasonable immigration laws. The attorney general quoted Romans 13, stating that people should obey government laws as God has allowed the government to happen, and thus by extension, disobeying government circulars means disobeying God. It is natural the White House quickly agreed with what he said. Sarah Huckabee-Sanders told members of the press "it is very Biblical to enforce the law."

The UMC was quick to respond. It questioned Bible use to defend 21st-century immigration policies. Henry-Crowe wrote in her rejoinder that Christian texts must not be utilized to justify a policy which may harm or oppress the children along with their families. It quoted passages from the same Bible to remind the attorney general of chapters near passage 13. These chapters, she said, concentrate on hospitality and love. They also urge Christians to provide hospitality to the strangers.

The UMC is not alone in criticizing Trump. The president has come under fierce criticism from the Catholic Church. Daniel Nicholas DiNardoa, Cardinal of the Church, said: "while protecting our borders is important, we can and must do better as a government, and as a society, to find other ways to ensure that safety." The idea that family separation is authorized by Bible was debunked by the New York Archbishop, Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

Resources

Follow the Conversation on Twitter