Is illegal presence in a country 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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I know the answer to this, we’ve been watching this play out for years:
1 - pick your desired answer
2 - find the appropriate quote or quotes in the Bible that seem supportive
3 - declare your desired answer biblically correct.@jon-nyc said in Is illegal presence in a country a sin in the Christian sense?:
I know the answer to this, we’ve been watching this play out for years:
1 - pick your desired answer
2 - find the appropriate quote or quotes in the Bible that seem supportive
3 - declare your desired answer biblically correct.Can’t say I miss an iota of it either.
