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The New Coffee Room

  1. TNCR
  2. General Discussion
  3. Is illegal presence in a country a sin in the Christian sense?

Is illegal presence in a country a sin in the Christian sense?

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  • AxtremusA Offline
    AxtremusA Offline
    Axtremus
    wrote last edited by
    #1

    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?

    1. "Breaking and entering" a private residence or business establishment
    2. "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)
    3. "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
    4. "Illegal immigration" in the sense of, say, someone slipping into a country (that normally requires a visa) without getting a visa
    5. "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?

    1 Reply Last reply
    • jon-nycJ Offline
      jon-nycJ Offline
      jon-nyc
      wrote last edited by
      #2

      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.

      The whole reason we call them illegal aliens is because they’re subject to our laws.

      RenaudaR 1 Reply Last reply
      • 89th8 Offline
        89th8 Offline
        89th
        wrote last edited by
        #3

        Doing something against the law isn’t inherently sinful, so I’d say no. Also the Baptist preacher is a joke, everyone at church is living in sin, it’s part of human nature!

        1 Reply Last reply
        • HoraceH Offline
          HoraceH Offline
          Horace
          wrote last edited by Horace
          #4

          There's a prescient Korean English exam question that touches on this issue.

          image.png

          Education is extremely important.

          1 Reply Last reply
          • jon-nycJ jon-nyc

            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.

            RenaudaR Offline
            RenaudaR Offline
            Renauda
            wrote last edited by
            #5

            @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.

            Elbows up!

            1 Reply Last reply
            • jon-nycJ Offline
              jon-nycJ Offline
              jon-nyc
              wrote last edited by jon-nyc
              #6

              I forgot number four:

              4 - There can be no other Christian answer, due to the infallibility of [my interpretation of] the Bible.

              (With the part in brackets implied not stated)

              The whole reason we call them illegal aliens is because they’re subject to our laws.

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