When fear wins, Christianity loses

When fear wins, Christianity loses Christians have a responsibility to the men, women, and children fleeing their homelands. Every minute, 24 people across the globe leave their homes behind and become refugees--roughly 24 per minute, according to the United Nations Refugee Agency. The recent travel ban by President Donald Trump that forbids refugees from seven countries to enter the United States complicates this exodus. More than 21.3 million refugees today have fled their home countries; more than half are children. Most are living in camps in countries such as Kenya, Jordan, and Pakistan. Many will never return home and are dependent on the compassion of strangers. Some believe that the U.S., with a quota of 110,000 per year, allows too many refugees into the country. Trump has issued an order to cut that number to 50,000 and, over the past weekend, eliminated entrance for many. Following President Trump's proposed moratorium on refugees entering the United States, a few strident Christian voices, such as Franklin Graham, the evangelical preacher and son of the late Billy Graham, have endorsed his proposal. Yet far more Christian leaders, both Catholic and Protestant, have decried such a move as antithetical to the teachings of Christianity. Religious organizations such as Catholic Charities, Church World Service, and Lutheran Immigration and Refugee Service are directly involved in the process of resettlement. Unfortunately, too few Christians know what mainstream Christian churches teach on the topic of refugees and immigration. Read more