The Bible recognizes national borders. When Moses led the Israelites to the promised land, he asked the king of Edom for permission to cross through his kingdom, but “Edom came out against them with a large and powerful army. Since Edom refused to let them go through their territory, Israel turned away from them.” (Numbers 20:14-21)

Each year, America welcomes more than one million immigrants who have requested permission to enter by following our immigration laws. Our nation has every right to enforce our immigration laws so that our people are not overwhelmed by foreign workers competing for scarce resources such as jobs.

The Gang of Eight’s immigration amnesty bill will reward more than 11 million foreign lawbreakers with legal status at a time when some 20 million Americans are unemployed. We should not place illegals on the same level as citizens or legal immigrants who respected our laws.

Everyone wants to enter the kingdom of heaven, but John 10:1 reads, “Anyone who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber.”

Here’s the good news. Anyone who repents by turning around and taking the right path may enter America or the kingdom of heaven. God doesn’t change his laws to accommodate lawless behavior and neither should our government.

Paul Westrum

Albert Lea