***NEWS RELEASE***
For Immediate Release
February 6, 2017
CONTACT:
Beth Harrison, Hamilton Strategies, 610.584.1096, ext. 104, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, or Deborah Hamilton, 215.815.7716, 610.584.1096, ext. 102
Evaluating the President’s Immigration Policies: Are They Biblical? Are They Constitutional?
American Pastors Network Asks the Important Questions Christians Must Face in Ongoing Debate About Refugees
PHILADELPHIA—The policies President Donald Trump set forth on immigration last week certainly stirred debate across the nation, from riotous protests on college campuses to government leaders strongly stating their opposition or support.
Now, Christians are asking themselves some very important questions—safety or being a good Samaritan? How would Jesus approach the refugee situation the country is facing?
The American Pastors Network (APN, www.americanpastorsnetwork.net) is attempting to explore some of those answers on its nationally syndicated radio program, “Stand in the Gap Today,” heard on 425 stations around the country.
APN President and “Stand in the Gap Today” co-host Sam Rohrer welcomed noted historian and WallBuilders leader David Barton to the program last week, when they discussed the ongoing immigration debate and the biblical and constitutional perspectives therein.
“Immigration in this country is certainly a polarizing issue,” Rohrer said. “But the main questions to explore are these: Are President Trump’s immigration policies in agreement with or in opposition to the historical ideology set in motion by our Founding Fathers? What did our founding fathers envision for the immigrant and how did they perceive this issue? David Barton’s valuable insights and knowledge of the historical and biblical precedent for our laws on immigration helped shed great light on this dilemma. After all, this is an issue that touches every American, with many looking to their pastors and the church for guidance.”
These three questions, and others, were explored on a recent program, with David Barton’s answers following:
Question 1: What did George Washington and our founders think about immigration and controlling it and would they have agreed with the concept of extreme vetting-similar to what President Trump is putting in place?
Answer: “It’s not somebody that just shows up at your border and says, ‘I’m going to live here.’ No, you have to say, ‘I want to live according to your rules. I want to become one of you’ … our immigration (policy) was based on was the biblical concept of ‘come in and be part of us.’” Read more
Question 2: When did the view of immigrants change to bringing in people who don’t ever want to become Americans but actually want to change America?
Answer: “The seeds of that change began in education in the 1920s, as Progressives shifted the way we taught. Prior to that point in time, we taught about individuals. We did not look at groups, we looked at individuals. Every individual had God-given inalienable rights. Every item in the Bill of Rights is given to every individual, it’s not given to groups…” Read more
Question 3: What other characteristics of a nation did our Founders understand and build within the framework of our Constitution?
Answer: “If you look at the Declaration, it starts with 155 words that set forth the entire philosophy of American government in six principles. Of those six principles, four of the six are absolutely God-centered. If you don’t get that right, you don’t get the philosophy of the government right … In America, you’re an American because you adopt a certain philosophy. You can come from any country to be an American if you’ll become part of that philosophy.” Read more
APN recently launched the new “We Will Stand” initiative to help mobilize and encourage pastors to preach biblical truth to all issues, as well as unite pastors in their calling to stand boldly for truth. The “We Will Stand—Preach, Pray, Encourage, Engage” pledge urges pastors to preach passionately, pray fervently, encourage their congregations and engage as a minister together with civic leaders.
The American Pastors Network is the first and largest national network of Bible-believing pastors committed to teaching and applying biblical principles as the moral compass and source of truth for all matters of life. APN’s mission, which will be carried out through the “We Will Stand” initiative, includes: to identify, encourage, equip, educate and network pastors and church members to “Stand in the Gap for Truth”; to be a voice for truth and an advocate for pastors in the public square by providing Bible-based and constitutionally consistent analysis and recommendations on matters of public policy; and to strengthen the biblical relationship between pastors and elected officials, through various private and public meetings for prayer, study and policy discussion.
The American Pastors Network brings listeners the daily one-hour radio program, “Stand in the Gap Today,” which airs on 425 stations nationwide, as well as “Stand in the Gap Minute” and “Stand in the Gap Weekend.” For more information on the entire lineup of APN radio programming, visit www.StandintheGapRadio.com.
APN offers pastors numerous online resources that help clergy choose sermon topics and find information for other church ministries. With some free and some paid resources, topics include abortion, apologetics, creation, the cultural crisis, economics, education, the environment, history, homosexuality, Islam and marriage, along with many others.
The American Pastors Network is the largest, national network of pastors who believe in the authority of scripture; who boldly preach the whole counsel of God with a disciplined application of a biblical worldview to public policy; who are building a permanent infrastructure of biblically faithful pastors and lay leaders; and who are mobilizing congregations to participate in the political process on a non-partisan basis. For information on APN, visit www.AmericanPastorsNetwork.net, its Facebook page or follow APN’s Twitter feed, @AmericanPastors. Those interested in forming a chapter in their state may contact amy@papastors.net.
The American Pastors Network is a Ministry Program Affiliate of Capstone Legacy Foundation (a 501(c)(3) non-profit Christian Public Community Foundation registered nationwide). APN’s daily short radio feature, “Stand in the Gap Minute,” airs on approximately 290 stations, “Stand in the Gap Weekend” airs on nearly 180 stations and the live one-hour show, “Stand in the Gap Today,” airs on about 425 stations nationwide.
###
To interview a representative from the American Pastors Network, contact Beth Harrison at 610-584-1096, ext. 104, Media@HamiltonStrategies.com, or Deborah Hamilton at 215-815-7716 or 610-584-1096, ext. 102.