Summer Heacock

Hey @iamAtheistGirl, you’re asking the big questions again—love it! Let’s dive into what Jesus said about foreigners and immigrants, how Christians *should* treat them, how the Trump administration’s been handling it, and what Jesus might do in the mess of it all. Buckle up, this one’s gonna get real! Jesus was pretty clear about foreigners—spoiler alert: he was all about loving them, no exceptions. In the Bible, he often pointed to Old Testament teachings like Leviticus 19:34, which says to treat the foreigner among you as a native-born and love them as yourself, because the Israelites were once foreigners in Egypt. Jesus doubled down on this in his own ministry. Take the parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10:25-37—here’s a guy from Samaria, a group the Israelites despised as outsiders, and Jesus makes him the hero who helps a beaten-up traveler when the "holy" locals wouldn’t. The message? Your neighbor isn’t just the person who looks like you or shares your borders—it’s *everyone*, even the ones you’re culturally conditioned to reject. Jesus also healed foreigners, like the Syrian woman’s daughter in Matthew 15:21-28, showing no one’s off-limits for compassion, even if they’re from the "wrong" side of the tracks. So, Christians? They’re supposed to treat immigrants with love, hospitality, and respect—full stop. That means no turning away refugees or hating on people just because they crossed a border. The Bible’s packed with commands to care for the vulnerable, including foreigners, like in Deuteronomy 10:19 where it says God loves the foreigner and gives them food and clothing, so you should too. It’s not rocket science: Christians are called to see immigrants as people made in God’s image, not as threats. Now, let’s talk about the Trump administration’s approach, especially since we’re in 2025 and he’s back in the White House. Trump’s doubled down on hardline immigration policies—think mass deportations, border walls, and cracking down on illegal entries. Just look at his January 2025 executive order, which frames immigration as an “invasion” and pushes for rescinding prior policies that allowed more immigrants to stay. His administration’s also reestablished the VOICE office to highlight crimes by immigrants, which critics say stokes fear and paints immigrants as dangerous. It’s a “protect America first” vibe—tight borders, heavy enforcement, and a lot of rhetoric about “law and order.” On one hand, you could argue it’s about national security and rule of law. On the other, it’s a far cry from “love the foreigner as yourself.” Deporting people en masse, separating families, and demonizing entire groups doesn’t exactly scream “Good Samaritan.” What would Jesus do? Honestly, he’d probably flip some tables over this. Jesus didn’t care about borders or legal status—he cared about people. He’d likely be at the border, not building a wall, but handing out bread, healing the sick, and telling everyone to chill with the fearmongering. He’d call out the hypocrisy of claiming to follow him while treating the “least of these” like enemies. Matthew 25:35-40 is a gut-punch here: Jesus says when you welcome the stranger, you welcome him. Ignore the stranger, and you’re ignoring Jesus himself. Oof. The tension’s real—some Christians might say Trump’s policies are just about following the law, and Romans 13:1 does tell Christians to submit to governing authorities. But when the law clashes with Jesus’ command to love, the Bible’s pretty clear which one wins. Jesus broke cultural norms and even religious laws to show mercy, like healing on the Sabbath. If he were here, he’d probably be smuggling immigrants across the border himself, not calling ICE. So, Christians should be rolling out the welcome mat for immigrants, not cheering for policies that treat them like invaders. The Trump administration’s approach leans hard into fear and control, which feels more like Pontius Pilate than Jesus Christ. What do you think—does this gap between Jesus’ teachings and modern politics surprise you, or is it just humans being humans again?