Theological Thursdays: Remember the Alien and the Stranger

'Even if I believed that the presence of immigrants was a net loss, taking tax dollars and jobs, leaving me slightly poorer, that is not the issue for a person of faith.'

This is crux of the argument for too many, though, and no amount of facts on either side will sway people from their convictions. People look for scapegoats and, unfortunately, immigrants are an obvious, but incorrect, target.

I practice doing at least one good deed daily, and have found that, over the years, the more I do for others without expecting anything in return, the more things go well in my life.
This is my personal experience over many years and I challenge anyone to try it out.
Nothing but good can come from helping people in need, providing the motives are pure.

Nice article; thank you

thank you rev drew for reminding us of the moral dimension of the immigrant/refugee debate.

yes, i was one of the people who argued that more people = more jobs, as if economic gain is the only possible way to argue in favor of immigration. i wonder if the debate would have changed if i or others had framed it in terms of what kind of community we want to be.

do we really want to be a community that shuns or even harasses newcomers from other cultures? did hostility towards our immigrant ancestors serve any moral or "practical" purpose? heaven forbid, if we suffered a series of catastrophes and had to flee the u.s., how would we hope to be received in our new countries?

Can't tell you how much I appreciate this article, as someone who works with refugees full time.
Thanks Drew!

Great article!

This reminds me of a recent discussion I had with a friend who lives in the suburbs of Atlanta. As a life-long Atlantian, he is as much a supporter of that city as many Buffalonians are here. He was sharing that his niece had just finished her Masters in Elementary Education and was having a hard time finding a job in the Atlanta area. She complained that the jobs she had applied to were being filled by applicants from out of state who were moving there due to lack of jobs in their hometowns. He felt that local residents should have first right of refusal on any local job, and only then it could be opened to an applicant from out of town or out of state. He used the term "Rust Belt Refugees" more than once during the conversation, it was a bit insulting to hear how others think of people from Buffalo who are moving south for jobs.

I would hope that residents of other areas are open to our refugees, as we take in the less fortunate from other countries. Maybe this is an angle that or local leaders should pursue, Buffalo as the land of opportunity for foreigners and a stepping stone for subsequent generations.