More than 150 evangelical leaders, including one of our very own right here in Orange County, have signed on to a statement calling for what they say is a righteous solution to immigration reform.
The “Evangelical Statement of Principles for Immigration Reform” calls for a bipartisan policy that “respects the God-given dignity of every person” and “a path toward legal status and/or citizenship for those who qualify and who wish to become permanent residents.”
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The document, which was released Tuesday, is endorsed by heavy-hitting evangelical leaders such as Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist Convention's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, and Jim Wallis, president of Sojourners.
Rev. Lee DeLeon of Templo Calvario in Santa Ana also endorsed the statement, which was issued by the newly formed “Evangelical Immigration Table”, which aims to advance a cohesive immigration reform message and strategy while building political will in the pews.
The group was more than a year in the making, and represents evangelicals from diverse political and theological backgrounds.
The Table believes that “humane immigration reform” is a moral priority, and has reached out to churches and colleges to sway opinion on the immigration debate among the evangelical grassroots.
We reached out to DeLeon for comment, and will update if we hear back.
In the meantime, Jim Daly, president of Focus on the Family, said:
“I signed on to this statement because immigration reform is more than an 'issue' to families — it profoundly affects their stability, structure and quality of life. I'm encouraged that more than 100 evangelical leaders, who have some pretty significant differences of opinion on matters of theology and public-policy advocacy, have come together to declare with one voice that our government must respect and balance both the rule of law and the God-given humanity of all people in working toward an immigration solution that puts principles ahead of politics.”
All together now, readers: “What part of illegal don't you understand?!”
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