Yesterday in church, one of the readings was from Exodus:
Exodus 1:8-14
New International Version (NIV)
8 Then a new king, to whom Joseph meant nothing, came to power in Egypt. 9 “Look,” he said to his people, “the Israelites have become far too numerous for us. 10 Come, we must deal shrewdly with them or they will become even more numerous and, if war breaks out, will join our enemies, fight against us and leave the country.”
11 So they put slave masters over them to oppress them with forced labor, and they built Pithom and Rameses as store cities for Pharaoh. 12 But the more they were oppressed, the more they multiplied and spread; so the Egyptians came to dread the Israelites 13 and worked them ruthlessly. 14 They made their lives bitter with harsh labor in brick and mortar and with all kinds of work in the fields; in all their harsh labor the Egyptians worked them ruthlessly.
It wasn't an immigration sermon (although the pastor reminded us that the Jews were immigrants in Egypt). However, the first thought that came to my mind when I heard the passage was how familiar it sounded.
Now I understand the biblical underpinnings of the GOP policy - from the Old Testament, and from the wrong role models.
And the real biblical policy direction:
Exodus 22:21
New International Version (NIV)
21 “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.