The War on Christians, the War on Migrants, and the Gospel We Ignore

As undocumented immigrants are demonized as rapists, murderers, and drug lords, those who have met such migrants need to say, “No, they aren’t. Have you never met one?” Of course, those people can’t do that because they might get a frightening response: “Oh, you know an undocumented person? Tell us where they are!” Hitler called…

Jamin Bradley

February 7, 2025

2–3 minutes

Christianity, faith, immigration, Jesus, mercy, Migrants, persecution, politics, prophets, Sermon on the Mount, social justice, The Church, The Gospel, theology, Trump

As undocumented immigrants are demonized as rapists, murderers, and drug lords, those who have met such migrants need to say, “No, they aren’t. Have you never met one?”

Of course, those people can’t do that because they might get a frightening response: “Oh, you know an undocumented person? Tell us where they are!”

Hitler called the Jews, “rats.” Hutus called the Tutsis, “cockroaches.” Trump called migrants “not human,” but “animals,” among many other things. We feel the tension of history rising up in this moment as political power demonizes and castigates the sojourners among us.

How do we live in this scenario? How are people having actual conversations about how to harbor migrants in a way that rhymes with how some Germans harbored Jews? Why is ICE now allowed to take migrants out of our churches and schools? When a bishop asked the president to consider showing Jesus’ mercy to migrants, how could he respond by calling her radical left, Trump-hating, ungracious, nasty, not compelling, not smart, boring, and uninspiring? And how can we be lifting up all of these Christian concerns about migrants while Trump attends a prayer breakfast saying that he’s going to eradicate anti-Christian bias? What kind of Christianity are we talking about?

As a pastor, I do not agree with Trump that the last four years have been horrible for Christians. As a theologian, I have more anti-Christian bias than most of the non-Christians I know, because so many Christians are missing out on the things Jesus said and did. Non-Christians have a right to be angry at us for the things we say and do in the name of Jesus, and what little persecution we actually do face in the States around things that matter can be healthy for us. Will the prophets be deemed anti-Christians while movements are made for their words to be eradicated?

According to Jesus, if we don’t care for the stranger among us, we will face judgment. That’s how much weight he put on this topic. The founder of Christianity doesn’t fit into the beliefs of the same state that wants to eradicate anti-Christian bias. There is a major disconnect here. Study Jesus. Know Jesus. Read only the gospels every day for a year straight. Speak with his Spirit. Something has to shift in us if the sermon on the mount is to become real in us.

3 responses to “The War on Christians, the War on Migrants, and the Gospel We Ignore”

jc2094

February 10, 2025 at 8:55 am
Jamin, I once enjoyed reading your posts as well as hearing your message and your music. Recently I believe your “Trump Derangement Syndrome” has caused your hate for Trump to erode your character or perhaps show your true character. You analyze everything that is said by Trump and every action he makes as if you are a 30-year-old social justice warrior with an antifa flag on the wall of your basement bedroom at your mother’s house.

Yes, you are correct Trump did say “……illegals are ‘not human’ and ‘animals’”… However, he is referring to those who had viscously murdered American citizens, humans. I pray to God that neither you or I will ever have to experience the pain, anguish and life altering confusion that must be realized by the family and friends of murder victims. The pain, anguish and confusion could only be exacerbated by confusion as to why, why would anyone choose to harm our loved one? Now amplify that confusion and ask, “Why do liberal demoncrats want to freely allow all these people in, unvetted and unchecked” “Why do they not stop these known criminals from murdering our loved ones?” You would never ask yourself these questions. You will hide behind the “I am Christian, Holy art though” shield you have fabricated in your mind. Why has the hate of one man clouded your ability to see things for what they are? The Pharisees also had a false shield of righteousness, they hated Jesus perhaps more than you hate Trump. They effectuated the murder of the perfect Son of God due to their hatred. Why did they hate Jesus? Did they hate him because he healed a man on sabbath? Did they hate him because they knew he was truly righteous, and they were not? Or did they hate him because they had become so consumed with “Jesus Derangement Syndrome” that they could only find fault in everything Jesus did?

Let me head this off before the judgement…… NO! I am not comparing a sinner named Donald to our perfect savior Jesus Christ. I was never a fan of Trump until I seen a man willing to give his fortune, his reputation and his life to “Make America Great Again”.

I love love love the idea of immigration. I have been blessed to know many many immigrants over the past 30 years. Most have been here on a work visa, some have become American citizens! And many that I have encountered are here illegally. These are great people, God’s children. I have been a part of many of these lives while they worked towards citizenship or worked hard to save money to make a better life for their family. Some have been able to bring their families here, others send every cent they can “home” to by land, build a house and start their family legacy. I have trusted some of these beautiful people more than those in my own family and still do.

I have known some of these people to be deported because of minor crimes (usually civil traffic offenses) or due to expired visa’s not handled according to law and policy. This is tough for me, but there is law. Always has been.

Currently we have a humanitarian crisis created by the liberal folks of the USA. Yes, they are the creators and 100% implicit in this humanitarian crisis.

I look at the “illegal” immigrants in categories. I’ll explain by using three categories.
1. Immigrants who were violent criminals in their home country. Many immigrants have been released from jails and prisons to be sent to the USA. These people have a previous criminal history prior to breaking the USA immigration laws.
2. Immigrants that were NOT criminals in their home country, then broke USA immigration law AND have committed violent crimes SINCE arriving in the USA.
3. Immigrants whose only crime is violating USA immigration law.
Those who were violent offenders in their home countries need to go back.

Those who were not offenders prior to entering the USA but have committed violent crimes since they came need to go back to their home countries.

Lastly, those who earned the title of “criminal” only because they broke USA immigration law and entered the USA illegally…….well this is complicated. In my heart I feel most of these people are truly here to find a better life. A life in which they can earn a good wage, get an education, own a house, “The American Dream”. I want this for these people too. BUT they need a hand-UP, not a hand-OUT. These people have been deceived, they have been lied too, they have been misled BY THE LIBERALS OF THE USA, and they should not be punished for it. The liberal media, the liberal government, liberal celebrities all have deceived, lied and misled these people. And like the Pharisees who lied to the people, misled them into choosing to spare the life of Barabbas over Jesus, and convinced the Romans to kill Jesus, they are most responsible for the plight of these migrant people.

Jamin if you are for the death and destruction of our great nation and its people, if you support the policy of the liberal government that is causing the death and destruction of this great nation, you need to re-examine your position as a pastor, and your position in life. I have concern for you and those that hear your message. Are you misleading them like so many mislead the millions of people who came here NOT knowing or comprehending the illegality of crossing our border because they were invited. Are you inviting your followers to the right place?

While Trump does not check all my boxes, I will say he checks the important ones. Like him, I do not want my granddaughters to share a restroom or locker room with a male, I don’t want them to be forced to compete in girls or women’s sports against men. I don’t support aborting the life of Gods children. I don’t support allowing our children to be groomed into transsexuality or coerced (forced) into body altering drugs or surgical procedures. Because I do not support these things I could never cast a vote or show support to any person who does regardless of their political affiliation, race, color, creed or whatever other descriptor they choose.

I love Jesus Christ. I choose Jesus Christ. Who do you choose? Barabbas?

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1. Jamin Bradley
  
  February 10, 2025 at 10:47 am
  
  Here is a post I’ve made elsewhere that I’m going to put here as an indirect response. Thanks for reading.
  
  What I say: Love the immigrant. Welcome the stranger. There is a better answer than deportation.
  
  What some hear: I like drugs, murder, rape, and human trafficking, especially of children, and I think no one should be prosecuted for it. I also think borders should be wide open and that we should have no laws. I am a democrat and a liberal who has been brainwashed by the media. I hate Trump, am deranged, and should consider stepping down from being a pastor.
  
  Dear Church: I’ve watched you online for years. Some of you post very appalling things that are completely out of line with Jesus and misrepresent him entirely. Yet, despite that, I have loved you. I have cared for you as my own. Rather than be quick to correct you or call you out to your face, I have loved you and patiently showed you a better way—for I refuse to ever hate or demonize anyone, even my worst enemies.
  
  I have conservative friends and family members whom I love deeply. They have lots of good thoughts and opinions and I’ve learned plenty from them. They help me refine my thinking. They sit at my dinner table. They go to the movies with me. They have keys to my house. They care for my family. We have good, reasonable political conversations with no yelling or demonizing.
  
  My posts are not going to cover the minutia of every last issue. They can’t. Most of you won’t read anything beyond 3 paragraphs. So like Jesus, I will often settle for stating the prophetic heart of the issue without the details so that we can all chew on it together until we figure it out: “Love the immigrant. Welcome the stranger. There is a better answer than deportation.”
  
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Did Your Pastor Change, or Did the Gospel Get Real? – Jamin Bradley

February 23, 2025 at 7:24 pm

[…] will agree that we should care for the stranger among us until we specifically point out that an illegal immigrant is a stranger. People will agree that we should be pro-life until we try to abolish the death penalty. People […]

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Jamin Bradley