CONYERS, Ga. -- As international headlines of America's southwest border crisis intensifies, the pastor of a metro Atlanta baptist church took issues this past Sunday with the White House's defense of enforcing the nation's current immigration laws.
"My heart has been very heavy this week when i see earthly rulers misusing scripture to support governmental policy," said Cy Lynch, senior pastor of Trinity Baptist Church in Conyers. "I'm leaving aside whether the underlying policy itself is good or bad; that's for another day.
"But I cannot be a minister for the gospel of Jesus Christ and not call out the Attorney General of the United States and the press secretary of the president for misusing scripture and saying that scripture support their political choices because scripture doesn't."
Last week, Attorney General Jeff Sessions defended the Trump administration’s policy of separating immigrant children from their families at the border this week by citing a passage from the Apostle Paul’s epistle to the Romans:
“I would cite you to the Apostle Paul and his clear and wise command in Romans 13, to obey the laws of the government because God has ordained them for the purpose of order,” Sessions said. “Orderly and lawful processes are good in themselves and protect the weak and lawful.”
Later, White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders summed up the same idea: “It is very biblical to enforce the law.”
House Speaker Paul Ryan says the House will vote Thursday on GOP immigration bills, and President Trump said Wednesday he will sign an executive order keeping families together.
Lynch, a Florida native, practiced law for 30 years before becoming a pastor. He’s also served as a financial advisor and written about stock investing for online and print publications.
"While I believe people of faith can reasonably disagree over government policy, I believe scripture repeatedly takes the side of the oppressed and the immigrant," Lynch told 11Alive. "We are to take those who are outside our group and welcome them and love them."
Lynch received a bachelor's in economics from the University of South Florida, a Juris Doctor from the University of Michigan and, most recently a Master of Divinity degree from the McAfee School of Theology in Atlanta.
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