Lankford Weighs Christian Values In Immigration Reform
Oklahoma congressman disagrees with evangelical Christian groups immigration reform plan
By Chris Casteel
WASHINGTON — U.S. Rep. James Lankford understands the message that evangelical Christian leaders have been delivering on Capitol Hill as they urge lawmakers to approve immigration reform.
He just doesn’t agree with one of their main goals.
“There’s a Biblical mandate to reach out to those who are the orphans, the widows in their distress, to take care of the stranger in your land,” Lankford said. “But that does not mean citizenship.
“So there is this push of some people that would say, ‘Because we have a moral responsibility to take care of those in need, you also extend to them all these different things.’ That’s not true with most Southern Baptists.”
Lankford, R-Oklahoma City, has some experience with the views of Southern Baptists. He has a master’s degree from the Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and he worked for the Baptist General Convention of Oklahoma for 13 years, much of that as the director of a youth camp.