This week, two more primary candidates—Jeb Bush and Donald Trump—joined an increasingly crowded field of 2016 presidential hopefuls. And with caucuses now only six months away, Democrats and Republicans are gearing up for primaries, with candidates from both parties beginning their official campaigns.
Beyond (certainly important) issues like the economy, education, taxes and foreign policy, this season brings a number of issues related to justice that Christian voters should consider when looking at candidates. Understanding where each candidate stands can help you evaluate whether or not his or her positions align with Christian teaching and values.
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Immigration
Even though presidential primaries are still months away, immigration reform has already been a headline-grabbing issue. And no matter which party or candidate you most closely align with, immigration reform—in a manner that compassionately handles the legal circumstances facing millions of individuals in the country—is a critical issue for Christians to consider.
As Pastor Samuel Rodriguez said in our interview back in November (when immigration reform was the spotlight after President Barack Obama’s executive action),
I would encourage every Christian to make the following statement: ‘On the issue of immigration, I will not view it or address it via the lens of my political affiliation. I will not view this issue as a Democrat or a Republican. I will view it primarily as a Christ- follower, as a child of the living God.’
Last year, the Evangelical Immigration Table received support from Christian leaders including Jim Wallis, Rich Stearns, Richard Land, Lynne and Bill Hybels, Margaret Feinberg, Shane Claiborne and many others, encouraging fellow Christians to advocate for meaningful, compassionate immigration reform that doesn’t reduce the debate to “open borders and amnesty versus deportations of millions.” They wrote: “This false choice has led to an unacceptable political stalemate at the federal level at a tragic human cost.”