Joshua Hosler is a candidate for GOP Vice-Chair of El Paso County. In a Facebook post Sunday, he detailed how he walked out of his church when his priest read a bible verse relating to refugees. Although he doesn’t specify which verses the priest read, it is likely this one, which is fairly unequivocal:
When a foreigner resides among you in your land, do not mistreat them. The foreigner residing among you must be treated as your native-born. Love them as yourself, for you were foreigners in Egypt. (Leviticus 19:33-34)
In the comments, he explained that he’s looking for a new church, presumably one that will preach hatred of refugees and encourage the mistreatment of visitors from foreign lands. This is what happens when you live in a bubble. You take issue with hard truths that make you uncomfortable, and so rather than seeking council from your priest, you simply find a priest who will say the things that you want to hear.
Good luck with that Joshua:
He defends the cause of the fatherless and the widow, and loves the foreigner residing among you, giving them food and clothing. And you are to love those who are foreigners, for you yourselves were foreigners in Egypt. (Deuteronomy 10:18-19)
Do not oppress a foreigner; you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners, because you were foreigners in Egypt. (Exodus 23:9)
“So I will come to put you on trial. I will be quick to testify against sorcerers, adulterers and perjurers, against those who defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive the foreigners among you of justice, but do not fear me,” says the Lord Almighty. (Malachi 3:5)
No stranger had to spend the night in the street, for my door was always open to the traveler (Job, discussing his devotion to God) (Job 31:32)
For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.’ (Matthew 25:25-36)
For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Galatians 5:14)
