Evangelical Leaders Buy Full-Page Ad to Condemn Trump's Travel Ban

A group of evangelical leaders has taken out a full-page newspaper advertisement to voice their condemnation of President Trump’s controversial travel ban.

CNN.com reports that the evangelical leaders who endorsed the statement are from all over the country and include well-known names such as Pastor Timothy Keller, Christian author Ann Voskamp, Bill and Lynne Hybels of Willow Creek Community Church, preacher and author Max Lucado, Pastor Eugene Cho of Quest Church, and Leith Anderson, president of the National Association of Evangelicals.

Trump’s executive order on immigration affects people from Syria, Libya, Iraq, Iran, Sudan, Somalia, and Yemen, placing a ban on their entry into the U.S. for 120 days until more in-depth vetting measures can be put in place. The order also gives priority to Christian refugees and other religious minorities who are facing persecution for their faith.

Many have accused the ban of being anti-Muslim since the seven listed countries are Muslim-majority, but the Trump administration points out that there are millions of Muslims unaffected by the ban and that it is the President’s job to protect national security.

There were widespread protests of the ban at airports after it was issued and also confusion during its rollout of who to detain and how to do so.

There has also been widespread condemnation of the ban within the Christian community as evidenced by the statement from the Christian leaders.

"As Christian pastors and leaders, we are deeply concerned by the recently announced moratorium on refugee resettlement," the evangelicals' part of the advertisement says. "As Christians, we have a historic call expressed over two thousand years, to serve the suffering. We cannot abandon this call now."

"While we are eager to welcome persecuted Christians, we also welcome vulnerable Muslims and people of other faiths or no faith at all. This executive order dramatically reduces the overall number of refugees allowed this year, robbing families of hope and a future. And it could well cost them their lives,” it continues.

Photo courtesy: Thinkstockphotos.com

Publication date: February 8, 2017