JD Vance, who recently converted to Catholicism, has made a number of statements on immigration. In response, the progressive activist organization Faithful America released a petition attacking Vance for his beliefs. The group insinuates that the Vice President is not a real Christian. Vance has clashed with progressive Christians on a number of occasions, often on the topic of immigration.
“There’s this old school, and I think it’s a very Christian concept, by the way, that you love your family, and then you love your neighbor, and then you love your community, and then you love your fellow citizens in your own country. And then after that, you can focus and prioritize the rest of the world,” Vance said. “A lot of the far left has completely inverted that they seem to hate the citizens of their own country and care more about people outside their own borders.”
“Dear Vice President J.D. Vance,” the letter begins. “We are greatly disturbed by your statements on CBS and Fox News that criticized Catholics and other ecumenical Christians seeking to show compassion, mercy and grace to the vulnerable. You claimed that it is Christian to “love your family and then you love your neighbor.”You are bearing false witness against Jesus himself who clearly commands us to love our neighbor as ourself, to welcome the stranger, and to lay down our life for our friends.”
“Even as you spread these lies about who Christians are called to love, President Trump is turning the military prison at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, into a mass detention center for migrants reminiscent of the internment camps of WWII,” Faithful America dramatically stated. “We will not be silent and obedient while you and President Trump continue to commit atrocities in the name of our faith.”
“We ask that you do as Jesus commands and show mercy, grace, and compassion to our immigrant neighbors and adopt policies that honor their inherent dignity and humanity,” they concluded. “Faithful America is the largest online community of Christians putting faith into action for love and social justice,” according to their website. They also explain what motivated organization to speak out.
“We are sick of sitting by quietly while Jesus’ message of good news is hijacked by the religious right to serve a hateful political agenda,” they say on the same page. ” We’re organizing the faithful to challenge Christian nationalism and white supremacy and to renew the church’s prophetic role in building a more free and just society.”
“We’re sticking up for courageous Christian voices acting for fairness and freedom in every denomination and tradition. We’re fighting for social, economic, and racial justice, standing with the Black Lives Matter movement, and upholding the Gospel’s values of love, equality, and dignity,” explains the NGO. ” Together, we’re helping make a difference for immigrants, refugees, the climate, the LGBTQ community, and more.”
“Ahead of Trump’s inauguration, the Catholic Church did exactly that. Hours before Trump took the oath of office while refusing to touch a Bible, Pope Francis called Trump’s potential immigration policies a “disgrace,”” the group[ added. ” The USCCB issued guidelines and encouraged lawmakers to make immigration policy “targeted, proportional, and humane.” Soon, faith leadership from all over denounced Trump’s disgraceful immigration policies.”
“In response to these courageous, prophetic voices, Vice President J.D. Vance disputed the very definition of Christian love in order to serve his anti-immigrant, Christofascist agenda. Speaking with CBS and Fox News, Vance attacked the Catholic Church for “not being a good partner” on immigration,” they concluded. ” Then he wrongly claimed that Christians should rank our love for others in a way that deprioritizes non-Americans”