Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr., who’s accused Moore of orchestrating a “deep state regime” within the denomination, replied: “Who are you @drmoore ? Have you ever made a payroll? Have you ever built an organization of any type from scratch? What gives you authority to speak on any issue? I’m being serious. You’re nothing but an employee- a bureaucrat.”
Texas megachurch pastor Jack Graham also took issue with Moore, calling reports of squalor “very inaccurate.” Graham tweeted that he’s “been to the border and seen the great work our Border Agents are doing along with churches like ours,” and he invited Moore to visit the area with him.
Later Graham clarified: “reasonable people know we have a humanitarian crisis at/border but to suggest that immigrants are not treated with dignity &respect is wrong & plays to to secular press who blame America for the problem. We r all very concerned and many of us are trying to help.”
Others rallied to Moore’s defense, saying Christians must set aside political agendas to care for kids in need. Southern Baptist Pastor Alan Cross urges a unanimous compassionate response, saying, “It would be good if we could just all agree that we need to help and support positive solutions for these children.”
In the New York Times, Cross writes that he’s been encountering “people with strong anti-immigrant policy positions, who nevertheless open their homes, churches, wallets, and arms to immigrants in their communities.” As faith overtakes fear, Cross adds, “Evangelicals who love and welcome immigrants seem to consciously make a decision to not start with politics.”
If you’d like to help children at the border, a good place to start is to ask: What is your denomination doing to help migrant children, and how can your congregation get involved?
