A group of Kansas Christians have started an online petition, adding to the mounting pressure against Kansas Governor Sam Brownback's Executive Order 15-07 which bars the state from accepting Syrian refugees.
The Order, issued the Monday after the Paris terrorist attacks, says that "No Department, commission, board, or agency of the government of the State of Kansas shall aid, cooperate with, or assist in any way the relocation of refugees from Syria to the State of Kansas. This Order includes, but is not limited to, the Kansas Refugee Program, the Refugee Resettlement Program, and the Refugee Social Service Program..."
Initial reactions have been critical. The Kansas City Star editorial board issued an exacting reproach calling the action "ignorant and unwarranted," noting that the vetting process is already rigorous, and that among the millions of refugees who have immigrated so far not a single instance of terrorism has been documented. The article states, "Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback acted without compassion or even a solid grasp of refugee issues Monday when he issued an executive order directing state agencies not to assist in resettling Syrian refugees in the state."
Local Christian leaders have added their voices to the growing reproach of Brownback's Order by starting an online petition to register their complaint.
The petition alludes to the fact that Christ himself was a refugee, as Mary, Joseph and their newborn baby fled Egypt to avoid King Herod's infanticidal tyranny. Christian leaders believe that the governor's actions could constitute a threat to religious freedom.
Basic Christian tenets hold that the welcoming of the stranger and the alien is compulsory for every Christian. A statement issued by the group reads, "Governor Brownback's action to bar Syrian refugees from resettling in Kansas violates our ability to practice Christian compassion by welcoming these refugees and therefore is a threat to religious liberty. Our lives and our churches are not governed by fear but by love and we will not stand for a Governor's policies that are governed by fear."
The group is not ruling out a legal challenge to the executive order. They say the phrase in question--includes, but is not limited to--could mean that even if churches or ministries wanted to help settle refugees in Kansas, the necessary state agencies could be compelled by the Order to refuse any services whatsoever. A refugee could, for instance, be denied a driver's license which, in a state with little or no public transportation, would make finding a job difficult.
Legally, the state of Kansas cannot deny a driver's license to someone lawfully admitted to the country, but leaders of the petition drive have lost faith in their governor. They believe the language implies that this is exactly the kind of non-cooperation Brownback envisions.
Leaders in the movement to oppose Brownback's Order say that, as an outspoken Christian, the governor's actions are out of step with mainstream Christian thought. Nationwide, this trend seems to hold true.
Andy Crouch, Executive Editor - Christianity Today, said that welcoming the refugee remains an important expression of the Christian life. "Evangelical Christians are unusually close to and committed to refugees--major agencies like World Relief and countless local churches are among the most active organizations in serving refugees who arrive in the United States."
As rationale for its necessity, Brownback's Order states that, "Whereas, the well-being of the State of Kansas and its citizens is threatened by the scourge of international terrorism... I have concluded that the admission of Syrian refugees to the State of Kansas presents an unacceptable risk to the safety and security of the people of Kansas."
Crouch believes Brownback's statement is not indicative of the opinions of evangelical leadership. "The idea that we should categorically close our doors to refugees from Syria and ISIS-held areas just because of the attacks in Paris is just not gaining traction with almost any evangelical Christian leaders. Of course we understand that there are security concerns, but these have to be weighed against the insults to human life and dignity being suffered by the refugees themselves."
Even the influential conservative Christian blogger Rod Dreher, who has criticized Europe's open posture toward refugees on the grounds of security concerns, has condemned attempts by governors such as Brownback to bar the refugees. "I don't admire the US governors for trying to slam the door to the relative handful of Syrian refugees (10,000) headed here," Dreher stated on his blog Tuesday. "This move has about it the air of panicked opportunism."
"Some people point out that evangelical Christians in general are not entirely in step with their leaders on this issue," Crouch allowed. "That is true--as it's true with immigration more generally, where evangelical leaders overwhelmingly favor comprehensive immigration reform, with more confidence than the average white evangelical Christian. But this is what leaders have to do: lead, even and especially when there is understandable resistance and fear among those we lead. I wish we were seeing the governors doing the same."