One of Dr. James Dobson’s top priorities was increasing Christian participation in the privileges and responsibilities of citizenship. He knew that every major problem facing America would not be solved without the active involvement of Christian Americans. Followers of Jesus Christ must be in the public square, offering biblical insight on issues including parental rights, racial reconciliation, economic justice, and ending corruption.

But what if some Christian leaders get involved in the public debate only to throw the Bible away and instead side with some of the most radical forces in America? Two groups claiming to speak for Christians recently issued statements that are deeply disturbing.

The first was a “special pastor message” from the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The “special message”¹ passed by a vote of 216 to 5, with 3 abstentions. It essentially took the side of open borders and opposed the enforcement of our immigration laws. The bishops’ statement presented a distorted gospel message.

Their “special message” was disguised in the language of compassion and concern for illegal aliens. But there was no compassion for taxpayers, including Christians who are footing the bill. Yes, Christ loves immigrants, but He loves taxpayers, too.

There was no compassion for the victims of criminal illegal aliens. During the Biden years, not only did the bishops not say anything about victims of criminal illegal aliens, but most of America’s media also downplayed those stories. What about poor minority communities that are most at risk from illegal alien crime?

The bishops say they are deeply concerned about rhetoric that demonizes immigrants. Fair enough. We reject such rhetoric as well. But where is the bishops’ concern for the men and women of our federal immigration enforcement agencies? They are following the laws of the United States, securing our border, and attempting to remove illegal migrants from the country. But our federal immigration police are called “fascists.” They are compared to Nazi “storm troopers.” There is a massive increase in assaults on law enforcement personnel enforcing our immigration laws, including attempted murder.² Their families have been threatened, and the police have been “doxed.”

Christ supports law enforcement. Jesus does not love chaos and disorder. I can find nothing in the Bible suggesting that the teachings of Christ call for millions of people to walk into our country without obeying the duly passed laws of our nation. That would turn Jesus into globalist George Soros or Marxist Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani. It is a distortion of the gospel.

America’s Catholic bishops are not the only church leaders defending open borders. Many Catholic leaders in Europe, and even the pope, seem to be promoting that message. In Europe, the migrants pouring in are largely coming from Third World Muslim countries whose governments and cultures are hostile to the gospel. Many hold values that are contradictory to Judeo-Christian civilization.

Mass migration is clearly causing social unrest in virtually every European nation because the interests of native-born citizens are being undermined and harmed as governments pay more attention to migrants. Analysts are warning that several European nations are approaching civil war over the issue. The gospel of Jesus Christ does not endorse mass migration that causes social disintegration and the horrors of civil war.

Some analysts are wondering whether the American bishops’ statement reflects financial self-interest. According to USASpending.gov, which tracks government spending, Catholic charities around the nation received approximately $2.4 billion of taxpayer money during the Biden-Harris years. While most of this money is used to provide food and housing for migrants inside the United States, groups affiliated with the Catholic Church have also provided financial support to migrants as they are traveling from countries south of the border to the United States. In other words, they are actively promoting and enabling mass migration into our country.

Vice President J. D. Vance, who is Catholic himself, is very critical of the role Catholic charities have had in recent years. In one interview, Vance said, “I believe the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, if they’re worried about the humanitarian costs of immigration enforcement, let them talk about the children who have been sex trafficked because of the wide open border of Joe Biden.”³ Several hundred thousand children were illegally brought into America during the Biden administration. The federal government turned many of them over to unvetted sponsors. Many were exploited, yet the Catholic bishops said nothing.

Here is another example of the Bible being used to defend policies that are clearly not Christian. Some leaders of so-called “mainline” Protestant denominations and some Jewish groups issued a statement⁴ that tries to portray Christ as a supporter of the entire transgender agenda. They claim that transgender individuals are being oppressed and that Jesus certainly would not support their oppression.

In fact, there is no “oppression” of trans people. Instead, there is growing opposition to the policy demands of the transgender movement. Jesus would not want boys who “identify” as girls being allowed to violate the privacy of girls’ bathrooms and locker rooms. The American people do not want that either. They reject allowing boys to compete in girls’ sports. They don’t want their children indoctrinated with transgender ideology in kindergarten or any other adult sexual concepts in elementary school. Jesus would want our children’s innocence to be protected.

Trans ideology is constructed on a foundation of lies about God’s creation. There is no evidence anywhere that Christ supports mutilating surgeries on children or pumping them full of powerful, sterilizing drugs.

Likewise, there is no evidence that Jesus believes in fifty or more genders. In fact, the Bible is clear that God created only two sexes—male and female.

Jesus certainly doesn’t want us to lie about reality, which the transgender movement demands we do. In fact, Christians are specifically instructed not to lie—meaning we should not call a man “she” or “her.” The “father of lies” is Satan (Jn. 8:44). Christ Himself is the truth (Jn. 14:6).

Who are these “religious leaders” undermining the family, threatening the health of children, and rejecting parental rights? The leader of the group that issued this statement is the president of the Unitarian Universalist Association. She describes herself as “a queer, multiracial, AfroLatine first-generation daughter of immigrants.”⁵ Just a reminder, the Unitarian Universalist church’s main ideology is that the Trinity is a lie. That’s where the name “Unitarian” comes from. They do not believe in the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. They remain deeply divided over whether there even is a God.

Both of these claims—that the Bible and Jesus support open borders and transgenderism—are gross distortions of the gospel. These two examples of misguided leaders using the gospel of Christ to promote radical, destructive policies are reminders that Christians must be wise and discerning, because we live in an age of deception.

1. “U.S. Bishops Issue a ‘Special Message’ on Immigration from Plenary Assembly in Baltimore,” United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Office of Public Affairs, November 12, 2025, https://www.usccb.org/news/2025/us-bishops-issue-special-message-immigration-plenary-assembly-baltimore.
2. “Antifa Cell Members Indicted in Prairieland Shooting.” Northern District of Texas | Antifa Cell Members Indicted in Prairieland Shooting | United States Department of Justice, November 17, 2025. https://www.justice.gov/usao-ndtx/pr/antifa-cell-members-indicted-prairieland-shooting.
3. Vice President J. D. Vance, “Vice President JD Vance’s first interview | Face the Nation.” Interview by Margaret Brennan, Face the Nation, CBS News, January 26, 2025, video, 19:44 (cited comments begin at 10:51), https://www.cbsnews.com/video/vice-president-jd-vances-first-interview-face-the-nation/.
4. Lang, Nico, and Laura Conkle. “Heads of Major American Religious Traditions Issue Landmark Statement Supporting Trans, Intersex and Nonbinary People.” UUA.org, November 14, 2025. https://www.uua.org/pressroom/press-releases/interfaith-statement-trans-support.
5. Rev. Sofía Betancourt, President. “Sofia Betancourt.” UUA.org, September 18, 2025. https://www.uua.org/people/sofia-betancourt.