With the perspective of having lived in the United Kingdom, South Africa, Switzerland, and the United States, I bring a perspective to immigration that is both American and European. It is not formed in the American racist context or the European context alone, but rather internationally. My views are also informed by Christianity, something I still treasure despite fleeing evangelicalism. I value the teachings of Jesus: that we are our neighbor’s keeper, that we should treat others as we wish to be treated. I treasure Western culture for its unique views on women’s rights, gay rights, and other hard-won liberties that stem from the better parts of Christian teaching. While acknowledging slavery, racism, and colonialism, I remain grateful for my Western Christian inheritance.
I describe myself as an atheist who prays. Why do I pray? Because I was raised that way. And as I often say, somewhat facetiously: got a problem with that? We are who we are psychologically. That’s my background, and I wanted to give a little of it before diving into immigration.
What have we learned about immigration? We’ve learned that there are unintended consequences—from both the left and the right, from liberals and secularists, atheists and Christians.
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