Some evangelical Christian leaders are breaking away from national security-minded Republicans who want to stop the entry of any Syrian refugees.
For evangelicals, particularly those organizations approved by the State Department to resettle refugees, there is no choice but to welcome those fleeing war-torn Syria, Matthew Soerens of Church Mobilization for World Relief tells
NPR.
"Jesus himself was a refugee," Soerens tells the outlet. His group is an offshoot of the National Association of Evangelicals and one of nine groups approved to help in the resettlement that stirred up
opposition among many Republican governors, lawmakers and
GOP presidential candidates.
"He fled as a small child to Egypt when there was a tyrannical government threatening his life. So as Christians we don't really have a choice but to welcome refugees."
Fewer than 2,000 Syrian refugees have been admitted so far, NPR reports, and legislation is being considered that would make the
screening process stricter.
But Soerens warns the tough stance on refugees' entry by some GOP lawmakers and conservatives could ultimately hurt them politically.
"I think it's the wrong decision morally," he tells NPR. "But I also think it could be a poor political position. I think a lot of candidates very quickly took a position, and I think that they may not realize the voters that they could be alienating with that position."
The National Association of Evangelicals also is firmly supporting refugee resettlement.
"Of course we want to keep terrorists out of our country, but let's not punish the victims of ISIS for the sins of ISIS," Leith Anderson, NAE president, says in a statement.
"We are horrified and heartbroken by the terrorist atrocities in Paris, but must not forget that there are thousands more victims of these same terrorists who are fleeing Syria with their families and desperately need someplace to go."
Anderson tells NPR he hopes evangelical churches will continue to step forward and offer to house Syrian refugees — and pointed out some of them are Christians fleeing persecution.
"If a child is suffering; if a child, a family, has been forced out of their home, are we really going to put them through a religious test in order to protect their lives? I hope not," Anderson tells NPR.
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