All too many greatly-appreciated blogs have closed down or suspended publication (miss you, ACSL!) . Feeding the blog monster once it is unleashed is an arduous task. At the turn of the year the Dow Blog, which has done much excellent work, was displaying distressing symptoms. Now Darrell Dow is entering the breach again.

Immigration Control is What? is a polemically-useful discussion of the common stratagem of trying to stampede biblically-oriented Christians into the Open Borders camp by citing the convenient text Leviticus 19:34

But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be unto you as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the LORD your God.

Dow Blog points out (among other things) that

Citing C. D. Ginsburg, Rushdoony says that this "'stranger' is one who has become circumcised, fasted on the Day of Atonement, obeyed the laws of sacrifice, and has practiced the laws of chastity, as well as obeyed other moral laws." In short, once a foreigner had become part of the community, his nationality was not to be used against him. Such passages …don't say anything about the criteria whereby aliens gain admittance into the nation.

Dow Blog continues

The Scriptures do call for the extension of hospitality and justice, but not an open-borders re-ordering of social life…Clearly, God organizes society around groups of people: families, clans, communities, tribes, nations. Open immigration destroys such a social order, and a prudential civil government has an affirmative duty to protect the interests of its people.

Immigration Reform will need a coalition. Thinking like Dow Blog’s is a valuable component. Welcome back, Dow Blog.