It's not very often that you hear Democratic presidential candidates talk about the Bible.  In light of the loss in 2004, Democrats have been talking about their faith and religion a bit more.  There was the CNN forum with Hillary, Obama and Edwards last year.  Obama preached on Martin Luther King Day this year.  So, it's good to hear that the Democratic Party has figured out that there's a need to bring faith into the discussion of politics. 

During the discussion of illegal immigration in yesterday's debate, Hillary mentioned that she had opposed legislation out of the House of Representatives that "would have criminalized the Good Samaritan and Jesus Christ himself!"  First, let's look at the Samaritan in Luke 10.  He helps a traveler who is going from Jerusalem to Jericho.  Is there anything in this passage to indicate that the traveler was a foreigner?  He started in Jerusalem, not some distant land.  Moreover, there was no nation-state, no fixed borders to determine who can enter and exit the territory.  Was she talking about the Samaritan himself?  I'm pretty sure he was legal too.  Or, is she using this parable against the sponsors of this bill like Jesus used the parable against the religious leaders of his time?  

Now, I'm not saying that she was wrong to oppose the House bill, but let's figure out what the Bible says before invoking these passages, not to mention Jesus.  Now that I think about it - when did Jesus help an illegal immigrant?  A proper reading of Matthew's Gospel pretty much keeps him in Jewish territory with few interactions with Gentiles.  Was she saying that the Centurion was illegal?  What about the Canaanite woman who wants her daughter healed?  Jesus says it's not right to take the food from the children and throw it to the dogs.  To this, the woman responds that even the dogs eat the crumbs of the children.  It is true that Jesus helps Jews and Gentiles in the Gospels, but the Gospels don't have much to say about nationality or national borders.  

I'm still at a loss for what Hillary had to say, but she sure caught my attention when she yelled "Jesus Christ!"