NASHVILLE, TN – Joseph Sheeran, Vanderbilt Divinity Student and member of the Southern Christian Coalition released the following statement responding to Attorney General Jeff Sessions' defense of family separation in the name of scripture:

"Attorney General Jeff Sessions’ abuse of sacred scripture to defend the egregious and immoral policy of separating children of immigrants from their families, including in many cases where the families came seeking asylum, is sickeningly unchristian. Like many others, we at the Southern Christian Coalition urge AG Sessions to consider the wider witness of the Gospel’s call to love our neighbor as ourselves, and especially to love the least of these.

"At the very least, he might read just a few verses down where he will find this very commandment and the explanation that 'Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore, love is the fulfilling of the law.' (Romans 13:10). This policy of brutal inhospitality does a great deal of harm to our vulnerable neighbors and the Southern Christian Coalition urges Christians everywhere to contact their elected officials on this matter and demand that our government process the cases of asylum seekers lawfully and return immigrant children to their families immediately. This is not a matter of left or right, but of right and wrong."

About Southern Christian Coalition
The Southern Christian Coalition is a grassroots, ecumenical organization. Across our country, politicians have hijacked the pulpit, often distorting the values of our faith as society weighs important decisions. The Coalition is a community of Christians, speaking up on the values of their faith.