Letter to Governor Wolf Regarding Syrian Refugees by Dr. Gary Dull

November 23, 2015

Dear Governor Wolfe:

As representing the Pennsylvania Pastors Network of over 2500 pastors across the state and as serving as senior pastor of the Faith Baptist Church of Altoona I am writing in regard to your policy of accepting Syrian refugees into our beloved Commonwealth.  I have read your recent letter to the state lawmakers in which you explain your reasons for allowing the refugees to be relocated here and so I am quite familiar with the arguments you present.

In your letter you say “As governor of Pennsylvania, my first priority is protecting the commonwealth,” to which I totally agree. But, along with many pastors and other citizens across PA I believe the invitation to allow the Syrian refugees to settle here has the potential to bring great harm through possible terrorist activity.

I know that you, President Obama and others in his administration, believe that every refugee can be vetted properly, but it is my concern that the vetting process currently being used may not be totally tested.  In addition, any potential ISIS member who would be embedded into the ranks of the refugees possibly has the proper training to slip under the radar and therefore enter into Pennsylvania with the intent to harm our citizens.  If that would happen, Sir, the blood of those who would be harmed or killed would be on your hands.  And truly, I do not want to see that occur either for your sake or for the sake of every Pennsylvanian who could be at risk.

As a pastor I have great compassion for the poor and needy of war torn countries.  I believe the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania has a great heritage of providing for those who have suffered from tyrannical governments of the world down through the years.  I hold to the fact that immigration is not a bad thing and that many who want to come here to find true liberty and opportunity should be welcomed.  But in these days of radical Islamic terrorist activity we all know that not every immigrant or refugee would come to America with a pure motive of searching for a new life, liberty and opportunity.  There are those who hate our nation and are bent on bringing us harm and destruction.  Genuine Muslim doctrine clearly teaches from the pages of the Koran that those of us who are infidels (non-Muslims) should be killed.  A true Muslim supports Sharia Law that in no way agrees with the Constitutions of the United States or Pennsylvania. Consequently great wisdom and understanding must be used in who are allowed to enter our boarders.

In your letter you site the Refuge Act of 1980 which authorizes the president to admit refugees who face persecution on the basis of race, religion, nationality, membership in a particular group, or political opinion.  But there is reason to believe that this act may be unconstitutional because the original intent of our founders was that the individual states were to handle matters of immigration.

Therefore as a husband, a father, a grandfather, a pastor, a leader of pastors, a citizen of PA, a patriot and one who truly loves this commonwealth, I ask you to please reconsider your policy on inviting Syrian refugees into our boarders.  I ask you to join with other governors across the country and stand against a Presidential Policy of immigration that has the possibility of allowing terrorists to enter our land.  I ask you to seriously fulfill your duty and priority of protecting the commonwealth by not giving an open door to the Syrian refugees without a tried and true vetting process.  I ask you to respond to the Syrian refugee matter from the perspective of the tenth Amendment of the United States Constitution that guarantees the rights of the individual states to have the jurisdiction to govern themselves in such matters and by doing so exercise your duty and responsibility as the elected governor of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania to properly and efficiently protect the welfare of the citizens you serve.

In setting forth the God-given responsibility of civil government, the Bible in Romans 13:1-4 clearly teaches that rulers are “not a terror to good works, but to the evil.” Properly interpreted this admonition means that as our state CEO you, Governor Wolfe, have the duty to exercise your authority to keep all and any potential evil from the citizens and boundaries of Pennsylvania.  On behalf of many pastors and residents of our beloved state I ask you please to do so to which we will be very grateful.

Governor Wolfe, as one leader to another, I ask you to seriously and sincerely consider my requests.

Sincerely,

Pastor Gary G. Dull

Vice-President and Executive Director

The Pennsylvania Pastors Network

Senior Pastor of the Faith Baptist Church of Altoona

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