MORGANTOWN — Area faith leaders met with a gathering of interfaith community members to discuss issues regarding outsiders, refugees and immigrants.
The Greater Morgantown Interfaith Association and Mountaineers for Progress hosted the event Wednesday evening.
The organizers are concerned over a number of public leaders who support strict immigration laws in the recent announcement of zero tolerance in regard to illegal immigration. The leaders read from religious texts to reflect on sacred teachings for direction and spiritual guidance for political issues.
Area community members gathered on the stairs at the Morgantown Church of Brethren. The faith leaders stood before them and gave speeches that included religious text references.
Rabbi Joseph Hample from the Morgantown Tree of Life Congregation reminded the community members of Jewish history regarding refugees.
Hample said “No one deserves to wander. They deserve a home.”
The last speaker to address the crowd on was Catholic priest the Rev. Andy Switzer from the St. Margaret Mary Parish in Parkersburg. Switzer tailored his message on the importance of love in the face of adversity.
“All of our sacred texts are so important,” Switzer said. … “The question has to be asked, are we operating out of a foundational principle of love?”
