Religious groups across the theological and political spectrum continued urging politicians not to block Syrian refugees from coming to the US. At a special briefing on Capitol Hill this week, a broad range of faith leaders said the debate over refugees has dangerous implications:

KEVIN APPLEBY (US Conference of Catholic Bishops): We are sending a signal that we are not part of the world community. We’re not taking leadership, and it limits our ability to tell those countries in the region to keep receiving refugees or to tell other resettlement countries to keep receiving refugees, and then we have a major crisis on our hands.