Thread: Give your pastor this anti-amnesty testimony

Give your pastor this anti-amnesty testimony

From: Roy Beck, President, NumbersUSA
Date: Wednesday, 14JUL2010 7:30 EDT

GIVE THIS TO YOUR PASTOR

This email is directed to those of you who attend Christian churches.

Once again today, a group of national Christian leaders testified before Congress that the Christian thing to do about immigration during this time of high unemployment is

a) to give permanent work permits to illegal aliens

b) and to import more foreign workers.

Below is the testimony of the sole Christian layman who was a witness among the clergy. I think you will agree that his theological understanding is far more perceptive than that of the Catholic, Baptist and Evangelical clergy who insisted on rewarding millions of illegal aliens.

Dr. James Edwards' key point was this:

MANY NATIONAL CHRISTIAN LEADERS LOBBY FOR MERCY (AMNESTY) FOR ILLEGAL ALIENS

BUT THAT MERCY WOULD CREATE INJUSTICE FOR INNOCENT LAW-ABIDING AMERICANS (ESPECIALLY THE UNEMPLOYED)

GOVERNMENTS ARE CALLED TO PROVIDE JUSTICE

I have some hope that most of the nation's clergy will be reluctant to join the many national Methodist, Lutheran, Episcopal, Assemblies of God, Presbyterian and Baptist leaders in their lobbying for amnesty.

But most of your pastors probably have never heard anything but a sentimentalist appeal for amnesty based on Christian and Jewish scripture's admonition to not mistreat the alien (or sojourner, or stranger).

You owe it to your pastor to ask him/her to read Dr. Edwards' testimony before perhaps following good intentions that lead to extremely unpopular and theologically questionable pronouncements in favor of amnesty and "comprehensive immigration reform."

We invite all clergy to join the clergy already among our more than 1 million members in reviewing the content of our website at www.NumbersUSA.com. NumbersUSA has always called for the humane treatment of illegal aliens and works for reduced overall immigration based on the numbers but not the character or characteristics of immigrants.

AN ETHICAL CHRISTIAN APPROACH TO IMMIGRATION REFORM

by Dr. James Edwards

Madame Chairman, Ranking Member King, and distinguished members of the subcommittee, thank you for inviting me to appear before you today. It is right to consider how Scripture and Judeo-Christian principles should inform such public issues as immigration. I appreciate the opportunity to share my own considered views on this subject.

The critical point to begin from is to differentiate between what the Bible teaches are moral imperatives applicable to individuals and those that are applicable corporately.

That is, some precepts might bind one as a Christian that do not apply to the United States government. Indeed, biblical precepts in which Christ requires us personally to show mercy or compassion or forgiveness might not apply to the civil government of the nation-state of which we are citizens. Sometimes, such application would actually be harmful and wrong.

First, I will discuss a key biblical principle that relates to today’s American immigration debate. Second, I will suggest some implications of “comprehensive immigration reformâ€

The two largest illegal alien amnesty support groups in the country are all public school systems and organized religion.