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03-13-2007, 05:33 AM #1
City Churches Plan to Offer Sanctuary to Illegal Immigrants
City Churches Plan to Offer Sanctuary to Illegal Immigrants
Nathan Burchfiel
Staff Writer
(CNSNews.com) - Churches in major cities across the country are preparing to grant "sanctuary" to illegal immigrants facing deportation in an effort to unite evangelicals behind comprehensive immigration reform, according to a pastor organizing the effort.
Rev. Alexia Salvatierra, executive director of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE), said Monday that Christians will fight to prevent families from being divided when illegal immigrant parents are deported, leaving behind children who are legal residents.
"There are congregations all across this country that see this as a moral issue," Salvatierra said during a discussion on immigration at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C.
She said the religious community has "a tradition of being the voice for those who have no voice."
Salvatierra, an ordained Lutheran minister, said the program will begin in Los Angeles, where CLUE is based, and spread to other major cities. Each participating congregation will care for one family with citizen children whose parents face deportation. She said each participating church would adopt a "decent, law-abiding family."
Salvatierra did not reveal further details of the project, but suggested that it could violate prohibitions on giving aid to illegal immigrants. "There are traditions," she said, "of moments when it is God's call to break the law."
Rev. Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners Call to Renewal, said there are some laws "that are just bad laws, immoral laws," and he called upon Christians to lobby for "compassionate" comprehensive immigration reform that treats illegal immigrants with grace.
"The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you," Wallis said, quoting the biblical passage of Leviticus 19:34. Several passages in the book of Leviticus outline rules applying to Israelites and the "aliens" living among them. The passages require that the aliens abide by the same standards as the Israelites.
"The way the system is operating is driving people to do bad things," Wallis said, telling Cybercast News Service that fixing the "broken" immigration system, including increasing border security, is a bigger concern than punishing undocumented residents for breaking the law.
Wallis said immigration reform is one of the "great moral issues" facing the nation and criticized conservative Christian leaders like Focus on the Family President James Dobson for focusing on traditional values issues like abortion and homosexuality and not addressing other issues such as immigration and poverty.
In August 2006, as immigration bills were hotly debated in the U.S. Congress and in massive protests around the country, a Chicago area church became a focus of attention when it gave "sanctuary" to an illegal immigrant.
Elvira Arellano, an illegal immigrant whose son is a U.S. citizen, sought refuge at Adalberto Memorial United Methodist Church in Chicago in a bid to avoid deportation for working with a fake Social Security number. Officials have yet to act on their threat to arrest her inside the church.
Tom McClusky, vice president of government affairs for the conservative Family Research Council (FRC), told Cybercast News Service that his organization doesn't have a firm policy on how to deal with the illegal immigrants residing in the United States.
"We certainly think something needs to be done about enforcing the borders before you can even address the 11 million or so who are here," he said, adding that immigration is "definitely not one of our core issues."
Responding to Wallis' criticism that faith-based organizations like FRC don't address immigration, McClusky said Wallis "might confuse what the role of the federal government is and what the role of the individual is."
He said that FRC doesn't believe the government should dictate how Christians respond to illegal immigrants and that the organization believes churches should be allowed to offer charity to illegal immigrants without facing punishment. "It's not their job to look for green cards," McClusky said of charities.
Carrie Gordon Earle, a spokesperson for Focus on the Family, told Cybercast News Service that the organization doesn't focus on immigration issues because its board of directors, which sets the group's agenda, has "not directed us to expand into the area of immigration."
"It's an issue that demands both justice and compassion," she said, adding that 'we care about all families, whether they have entered the country legally or illegally."
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http://www.crosswalk.com/news/11531585/http://www.alipac.us/
You can not be loyal to two nations, without being unfaithful to one. Scubayons 02/07/06
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03-13-2007, 05:42 AM #2
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This is truley a good story but where not under old testament law or new testament law for that mater
The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you," Wallis said, quoting the biblical passage of Leviticus 19:34. Several passages in the book of Leviticus outline rules applying to Israelites and the "aliens" living among them. The passages require that the aliens abide by the same standards as the Israelites.
"The way the system is operating is driving people to do bad things," Wallis said, telling Cybercast News Service that fixing the "broken" immigration system, including increasing border security, is a bigger concern than punishing undocumented residents for breaking the law.
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03-13-2007, 05:46 AM #3
Every church that participates should lose their tax exempt status
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03-13-2007, 05:51 AM #4
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She said the religious community has "a tradition of being the voice for those who have no voice."
"There are traditions," she said, "of moments when it is God's call to break the law."
If the religious institutions in this country, after all of the benefits that they enjoy, are willing to step into the legal fray of immigration, I say WELCOME.
As a direct response, it is important for the people (Citizens) to demand that the tax-exempt status of any congregation or religious institution found aiding and abetting the violation of our Constitutional laws be REVOKED! Religious institutions have done enough damage to the rule of Secular Law within this country to deserve the denial of tax exemption!
Christ would be aghast at what is proposed by these self-serving ministers in HIS NAME!Title 8,U.S.C.§1324 prohibits alien smuggling,conspiracy,aiding and
abetting!
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03-13-2007, 06:42 AM #5
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I forsee a lot of churches losing members over this.
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03-13-2007, 07:30 AM #6
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Rev. Jim Wallis, founder of Sojourners Call to Renewal, said there are some laws "that are just bad laws, immoral laws," and he called upon Christians to lobby for "compassionate" comprehensive immigration reform that treats illegal immigrants with grace.
I don't want to abide by ANY LAWS anymore. OK?
Let's just have a free for all for Americans. Sounds good to me.Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)
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03-13-2007, 07:56 AM #7
So what happens when citizens want to attend church on Sunday but don't have anywhere to sit because the church is packed to the gills with illegal aliens?
Join our efforts to Secure America's Borders and End Illegal Immigration by Joining ALIPAC's E-Mail Alerts network (CLICK HERE)
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03-13-2007, 09:25 AM #8
yeah I asked a local cop...after he stated to me that ILLGAL CRIMINALS where not breaking any TEXAS LAW...if he would like to join me in a business venture....a Drug Cartel (kidding of course)but this whole frickin thing with foreign lawless lands/people...is getting very old.
Ps I have four new families on my street...with their New homes and cars...can you guess from what Country they are from??????
and can you guess what laugauge they don't speak??????Never look at another flag. Remember, that behind Government, there is your country, and that you belong to her as you do belong to your own mother. Stand by her as you would stand by your own mother
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03-13-2007, 09:27 AM #9Originally Posted by Rockfish
And maybe they should re-read their commandments, especially commandments 5-10.
Obviously these jokers forgot the scripture in Romans 13:1-7
http://www.gotquestions.org/illegal-immigration.html
Question: "How does God view illegal immigration?"
Answer: Romans 13:1-7 makes it abundantly clear that God expects us to obey the laws of the government. The ONLY exception to this is when a law of the government forces you to disobey a command of God (Acts 5:29). Illegal immigration is the breaking of a governmental law. There is nothing in Scripture that would contradict with obeying immigration laws. Therefore, it is a sin, rebellion against God, to illegally immigrate into another country. Romans 13:1-7 also gives the government the authority to punish lawbreakers, whether it be by deportation or imprisonment (in the cases of illegal immigration), or more severe penalties for greater crimes."Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting the same results is the definition of insanity. " Albert Einstein.
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03-13-2007, 09:44 AM #10
Why is it the churchs get upset when government tries to tell them what to do but it is all right for churchs to get involved in politics. time for any church that shelters illegals to loose it's tax free shelters. People should not donate anything to a church that or organization that gives to illegals.
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04-28-2024, 02:18 PM in illegal immigration Announcements