Thread: TX: Church scores victory in immigration fight

This is listed under "news" but Bud Kennedy only writes opinion pieces as far as I know. He is such a twit -- Jaded

Fri, Jun. 29, 2007

Church scores victory in immigration fight

By BUD KENNEDY
Star-Telegram Staff Writer

Methodists and a Minuteman tangled over immigration last week.
This time, the Methodists won.

About 30 worshippers from a United Methodist church in north Dallas confronted an anti-illegal-immigration group that had rented a church classroom for a meeting.

After several shouts on both sides and one very loud f-word in the church, the Methodists broke up the meeting by standing and loudly singing Amazing Grace.

The bitterness about immigration reform is not far away in Washington. It's as close as Preston Road, where the Northhaven United Methodist Church, which supports "mercy and justice" for illegal immigrants, opened its doors on June 21 to a monthly meeting of Citizens for Immigration Reform, a group demanding hard-line enforcement.

After Oklahoma state Rep. Randy Terrill, R-Moore, explained how his state plans to chase off illegal immigrant workers and punish their employers, the anti-immigration group seemed far less interested when a church member used the question-and-answer session to talk about the church's mission trip experience in Guatemala.

Suddenly, the church member was interrupted by Brian Burns of Farmers Branch, a director of the Dallas-based activist group and a member of the Latino-bashing Texas Minutemen, based in Wise County.

I couldn't hear what the church member said when Burns got in his face.

But I did hear what Burns shouted back in a high-pitched voice:

"I'm on the board of directors! Now sit down!"

The church member reached out as if to push him back. Mr. Minuteman slapped the hand away with a loud pop that resounded down the church hallway.

"Take your [action verb] hand off me!" Burns yelled.

That's a word folks usually don't say in a church.

Not even to Methodists.

As if on cue, church members who filled about half the room sprang to their feet and began singing "Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that sav'd a wretch like me. ..."

Before the choir could get to the second stanza, the Citizens for Immigration Reform meeting broke up. Some members started migrating toward Preston Road.

Burns later declined to comment.

The group's vice president said Thursday that he is looking for a different location for the next meeting.

"Those people were sincere but misguided," said Ray Currey of Dallas. He had opened the meeting by welcoming the church members, saying, "It is neither un-Christian nor un-American to ask for our laws to be enforced."

Before the meeting, some worshippers had greeted the activists with copies of the church's local position statement, which describes illegal immigration as "a humanitarian crisis, a civil rights issue" and a "cheap labor" issue. It's on the church Web site at www.northaven.org.

The Rev. Eric Folkerth, senior pastor and husband of a state district judge, stood quietly in back all night. He declined Thursday to identify the church member on the receiving end of the Minuteman's mano a mano ministry.

"Immigration is a very passionate issue for some people in our church, on both sides," Folkerth said by phone. "It's ironic that the group chose to meet at our place."

Lawmaker Terrill said it was the church that was "intolerant" and that worshippers committed "subterfuge."

"My understanding is that they agreed to have the meeting there because they thought they might be able to sway the point of view," Terrill said by phone Thursday, calling the rental a "setup deal."

"The people who came to protest -- the people who say we should be more tolerant -- they were the ones who interrupted the meeting and prevented a free discourse," he said. "People didn't come to hear about Guatemala."

I guess not.

I guess they didn't come to hear any message involving church.


http://www.star-telegram.com/metro_n...ry/152921.html

Before the meeting, some worshippers had greeted the activists with copies of the church's local position statement, which describes illegal immigration as "a humanitarian crisis, a civil rights issue" and a "cheap labor" issue. It's on the church Web site at www.northaven.org.

1. Illegal immigration is a humanitarian crisis because of the sheer magnitude of the numbers of illegal aliens. If there were 20 or 200 or even 2,000 it wouldn't be a humanitarian crisis. But with 20 million it is a humanitarian crisis because there are 20 million of them!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

2.If the church wishes to solve the problem of what it describe as a humanitarian crisis, then let the church clothe, feed and support them. DO NOT ask me nor force upon me without my approval, to participate in your concern for the "humanitarian crisis". I am in full support of solving this "humanitarian crisis" through self and enforced deportations. This is the only effective means of addressing this issue and that is significantly reducing their massive numbers.

3. Any cause or agenda a mass of illegal alien invaders has is NOT a civil rights issue.

4. Since they are here illegally and working for "cheap labor rates" this is further evidence they are a drain on our economy and force downward pressure on the wages of American citizens.

5. I suggest you stick with the teachings of Jesus. To this point, I have been unable to find any evidence in his writings, actions or teachings that he is imploring you adopt an action agenda of supporting a mass horde of illegal alien invaders and crininals.

6. Amen

I went to the church site and quoted some other parts of the Bible they chose to ignor.

Isn't coveting what your neighbor has a sin? Among all the other commandments that have been broken, I'd say the bible or religion is no defense for them!

GirlyGirl...you inspired me to post my above comments onto the church's blog about their immigration statement. I'm sure they'll be deleted as soon as their webmaster comes across them.

There is a big difference between a reporter and a Liberal Smear Pusher.

What was the content of this meeting? No body knows because that part was not reported. Your right Jaded, BK's an opinon writer and has no business reporting.

Dixie

I went to a Methodist church for a while. It has a huge outreach
program to illegals & has a full-time spanish-speaking minister.
They never did that for African American kids when they filled
the apartment complexes around the church. One of the ministers
got really bent out of shape when a guy attending an AA meeting
used the pretense of leaving his organizer to enter the building
& steal something during the day. I couldn't take the hypocrisy
of breaking into the church being morally objectionable &
breaking into the country as being ok.