Thread: A Few Evangelical Leaders Defend Pro-Amnesty Stance

From Numbers USA


[quote]
A Few Evangelical Leaders Defend Pro-Amnesty Stance
With Straw Men (they say they don't support BLANKET amnesty)



By Roy Beck, Monday, October 19, 2009, 11:34 PM EDT

Criticized for supporting an amnesty and legalization of illegal aliens, a dwindling number of national evangelical leaders sticking with the amnesty position are now saying, Oh, no, we don't support BLANKET amnesty!

Challenged for urging Congress to increase foreign labor importation during a time of high U.S. unemployment, these national religious leaders say, Oh, no, we don't support open borders.

Quizzed about whether they have improperly taken sides in a highly partisan political brawl, the evangelical spokesmen say, Oh, no, everything we advocate is prescribed by the scriptures.

The only real difference between them and politicians trying to wiggle out of voter discontent with their pro-amnesty positions is that the politicians tend to wrap themselves in Emma Lazarus's poem.

It is common for politicians caught doing the bidding of the greedy corporations seeking more cheap foreign labor to set up straw men based on accusations that have NOT been made against them. Then they proceed to easily knock down -- prove wrong -- the accusations that have not been made.

Undignified even for politicians, the straw man exercise veers toward unseemly dishonesty when employed by religious leaders.

Let's take a look at the flurry of defenses being posted and distributed, according to a story by the ChristianPost.com news service.

(Be sure to read our story about the much larger group of evangelical denominations that are distancing themselves from the pro-amnesty position.)

THE CASE AGAINST 'BLANKET' AMNESTY BUT FOR MASS LEGALIZATION

This comes from the Christian Reformed Church, headquartered in Grand Rapids, Michigan, which was one of the denominations leading the National Association of Evangelicals in its lobbying the U.S. Senate for legalization of illegal aliens this month:

Unfortunately, some people are reporting that the Christian Reformed Church is advocating amnesty for those who have entered the United States illegally. This is not the case.

While we strongly believe that all people are created in the image of God and should be treated with dignity and respect, regardless of national origin or immigrant status, we have not and are not advocating a blanket amnesty.

-- Gerard L. Dykstra, Executive Director, Christian Reformed Church

Hmmmm, notice how adroitly he switched the charge to being "blanket amnesty."

"Blanket amnesty" generally means that everybody gets the amnesty, that there are no criteria and no steps.

But the NAE suggests that illegal aliens pay fines and learn English and that violent felons be excluded from getting U.S. citizenship. Thus, these few evangelical leaders are like their politician counterparts who say giving legal status to illegal aliens is not a blanket amnesty, and actually not an amnesty at all.

These few evangelical leaders believe that the only objection of the members of the denomination is if what they are advocating can be called an amnesty. Call it something else, and it must be okay. But look a little closer and I think they will see that by any other name, rewarding immigration lawbreakers with the very thing they broke the law to obtain is not condoned by their church members.

Illegal aliens broke our immigration laws to steal two things: (1) the ability to live in the United States and take advantage of -- and overcrowd -- the infrastructure already paid by existing citizens, and (2) a U.S. job.

Yet, the Christian Reformed Church official line is that it is just swell to let the illegal aliens keep both the things they stole as long as they pay a fine (usually suggested at several hundred or a couple of thousand dollars). Now, just how many tens of millions of people around the world would gladly pay a TEN thousand dollar fine to be allowed to hold a U.S. job and live here?

But it wouldn't be a BLANKET amnesty because the NAE says the legalization should not go to illegal aliens convicted of violent crimes. Grand theft, though, is just fine.

Mr. Dykstra backs his claim of not supporting amnesty by stating "our position can be summarized" as calling for efficient, dignified borders, more immigration of extended family, bringing in more foreign workers to meet the demand of employers and:

There must be a sound, equitable process for currently undocumented immigrants who wish to assume the responsibilities and privileges of citizenship to earn legal status.

-- Christian Reformed Church statement

THE 'NO OPEN BORDERS' DEFENSE

The Christian Post news service reported that "Roy Taylor, chairman of the NAE Board of Director, wrote an article in 'byFaith,' the Web magazine of the Presbyterian Church in America, in which he addresses false assertions about the immigration resolution."

Not mentioning NumbersUSA by name, he accused our blogs, action alerts and news reports of relying on emotion instead of facts, and on distributing false information in an uncivil manner.

Besides denying the charge of supporting "blanket" amnesty which we didn't make, he states:

The (NAE) Immigration Resolution does not call for open borders; it calls for secure borders with an enforcement that is efficient and respectful of human dignity.

-- NAE chairman

We at NumbersUSA have not said that the NAE or its members are calling for open borders, so it is quite convenient to have that non-charge denied, as well.

What we have said is that the NAE has been highly influenced by the open-borders lobbies in Washington.

I find it most interesting that the main charge that I level at the NAE has not been addressed or even acknowledged by any of the defenders. That charge is that the NAE document and lobbying is based on the assertion that:

* The U.S. has a lot of illegal immigration because the feds don't bring in enough legal foreign labor.
* The U.S. could largely end illegal immigration by greatly increasing the flow of legal foreign labor.

I want to know where in the Bible the NAE has discovered this information because the evidence of labor shortages is nowhere to be found in the present factual existence of nearly 20% federal U-6 unemployment in this country.

To the credit of the Presbyterian Church in America, it has allowed an open forum for members to respond -- mostly negatively -- to Rev. Taylor's assertions.

WRAPPED IN THE BIBLE DOESN'T MEAN INSPIRED BY THE BIBLE

Leaders of only a handful of denominations have been willing to publicly defend the NAE labor-importation document. Besides the two above are leaders of the Assemblies of God and the Brethren in Christ Church, headquartered in Springfield, Missouri and in Grantham, Pennsylvania.

George O. Wood, the General Superintendent of the Assemblies of God, first placed a defense on the denomination's home page and then released a video message in an effort to “ease misunderstandingâ€

I would just tell these "leaders" that the American people have already "given at the office." We send nearly $100 Billion from private, non-governmental sources to other countries every year.