Thread: People of faith seek new dialogue on immigration

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People of faith seek new dialogue on immigration
Jim Wallis

Sunday, April 13, 2008

Amid some of the worst political demagoguery we have seen for some time, the effort to craft a comprehensive immigration reform bill in Congress failed badly last fall. Lawmakers could not balance legitimate enforcement of the law, with humane treatment of the 12 million people already here because of a broken system, with the complicated need to provide both a fair legal worker status and an earned path to citizenship for those willing to work for it.

But since the attempted immigration reform bill faltered in Congress, a sometimes vicious assault against undocumented workers has ensued in many places across the country, where the draconian measures against illegal immigrants and their families have been breathtaking.

New measures against "transporting and harboring" illegal immigrants have prompted church bishops and leaders in places like Oklahoma and Arizona to pledge civil disobedience to laws that prohibit legitimate Christian ministry. The children of undocumented workers have literally been torn apart from their parents, in ways appalling to many Christians concerned about "family values."

It's time to put aside the rhetoric and sit down for an honest conversation. Compassionate immigration reform has become a critical issue for growing numbers of religious people who will be voting this year - including the rapidly growing constituencies of Hispanic Catholics, evangelicals and Pentecostals. Add to them a growing number of other evangelicals and mainline Protestants who have also become sensitized to the plight and to the voices of their Hispanic brothers and sisters.

For many people of faith, who have voted both Democratic and Republican in recent elections, immigration reform is also a religious issue, even a biblical issue. We call it "welcoming the stranger," and the command to do so is deep in our Scriptures.

Throughout the New Testament, Christians are called to care for the outcast and the stranger. In the 25th chapter of Mathew's gospel, Jesus names our treatment of the stranger as a key test of our discipleship and puts these outsiders on the list of the most vulnerable when he says, "As you have done to the least of these, you have done to me."

The divisive national debate over immigration reform is shaped by real concerns over economic insecurity and respect for the law, but also sadly by prejudice and fear over the America we are becoming. And, to be sure, Christians and other citizens of good conscience can legitimately differ on how to forge the best legislation for comprehensive immigration reform, and may place the balance in different places when it comes to the need to remain a nation of laws and to be a compassionate people.

The remaining presidential candidates offer some promise. John McCain, a leading proponent of comprehensive immigration reform in the Senate, reminded us in Republican debates that "these are God's children also." Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton have both addressed the genuine question of how some Americans feel about those who worry about jobs in their community going to undocumented immigrants. While the economy tightens and unemployment rises, it is easy to misplace anger on immigrants.

What would comprehensive immigration reform in America look like? How do we both "welcome the stranger" and preserve a nation of laws? We must be a nation of laws, and the current anarchy at our borders is not good for anyone. But legal enforcement must be humane as well as firm, and comprehensive immigration reform of the whole broken system is long overdue. Those reforms should be pro-work and pro-family, respectful of the law, and create new opportunities to strengthen the common good of families and employers alike, thus enriching the vitality of America. The challenge is to find common ground to move to higher ground.

The church has a unique role to lift up the moral and human aspects of immigration reform. We believe that immigrants are children of God, entitled to dignity and respect. Increasing numbers of immigrants make up our congregrations, and our church social service agencies, schools and health clinics work with them and their families on a daily basis.

Latino pastor Noel Castellanos eloquently sums up the issue for people of faith: "Regardless of our political persuasion, at the very least we as believers ought to be loving and merciful and compassionate toward those who are taking care of our kids, mowing our lawns, drywalling our new homes, picking our crops, serving our meals, fighting in Iraq, and worshiping in our churches."

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.c ... 102NFM.DTL

I just couldn't stand it... I didn't finish this

You know, those fine Christians live by the Laws of Moses and so should the illegal aliens.

Exodus 20:17 "Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that [is] thy neighbour's." Including his job, medical care, social benefits or country.

Thou shalt not steal, including Identification or Social Security numbers.

Thou shal not bear false witness against thy neighbor, including using another man's ID and pretending to be that man, especially when you are saying you are here legally and taking his job or using his credit and good name.

Church, worry about the soul of the illegal alien and get off our backs.

Dixie

I sometimes wonder if these pro-illegal churches are just looking to FILL their COLLECTION plates!

They have forgotten the seperation of church and state and need their exemptions pulled NOW and made to pay for every dollar spent on illegal immigrants and we will see how soon they change their tune.

Why don't they talk about the thousands of citizens who have been hurt,raped (especially our babies),killed,unemployed by the invaders.What about Citizens pain ? !!!!!!!!! Grrrr

And another thing the IA's are responsible for their situation NOT citizens ! We Cannot take on or should we be expected to take on the worlds poor and the worlds countries problems.They need to solve their own problems as we have enough to deal without this burden !!!

Latino pastor Noel Castellanos eloquently sums up the issue for people of faith: "Regardless of our political persuasion, at the very least we as believers ought to be loving and merciful and compassionate toward those who are taking care of our kids, mowing our lawns, drywalling our new homes, picking our crops, serving our meals, fighting in Iraq, and worshiping in our churches."

Pator Noel, soon they will be making our laws and deciding our court cases, too?