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Religion & Illegal Immigration

(Scroll down for information and articles regarding religion and illegal immigration in the United States of America)

Religious groups supporting illegal immigration: Why?  

By Steve Salvi, Founder, OJJPAC.org  

     Despite federal legal prohibitions aiding and abetting illegal aliens, some "faith" or if you prefer "religious" groups and or leaders are seemingly doing just that to the frustration of many of their parishioners and other Americans.  This "Religion & Illegal Immigration" page is not an attack on anyone's belief in God (which I share) but challenge some of the common beliefs that the enforcement of U.S. immigration laws, and the sovereignty of the United States, is inconsistent with Biblical teaching.   I am not a biblical scholar but I have studied the illegal migration issue for almost a decade.  That is one advantage I have over those with significant biblical training--since many in the faith community are ignorant of the many corrupting and tragic consequences of illegal migration.

"What would Jesus do?"

Many religious denominations in the U.S. have written policies regarding immigration.  Some have adopted immigration statements that encourage the United States to give legal status to the millions of  illegal aliens currently is the U.S.. These denominations base their support for legalization on selective Bible passages and secondarily on supposed social and economic reasons. 

As I have written before, clergy often quote the Bible in order to convince their flocks and others that Jesus would want them to embrace the illegal aliens among them.  Some even claim  Jesus himself was an illegal alien--in my opinion a factually erroneous conclusion. 

If the U.S. did not allow any aliens to legally enter the U.S., perhaps these religious leaders would have a point.  But the fact is that the U.S. accepts and welcomes more legal aliens each year than any country in the world!  Not only do these people from foreign lands get to come to the U.S. legally, more than half sign up for benefits worth billions of dollars complements of U.S. taxpayers! 

"Forced un-cheerful giving?"

It is the U.S. taxpayer who bears the brunt of the cost of "welcoming" new immigrants, not religious groups.  In fact, Catholic Charities gets much of its money from the U.S. government (taxpayers), not from its parishioners.  U.S. taxpayers are basically forced  to pay for legal and illegal immigration.  If a taxpayer decides to protest by not paying his or her taxes, the Department of the Treasury can have the U.S. Attorney prosecute them and send them to prison--and seize their assets too.

 Will the churches who help bring the aliens to the U.S. intercede on behalf of the taxpayer to help pay these taxes?  No.   In addition, religious institution are tax exempt--so they can increase the taxpayers' tax burden while avoiding any tax themselves.  Is this fair?  is it equitable?  I will leave this question for you to decide.

It is my understanding that the Bible opposes forced giving.   Yet, are not the "faith" leaders who demand that the U.S. accept millions of illegal aliens (and the associated trillions of dollars in cost to U.S. taxpayers) doing?  Consider also that these same religious groups are not responsible for any of the expense, let alone the protection of  Americans from criminal elements known to exist in this population, already predispositioned to ignore U.S. laws.

 Tithes and offerings should be spirit led and cheerful right?  What would happen if religious groups threatened their flocks with imprisonment for not tithing?--their pews would be empty! 

My point is that forcing people to accept millions of people who violated U.S. law and then expect them to pay for it doesn't sit well with most Americans--and even many legal immigrants.  When Americans read that the "faith community" is advocating for this seemingly unfairness, do you think it drives people to God or away?   In my opinion it drives people away--because people think the "faith" leaders are more interested in filling their pews and offering plates than the financial yoke it places on the American tax payer or the jobs lost by displaced native U.S. workers.  If you want to drive someone away from God, just have your church help establish an illegal alien who then takes the job of a native U.S. worker.  It happens.

 

"How welcoming are Americans supposed to be to foreigners?"

The Bible says you should welcome respect the rights of foreigners.  What is a foreigner?  What is meant by "rights?"  Ask 10 people and you will get ten different answers.

It's my belief that the Bible's discussion of "foreigners" and "aliens" is not written as a "manual" for state authorities but for the individual.  In other words, if you see or meet someone from another nation, be nice!  Treat them as you would like to be treated.   If the alien has a green card  and you are an employer that hires them, pay a fair wage and follow U.S. labor laws.

If you come upon a foreigner make a special effort to talk with them.  If they are lost, direct them to their destination. If they are mildly hurt, get them bandaged.  If they are seriously hurt, call 911.   If they need a quarter for a parking meter, and you have an extra quarter, give it to them.  If they are hungry and without a sandwich, treat them to lunch if you have the resources to feed your family and them. These things will make the alien feel welcome in a strange land, and that is good.

"Is a person's alien status a get out of jail free card?" NO!

I believe that nations have a general sovereign right to rule themselves, defend themselves, and control their borders as they deem appropriate.  To rule, there must be rules--laws if you will, and consequences for the violation of those rules.  The Bible's Books of Law I understand are Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, numbers, and Deuteronomy. 

The Bible doesn't say that a foreign alien has the right to illegally enter the United States! (Although if you listen to some ministers you would think it does!)

The Books of Law of the Old Testament testify for the necessity of laws.  It says that some laws were unique to certain people.

But what about laws for nations?  God appears to give his blessing for the creation of separate nations.  In fact, the Bible says God favors the nation of Israel, and mentions the existence of other kingdoms. 

For the nation of Israel to exist as a sovereign nation, would it not have to be self-governing, which implies laws and administrative rules that would include ultimate authority over the territory within its borders?  Of course it would!

If the United States is to remain a sovereign nation, it must also have ultimate authority over its territory and border.  That means the federal government must control who is allowed into the U.S., who legally is permitted to remain, and who must leave when their visa's expire.  

If anyone could freely cross our border (as Disney wonderful as that sounds) how long would the U.S. remain a free and prosperous nation?   Not long.   It took less than a dozen people to hijack three planes and plummet our nation into crisis.   The vicious and powerful Latin American drug cartels already have a tight grip on illegal drug distribution in the U.S. thanks to illegal aliens who bring in the drugs and distribute them throughout the U.S..  Is that the future you want for the U.S.?  

Enforcing U.S. immigration laws are not a choice, it is a necessity.  Lax immigration laws and or enforcement is a recipe for disaster.

"Are supporters of immigration law enforcement un-Christian?"

Fellow Christians, it is not a sin to want our local, state, or federal governments to protect our families and nation's border, or expel those persons, strangers, newcomers, the undocumented, illegal aliens--whatever you choose to call them--as long as they are in the U.S. illegally.   It doesn't make a difference if the illegal alien is non-religious, a Christian, Jew, Muslim, or other-- everyone is, or should be, subject to the rule of law.

The leadership of some religious groups equate the enforcement of U.S. immigration law with immorality and inhumanity--and seem to believe the only moral and human solution to the problem of illegal immigration is to accept every alien that finds their way over our border. 

Most of us instinctively know that although such a solution sounds welcoming--as most people want to be-- it's not a realistic solution when the problem includes millions of people involved in illegal acts. 

To be continued...

Note:  This is a new page as of 6-25-11 and will be developed in the coming weeks.  The articles below used to be posted on the OJJPAC homepage, however that page became so large, it was decided to create a separate page for information regarding immigration issues and religious groups.