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Christianity Today, June, 2009 |

WHERE WE STAND

The Soul of the Border Crisis

Local churches are key in fixing the immigration mess.

A Christianity Today editorial | posted 6/08/2009 09:56AM

The newest research from the Pew Hispanic Center, released this spring, suggests that the immigration system in the United States is going to be nearly impossible to fix. This is an important realization; ...

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Cynthia Curran

Posted: June 15, 2009 9:28 PM


Why not get pastor Rick Warren involved with this since Orange County has over 200,000 illegal immirgants as well as San Diego and Los Angeles a million. But Pastor Warren doesn't appear to be interested in this.

MG	Posted: June 12, 2009 7:53 PM

Rest of the World got a little lost in pondering what the queen is doing in the UK, eating cake or bread. "Let them eat cake" is from the Confessions of Jean-Jacques Rousseau, who is FRENCH. It was later attributed to Marie Antoineette, who is FRENCH. Also, the "cake" referenced is actually brioche, an egg-rich bread, not a sweet dessert. So, Rest of the World, try to know what you are talking about before you try to sound oh so cute. As a self-appointed spokesperson for the Rest of the World, you make the rest of the world look like an idiot. And if you aren't an American, stay out of our business. We welcome you and anyone else, but don't sneak in here as a fugitive. We don't owe the Rest of the World a free ride, a job without paying taxes, free health care, free education and all the other perks of being an illegal alien. (PLease don't call them immigrants.)

JustSomeKingdomDude

Posted: June 12, 2009 11:02 AM

Almost everyone who lives in North America is either the descendant of illegal immigrants, or an illegal immigrant. Ask the descendants of the people who lived here before Europeans showed up. The contempt for non-Europeans was present 500 years ago, and it still poisons the souls filled with hatred today. Christians are to "render unto" appropriately. We do that very badly, overall. The Stranger is not invited, but Christians - whose LIVES Belong To God, not the Government or the Nation - are to welcome them, no matter how inconvenient it is. SHAME on those who rsent and hate those who want a better life. You do so at your own peril, and NOT, absolutely Not, in Jesus' Name!

John	Posted: June 11, 2009 3:24 PM


"Why should we pay for the rest of the world to live?" Because that's exactly what Jesus did.

beckinjerusalem

Posted: June 11, 2009 9:58 AM

The illegal immigrant issue is a political agenda. Both parties have pandered to the hispanics' votes specially the Demoncrats!! It's time we should impose the law, HUNT THEM AND SEND THEM BACK TO WHERE THEY CAME FROM. Maryann and Renee are right, illegals are a drain to this economy. to prove my point, a cousin of mine who is a doctor in a CA hospital delivers babies of hispanics w/out SS #s at our expense. They get free medical services, education and everything this country has to offer. NO WONDER CALIFORNIA IS BANKRUPT!!! THESE SCUMS ARE THE DIRT OF THE EARTH, LEACHES WHO HAVE NO RESPECT FOR THE LAW AND THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE AROUND THEM. THEY DE-FACE NEIGHBORHOODS, SELL DRUGS AND DO EVERYTHING THAT HAS CORRUPTED CHRISTIANITY. I'M SORRY BUT I HAVE NO EMPHATHY NOR SYMPATHY FOR THEM NOR THE CATHOLIC CHURCH THAT HARBOR THEM. THEY ARE BREAKING THE LAW AND THEY SHOULD FACE THAT CONSEQUENCE.

John	Posted: June 10, 2009 1:20 PM

Thank you for this balanced and thoughful analysis of a complex and difficult issue. I thought as I was reading it that it was likely to get some heated reactions in the comments, and indeed that has been the case. As Christians, our response should be shaed by Scripture. The penteteuch clearly establishes a principle of equitable treatments for alien peoples living among the Israelites, and this general principle of treatement of others is upheld and expanded by subsequent scriptures, not contravened. Equity rules out both preferential treatment and oppressive discrimination, and thus points us to a comprehensive solution that combines better border enforcement and procedures with compassion and a path to legal residency and citizenship (equity) for those already here who are contribution to society. With this should be a recoginition of our own contributions to the problem of illegal immigration, for it would not exist if jobs weren't available and offered.

g4c	Posted: June 10, 2009 12:03 PM


To everybody who is saying (in various ways), "we need to take care of ourselves first," and "why do we need to take care of other people who aren't us/Americans/legal/etc?": There once was another man who said something very similar: "Am I my brother's keeper?" Yes, we DO have a responsibility to help others. Anything less is the heart of all darkness.

Anna	Posted: June 10, 2009 2:13 AM

The fact that we're having this conversation says there is a problem with illegal aliens. Where I live the plants that were paying living wages so one could send their kids to college and get professional jobs have moved to Mexico, China, etc. When the now unemployed look for jobs, they are falling to entry level jobs which are going to illegals paid under the table with lower wages and no paying taxes because they aren't declared. Our hospital and school using tax payers money, are hiring green cards who don't speak English and you can't understand them. They're cheap you see. Our politicians recently forced the government to start raiding businesses and deporting the illegals because businesses paying taxes were going out of business because the guy next door was selling his product at the going rate but not declaring his employees/expenses. Three businesses alone had over 500 illegals. What a shock. You hear Spanish in stores. We're becoming Northern Mexico not the good old U.S.A

Wendy

Posted: June 09, 2009 10:49 PM

I have mixed feelings about illegal immigration. What I believe we see happening today with our government not truly acting to enforce immigration laws has to do with the North American Union. It will be made more public as time goes by. I think it is also the reason Mexico is cleaning out the drug cartels as a prerecquist. The face of the U.S. has been changing over the past 40 years with migration from many different countries of origin. The difference with the situation of Mexican immigrants is that many of them believe they have the right to be here regardless of our laws. In addition, the legal Mexican-American population has perpetuated this by using tactics similar to that of Alinsky and community organizing. Yes, the Bible says we are to Love the stranger and the aliens. On the other hand my mother couldn't get the proper care she needed when she was ill and dying. I have a masters in education and because I don't speak another language it's harder to get a job. NOT RIGHT

Doug	Posted: June 09, 2009 6:03 PM


Illuminating article. I've shared it with numerous people because it gets at the real issue - if it were black & white, it would be so much easier, wouldn't it?!

ketch22

Posted: June 09, 2009 5:03 PM


Renee... what Dave said.

Elizabeth

Posted: June 09, 2009 2:42 PM


Because of mercy, Renee.

Rod	Posted: June 09, 2009 1:32 PM

We cannot forget that Jesus was an immigrant (Matthew 2:13-15). Our commitment to this Jesus is not only more important than but exclusively more important than any commitment we have to the state. I am saddened by comments calling people fugitives because they seek safety and refuge. it is easy to criminalize someone's actions when one has never been in a situation where either obedience to the law or life have to be chosen between. Jesus would welcome the stranger, regardless of legal status. If any of us are going to call ourselves followers of Jesus, we need to act in the same way he did. You can believe in the resurrection of Jesus all you want, but if that resurrection is not being extended to others, your faith is backward and completely useless.

Heather

Posted: June 09, 2009 11:44 AM

Mike said "Jesus said to obey the laws of the government because god gave it power,". Well you had better recant the American Revolution then because King George's government also falls under your proviso. Actually I think you'll find that Paul said "the powers that be are ordained by God..etc etc", but more importantly using again the example of the Revolution this only applies if those laws are just. The bible gives us a clear mandate of what to do in the face of injustice. Now I'm not saying open the borders but how exactly do you propose we repatriate the undocumented? Do you have any idea how much it would cost? Do you have any idea how much US agriculture would suffer? If you don't just look up the disruption caused when all the undocumented aliens decided to go on strike for a day. What do you do if these aliens have young children who are legally US citizens? The problem is much more complicated than some here make it sound. That's why we need comprehensive immigration reform.

Dave	Posted: June 09, 2009 12:23 AM


Renee, I see in your comment that same Idolatrous civil patriotic religion that has replaced God in so many of our Churches, when will we learn?

Tom macgurn

Posted: June 08, 2009 8:46 PM

My perspective drastically changed one morning 6 hours south of the border. It was 5 in the morning and hundreds of men, young and old, waited on the side of the road looking for work. I've grown up accustom to seeing men standing at home depo, or other places here in the states, but I had no idea how dire the situation was further south. It was then, that I realized if I were born in Mexico and could not find a job to feed my family, that it is more righteous for me to migrate (break into) whatever country necessary to earn a living, so that my family doesn't starve (because people actually starve in Mexico!)

Mike	Posted: June 08, 2009 8:14 PM

sorry John but that only applies to legal aliens. Jesus said to obey the laws of the government because god gave it power, do you think he then turns around and says treat the illegal alien (thats what they are, not undocumented immigrants) the same. boloney yes it does look like deportation, they broke the law. period. The we have unemployed Americans on welfare argument is not ridiculous. Even if there were an abundance of jobs Illegal Aliens are not entitled to ANY OF THEM. "Just because we suddenly find that it's inconvenient now does not give us right to start throwing people out left and right." we have the right to throw them out because they are ILLEGALL ALIENS. did ya get it that time or should I say it again? THEY ARE ILLEGAL ALIENS!!!!!!!!!!!!

Delaware Bob

Posted: June 08, 2009 8:04 PM

If AMNESTY were ever granted to these 20 million ILLEGAL ALIENS, you can bet big money that 3 years from now, there would be ANOTHER 3-5 million ILLEGAL ALIENS demonstrating on our soil for AMNESTY. An end MUST come to this illegal immigration. The perfect tool we have so far is E-Verify. It MUST be used by ALL businesses and Government Social Services. EVERY employee must be checked! If they are illegal, they are to be dismissed! I believe it is time for all 50 States to pass a State law, like Arizona, Oklahoma, Mississippi, Missouri, South Carolina and a few others. It is time for these ILLEGAL ALIENS to go back to their home Country and get out of this Country. The problems they are causing will not go away until the ILLEGAL ALIENS are out of this Country. It's time for ZERO TOLERENCE with these ILLEGAL ALIENS. They must be forced back to their home country where they belong. Then we we start to rebuild and clean up our Country from the scum that destroyed it.

Wendell Franklin Wentz

Posted: June 08, 2009 7:05 PM

The best way to improve the situation of immigration on the Mexican-Texas border is to help the immigrants and pilgrims who enter our country. We can provide them housing and food until they are gainfully employed. We should welcome the stranger as God commanded, and we should show grace and mercy. Let the church be the church and do the work of Jesus. We brag about our beliefs, but we need to follow Jesus doing the work of Jesus, and Jesus never turned anybody down and he never turned them out. Let us show the world we are the Christian Nation we claim to be. Amen. -Wendell Franklin Wentz

Matthew Soerens

Posted: June 08, 2009 6:47 PM

An excellent and important editorial. Our legislators need to be about the work of forming a just, compassionate, sensible immigration system, which will take serious reform, and those of us who follow Christ need to be nudging them toward action. But when it does happen, and even before, our churches also need to be the place where immigrants are welcomed into our society, in keeping with the biblical command.

DAD77

Posted: June 08, 2009 6:04 PM

This was an interesting and very well balanced article. "Christians should keep the number 133 million fixed in their minds, for that is how many additional souls will be living in the United States by 2050." And it will be 1 BILLION by 2100 if the continued immigration continues. This is despite the native US population being at replacement rates since 1972. The world itself is estimated to have sustainable carrying capacity of 2-3 billion. There is a population crisis coming. The is using up land and water at unsustainable rates right now. If a climate deviation occurs in the US bread basket, the crisis will be here sooner than later. The life boat of the US will eventually capsize, too. How do Christians juggle the socialization and assimilation of more people while ignoring the destruction to the environment?

Timothy

Posted: June 08, 2009 6:03 PM


Raise taxes? Even if it is possible, plus legalize all immigrants for tax purposes and deprive them of all benefits, I doubt the national debt could be paid. Some drastic change would have to be involved.

Maryann

Posted: June 08, 2009 4:24 PM

Illigal aliens give energy, new enthusiasm & ideas? No, they have jobs where they're paid under the table, like construction or farming, not rocket science. They are NOT paying taxes. What would happen to you if you didn't pay income or other taxes? They cause OUR taxes to be raised through enormous free health care, education etc. We have no Christian duty to coddle & harbor fugitives. They are here illegally. Stop calling them immigrants. If we are obligated to care for world's poor, let's bring them from Darfur, Rwanda, Peru, India. Why just Mexico? And why do we have Spanish options? Let them learn English if they want to be here so badly. My IMMIGRANT grandparents did. Too costly to hunt them down? It's too costly to NOT hunt them down & send them back. America welcomes immigrants, not invaders. Whatever they add to our economy is surely offset by the drain to our economy. Employers who hire them break the law too.

Renee

Posted: June 08, 2009 3:51 PM


This country and its continued wealth and prosperity is for us, not for other people. The number of illegal immigrants is more like 40 million, almost the same amount of babies our country has aborted. How many of us know people who have lost their jobs or had their wages cut? Why should we pay for the rest of the world to live?

The Rest of The World

Posted: June 08, 2009 3:28 PM


Dear America, We accept your apology, we don't need your help. Pay your debt, it's getting ridiculous. If you can't raise taxes, getting the job done by immigrants is fine too. As for UK, I don't know what's going on there, still playing dress up and deciding on bread or cake with the queen?

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