Arizona Pastor's Worry: Criminalization of Ministry Work (because of state's new immigration law)

Christian Post ^ | 05/26/2010 | Michelle Vu

[SeekAndFind]

The churches helping illegals break the law say they have a right to disobey the law

Is this law unjust ? Of course not. Therefore helping illegals break the immigration law is WRONG. However, If there ever came a time ( God forbid ) that this country changes to a point where the choice would be between obeying a law that violates Christian principles and not obeying it, then we are duty bound NOT to obey it.

For instance, if a Christian intern were required to practice abortion BY LAW ( not yet a reality and hopefully will never be ), the Christian will have no choice but to violate it.

They have to right to change it if they can.

Or if that were not possible, be prepared to go to jail or suffer breaking it.

[SeekAndFind]

I don’t find any room for personal definition of “unjust” laws

The keyword here is "personal". What is Just and unjust can be OBJECTIVELY known however based on knowledge of God's laws as given to us in scripture.

Hence, we do not personally define what is just and unjust, we determine that by appealing to what God has revealed in His word.

[stripes1776]

They do indeed have the right to disobey law in the sight of God, but they do not have the right to avoid consequence.

My disagreement with your thinking is with the word right. No one has the right to disobey the law of the land. But a person can choose to obey or disobey. That choice is not a right. It is a personal decision. And yes, I do agree with you that a person disobeying the law will have to suffer the consequences.

The problem with our immigration laws is that the federal government chooses not to enforce its own laws. And the people paying the consequences are not the people breaking the law. The people paying the consequences are hard-working Americans who have to foot the bill for illegal aliens.

[Anti-Utopian]

Since all rights of this land come from the Creator, as documented in the Constitution, everyone has the right to disobey a law that disagrees with the same Creator. That you would punish someone who obeys the Creator rather than the aberrant law is your choice as well.

That said, there is nothing about the immigration laws of the U.S. that conflict with the Creator.