Posted on 07/13/2011 1:56:49 PM PDT by Hunton Peck
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. (AP) — For some believers and church leaders, opposing Alabama's toughest-in-the-nation law against illegal immigration is a chance for Bible Belt redemption.
During the civil rights movement of the 1950s and `60s, many state churches didn't join the fight to end Jim Crow laws and racial segregation. Some cross-burning Ku Klux Klan members took off their hoods and sat in the pews with everyone else on Sunday mornings, and relatively few white congregations actively opposed segregation. Some black churches were hesitant to get involved for fear of white backlash.
Now that Alabama has passed what's widely considered the nation's most restrictive state law against illegal immigration, mainstream churches, faith-based organizations and individual members are leading opposition to the act. Some see their involvement as a way to avoid repeating mistakes of the past.
"I think what happened in the `60s may be a stimulus for the action that you have seen many of the churches taking on this," said Chriss H. Doss, an attorney and ordained Southern Baptist minister.
Matt Lacey, pastor of a United Methodist church once attended by Birmingham's infamous segregationist police commissioner Eugene "Bull" Connor, said there are all sorts of reasons Alabama Christians are opposed to the law. Making amends for the past inaction of religious groups is among them, he said.
"For me, as pastor of a church that was engaged in that battle, it is very important," said Lacey. "If we take redemption very seriously, then it not only covers our sins but our past actions as a church. I think for some, there is a tendency to want to be on the side of right on this issue. ... I would like to think the church just wants to do what's right."
(Excerpt) Read more at centurylink.net ...
Their idea for redemption for tacit support of unjust laws is to urge violation of just laws.
Mainline churches are, with a few exceptions, not mainstream in Christian orthodoxy, but rather are cults.
Just unbelievable, but the Methodist Church has long ago gone the way of the Episcopals, etc. All the more reason to go with the evangelical movement.
You nailed it!
Cults
b
Cults of self-worship, which is ultimately Satan-worship by proxy, I’d say.
Ping!
Stupid white guilt. That really has gotten us a long way hasn’t it?
Except for the UMC, those denominations do not have large memberships in Alabama. And the UMC has long been associated with leftist causes nationally.
This does not represent as many Christians as the article might lead readers to believe.
Time for the Souf' to be brought into the 21st century.
A general repudiation of the idea that they need body servants would be a good start.
So, these good people are openly advocating violation of U.S. law? I would kick their tax exempt status into oblivion immediately. If theirs is not a political position, then someone please redefine the exemption for me.
This article needs a ‘Barf Alert’.
Applying that concept to this situation is so far out of the Biblical context that I simply don't know where to begin. But then, a lot of these liberal churches stopped interpreting scripture correctly a long time ago.
Send all the caught illegal immigrants to those Ala. churches.... =.=
Indeed. It is only the left field churches and they are not plentiful in Alabama.
This is such horse blank.
Because they feel guilty about not supporting the civil rights movement, they feel that today they should be liberal about illegal alien issues????
Because they were on the “wrong side of history” then, what makes them think that being liberal on illegal issues is the right side of history now?????
I just don’t see how these two issues are connected in people’s minds.
Generally, good Christians don’t pander to liberals, and bend over backwards on issues to prove how liberal they are.
The always behind the times and common sense churches are stupid with their “black guilt” that they will now be overly stupid and support the illegal alien invasion of America.
Stupid stupid churches. I guess they are hoping some of the illegal aliens will join their churches and give a little money, when of course most illegal aliens are only out for what they can beg, borrow or steal or get free from the un-American government.
They also like Fidel Castro and have always supported him...strange bunch.
Why don’t these “churches” open up their doors and ask all of the illegals to come to their churches and they will pay for all of their expenses. They should agree to pay all of their food cost, all of their health care cost, all of the cost for educating all of their kids, etc. using their own church funds.
Have at it apostate churches.
Another reason, I refuse to go to any major organized Church.
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