Posted on 05/09/2006 7:08:10 AM PDT by Mr. Silverback
Note: This commentary was delivered by Prison Fellowship President Mark Earley.
Throughout America last week, more than a million illegal immigrants poured into the streets. They took the day off from work, forcing many businesses to close for the day.
They got everyone’s attention. However, it appears they only inflamed an already overheated debate. And the early polls are not showing any change in public opinion.
We need to pause and take a good look at the roles of the Church and the government here. They are different and, in some ways, conflicting. But this is not the first time such a conflict has arisen, and it is possible to formulate a thoughtful Christian perspective that takes both roles into account. Many Christians are giving it serious thought and coming up with good analyses.
First of all, as Christians, we are to care about the poor, widows, orphans, strangers, and that means aliens in our land. That’s explicitly commanded in God’s Word. Leviticus 19:33-34 is a good example. It says, “When an alien lives with you in your land, do not mistreat him. The alien living with you must be treated as one of your native-born.”
That settles the question of how we personally, as Christians, and how the Church at-large treats illegal aliens in our midst. But what about the other question of their legal status in the country? Those are two different things.
The Bible has something here to say as well. It states that government’s job is to preserve order and do justice. St. Augustine famously said that peace flows from order. As a former attorney general, I can tell you that enforcing the rule of law is very important to order and peace.
Congress needs to provide the resources for proper immigration control and establish a program that enables us to process those who have earned the legal right to stay as citizens. In the meantime, we must abide by the law. If thirty years of prison ministry have taught us anything, it’s that we can’t cave in to those who take the law into their own hands. Such disrespect for the law sets a terrible example to everyone. We have to look at what the law says and enforce it.
The hard truth is, if people come here illegally, they cannot be granted amnesty. That simply encourages millions more to cross our borders. Of course, securing the borders is vital to national security. It’s also important that immigrants come here, but through an orderly, established legal process. And employers cannot be allowed to continue to ignore the law against hiring illegal aliens. If we do not enforce the law, we are teaching millions a terrible lesson. We are telling them the law does not matter.
Failure to enforce the law has created this problem, and the ironic aspect is that the very blessing illegal aliens come here to secure for themselves is precisely a result of an economy and society made strong by the rule of law.
It’s true that an unjust law is no law at all, as Martin Luther King famously said. But this is not a case of an unjust law. To secure our borders and to provide for an orderly process of immigrants is a just law, and the Church needs to respect that law even while it administers aid, compassion, and love to those in our midst.
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Second, the Judaeans and the Israelites had their own rules for who was, and wasn't a "citizen," (no such concept existed at the time). Basically, anyone who wasn't a Jew was an alien, a guest, with certain "human" rights, but absolutely no political rights. They could not participate in any of the social or religious functions.
Keep in mind that this was no democracy with individual "rights," and the Jews themselves were subject to the King, who supposedly was selected by God. I could be wrong, but I think Gentiles could bring suit against Jews that would be tried before Jewish judges; but the notion that a bunch of Assyrians (as "aliens") would suddenly move into Judea and "demand" rights as Jews would be laughable.
And, just to make sure that even those who were sincere didn't abuse the "citizenship" process, they had one practice that ensured that only those truly committed to becoming Jews would do so . . .
circumcision.
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right on!
I'm a Bible believer, but we have a Constitution, not a Biblical monarchy.
That said, even with strict border control and expulsion of every illegal, the U.S. takes in far, far more than its share of legal immigrants, from any perspective.
"Such disrespect for the law sets a terrible example to everyone."
That's the trouble with amnesty. It validates the disrespect for the law, saying in effect, if enough people commit a crime, it's no longer a crime.
The leadership of Mexico has to be confronted. It's like when you see neglected children on the street, the parents have to be confronted. You don't just adopt the kids and let the parents off the hook. The Mexican government is like those bad parents that neglect their own children.
I'm sure that anything we do, securing the boarder must come first. That dosen't cross any of my Christian values and respects law and order.
When the native born commit crimes they are not mistreated but they are punished.
I don't see any point in mistreating or abusing illegals but I think it is absolutely appropriate for them to be punished for any crimes the commit including coming here illegally. The punishment for that crime is typically deportation.
Great analogy.
Thanks. Mexico is like the dysfunctional family on the block where the sad little kids break your heart, but their parents are oblivious. That's the real heart of the matter.
Bump to read later...
Bump
Nobody wants us to mistreat anyone and nobody wants to stop legal immigration. Most conservatives just want the government to enforce the laws on the books and wants people to come to this country legally and obey the laws. If the laws are too cumbersome to obey, then work within the system and change the law. Now what it takes to get there is anyone's guess with our current political climate. Do we deport anyone rounded up? Do we offer blanket amnesty (I hope that doesn't happen)? Do we punish businesses who knowingly hire illegals? If the Republicans want to galvanize their base, this is something they'd better solve.
BTTT
BTTT
Following this line of reasoning, they should drive us out and occupy the land.
Before you get out your flamethrower, I hasten to say I'm not advcating this point of view; I'm just saying it's as plausible as yours.
I think Mark Earley's got it about right: acts of compassion at the personal and Church level; even-handed law enforcement at the government level. He argues his point well--- just what I'd expect from Prison Fellowship--- in a principled, lawful, and Christian manner.
We Christians are the people of His covenant now.
Regardless of what one wants to claim about abortion, the U.S. is the most moral nation on the planet, with more practicing Christians than anywhere (perhaps not as a % of population, but in sheer numbers). This is a glass half full vs. half empty argument.
If there was no such thing as "citizenship," Paul would NEVER have made such a big deal out of his civil rights as a Roman citizen. He would have had to say, "Well, I'm just another alien, so who cares. Kill me." But he appealed directly to Caesar on the basis of CITIZENSHIP LAW.
By their very nature in coming here illegally, the Mexicans have no more part in the "covenant" than anyone else. God doesn't like lawbreakers, and said so in Romans, repeatedly. Oh, and don't forget, they were the ORIGINAL child killers (Aztecs) in their previous incarnation.
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