Churches Vow to Offer Sanctuary to Illegals

Source: Crosswalk

Churches in major cities across the country are preparing to grant "sanctuary" to illegal immigrants facing deportation in an effort to unite evangelicals behind comprehensive immigration reform, according to a pastor organizing the effort.

Rev. Alexia Salvatierra, executive director of Clergy and Laity United for Economic Justice (CLUE), said Monday that Christians will fight to prevent families from being divided when illegal immigrant parents are deported, leaving behind children who are legal residents.

"There are congregations all across this country that see this as a moral issue," Salvatierra said during a discussion on immigration at the Center for American Progress in Washington, D.C.

Huh. And here I thought breaking the law was a moral issue. I guess I must have missed that scripture about the church picking and choosing which laws must be followed, and which ones the people of God should decide to encourage by aiding and abetting those who break them.

Salvatierra, an ordained Lutheran minister, said the program will begin in Los Angeles, where CLUE is based, and spread to other major cities. Each participating congregation will care for one family with citizen children whose parents face deportation. She said each participating church would adopt a "decent, law-abiding family."

Law-abiding...except for coming here illegally, working here illegally, using fraudulent documents, driving illegally...

"The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you," Wallis said, quoting the biblical passage of Leviticus 19:34. Several passages in the book of Leviticus outline rules applying to Israelites and the "aliens" living among them. The passages require that the aliens abide by the same standards as the Israelites.

Thanks, Reverend Wallis, for lumping those who respect this country and its laws by coming here legally, and those with no regard or respect for the law, into one convenient group. And did you miss that last part? "...that the aliens abide by the same standards as the Israelites." Seems clear to me.

"The way the system is operating is driving people to do bad things," Wallis said, telling Cybercast News Service that fixing the "broken" immigration system, including increasing border security, is a bigger concern than punishing undocumented residents for breaking the law.

Driving people to do bad things? What's next? Is it OK if I break into your home and steal some shit because "the system made me do it?" What about individual responsibility and accountability? The last time I checked, the bible had more than a little to say about that.

And thanks for reminding us of the perfect example right from my neighborhood...

Elvira Arellano, an illegal immigrant whose son is a U.S. citizen, sought refuge at Adalberto Memorial United Methodist Church in Chicago in a bid to avoid deportation for working with a fake Social Security number. Officials have yet to act on their threat to arrest her inside the church.

Is this the kind of law-abiding family the churches will be taking in? Entered the country illegally -- twice -- and worked using a fake Social Security number. As both a citizen and a Christian, color me unimpressed and consider my ass chapped.

Responding to Wallis' criticism that faith-based organizations like FRC (Family Research Council) don't address immigration, (V.P. of government affairs Tom) McClusky said Wallis "might confuse what the role of the federal government is and what the role of the individual is."

Thank you, Mr. McClusky. Even if one believes that the bible says it's OK to offer sanctuary to illegal alien lawbreakers (which I don't), may I point out that we have a little something around here called separation of church and state. Our government is supposed to make and enforce laws -- not look the other way while churches offer a helping hand in breaking some of them.

And thank you, Reverends Salvatierra, Wallis, and friends, for taking on the godly mission of teaching our youngest generations that the law is of little or no value. Your efforts to break down the very foundation of this great country are greatly appreciated...by lawbreakers, socialists, communists and anarchists. You should be very proud.

Technorati Tags: Illegal Immigration, Illegal Alien, Sanctuary, Elvira Arellano, Church