Someone clear something up for me: is this article addressing a general concept of immigration, or is it addressing illegal immigration? I read it twice and neither time walked away with a clear sense of it.

I don’t know of anyone in our city who would mistreat an illegal immigrant, or even be ugly to him. Let’s stop calling people who break the law just immigrants, they are not, they are illegal immigrants. Why should our church leaders aid and abet anyone who breaks the law of America? Then say this is what Jesus would do. Our government is to blame for the influx of all illegals. They have not put laws into effect. Now they are working, I hope, to do this. It is their show not the Churches. Yes, be kind and good to all people, but don’t encourage breaking the law.

Quote: “How we talk about undocumented people is a matter of …life and dignity”, said Rev. Jim Wallis, founder and CEO of Sojourners/call to Renewal.
The Rev. Wallis, and Rev. Winkler, who heads the UM Church Board and Society are very concerned about our illegal immigrants. These people broke the law. I haven’t seen any togetherness by Christian Churches that have said, “How we talk about our GLBT people is a matter of…life and dignity”. And that we Christian Churches should all stop demonizing our brothers and sisters. These people haven’t broken a law of immigration or anything else. Like Dr. Phil says so often, what’s the pay off for this?? Could it be that they would like to make Americas laws, instead of the Governmnet? What do you think?

As mentioned by Henrietta, the churches are very concerned about illegal immigrants and their life and dignity, but what about the GLBT people’s life and dignity?
Illegal immiagrants are just that…illegal. While I don’t wish harm to them, coming in the “old fashion way, legally, is the way to enter this country. I don’t approve of mistreating the people that are picked up to be sent back. If the churches think it is their job help out with that, that’s one thing. To hide them is yet another thing. Churches have a history of being santuary. If the churches decide to do that, there are going to be a awful lot of really full churches.

The most basic rule -all the way back to Abram & Sarai is the Rule of Hospitality. If a traveling stranger, widow or orphan come to yu, you help. No questions, qualifications, or identifications. everytime Israel was condemned, one of the reasons was the lousy way they treated the powerless people. We stand very close to that same condemnation. If we cannot treat people humanely, then we are not worth the trust and hope extended to us.

Jestrfyl, are you saying our country should treat people humanely who have traveled here by crossing our countries boarder, on foot, truck, train or ship, or are you saying we should welcome an illegal immigrant who knocks on our door and asks to hide in our house? If an escaped prisoner knocks on your door and asks for help to be hidden, as a Christian would you hide him? I wouldn’t because I would be helping him to break our counties laws. If the person had a physical problem I would try to get help for him, and leave him to find his way after that, hopefully I could encourage the law-breaker to give himself up. The Bible tells that we have to abide by our governments laws, as well as Gods laws. No questions, no qualifications, or identifications???? Let’s be realistic.

I have very mixed feelings about the immigration question(s) but whatever we do we need to act from the realization we are all people and there, but for good luck in one way or another, could go we. And we should realize how we treat these folks affects how a large and growing (too fast!) group of people next to us will think about us.
So whatever we do, let’s do it with grace, not ugliness.

pagansister & Henrietta22-
This is one of the few times I have somewhat disagreed with you.
First, there are between 12million and 20million undocumented workers in the USA. And, they did come the old fashion way….across the border without documents. This has been happening since before the first laws restricting access went on the books….and, every since.
Second, with so many here, asking them to give themselves up is perhaps unrealistic. How many years would it take for our governement agencies to deal with that many people? And, what would the real benefit be to anyone?
Third, as Henrietta22 said: “Our government is to blame for the influx of all illegals.” Little if anything has been done to discourage the influx because without this work force our country would come to a stand-still.
Fourth, the myths about straining our infrastructure and/or not paying taxes are just that…myths. Undocumented workers contribute money to our economy…pay in taxes and social security payments…but, many never draw out….many don’t even file for a tax return. So, the government keeps the extra monies.
Please understand, I am not suggesting that there is anything right about the situation. What I am saying is:
1. These are people just like you and me…except they were born in a third world country. They have come here to support their families and make a better life for themselves and their families. And, every citizen in the USA has benefited from them being here.
2. Realistically, there is no way round them up and send them back. The best we can do is register and account for them…as we citizens are registered and accounted for.
3. Our government has caused this situation…the immigrants are just in the situation. I do believe that our government should create a realistic immigration policy for the future and work with the Mexican government to impliment it.
P & H, while I do not believe that either of you are prejudice against people from other countries….I am absolutely sure that fear….which drives hate…..which is represented by prejudice is at work in the hearts and minds of many of our fellow citizens. If you were an undocumented worker…how would you want to be treated?
Peace!

PS and I are looking at the problem from the law side. It’s not right to break up families who have worked hard here for many years. Any one with a heart and commonsense would feel this way. Our country has to be fair and govern new laws to correct the mess they’ve encouraged for the last 50 yrs. I’m not an undocumented worker, so although I think they must feel confused and enraged, I really can’t feel what they feel. I hope our next president, democratic, will bring some new direction to this problem. As I’ve said before in similar articles I watched this start back in the 50′s in CA. I had stupid blind faith in our country’s government that they knew what they were doing. I didn’t vote for Bush, because I didn’t think he would center on our countries problems, and I was right. We’ve had seven years of problems in our country overlooked. It’s almost to the cancer point for the immigration problem. A sore needs to treated, cancer starts, and we all know what happens after that, treatment or death.

Christian leaders are falling by the wayside by the bundle as of late,as in the case of Dobson,and his endorsement of Rommney for president,which is just plain compromise, as is Pat Robertson’s opinion,and a few more like Hagy,and Osteen…Its selfish compromise!!!!
I am a Christian,and know that in the end times that even the very elect will be deceived.
Having compassion for the individuals,is not the problem,that’s easy if you know the Lord,but that one word….”illegal”,stands in my way.
If people want to do it legally then they have my support
Willis Meade

While it is relatively easy to comprehend the comments of those who either agree or dispute the laws concerning illegal immigrants, I am baffled by the headline that originated the discussion.
“Christian leaders ‘urge’ compassion….” as I have to wonder what they meant.
I have been a Christian for some thirty-two plus years after wasting my time – attending church, for the previous forty-five, and it amazes me that we have strayed so far from the teaching of the Bible on which our religious beliefs are to be based. Can anyone read the Gospels and come away with any other belief than that Jesus was compassion, incarnate? Are we not taught that our life – as believers, is to be lived “in” Christ, that we have been crucified with Him and this life we now live is to be lived by faith in Him. Are we not to be His disciples? If so, then what has taken us so long to grasp what is happening by the influx of the so-called, illegals?
We have church houses in every parrish, township, county and State in these United States and schools that remind us, we are a nation of immigrants and now we are “talking” about what is to be done about this great problem. Excuse me. Jesus didn’t waste His time on such matters. He reminded those who would listen of the love of the Father and the hopes that are to be discovered by a response to that love. Lives were changed. Hearts were healed.
What has happened to our faith in Him? He promised that we would do even greater things. Why have reverted to waiting for the teachers of the law to tell us what we can and cannot do. We are to love one another and my years have taught me, it is impossible to love at arm’s length. He touched me! Yes, He did! And I mean it when I sing those words, …”and now the joy that floods my soul, He touched me and made me whole.”
Jesus had a word for those who have a compassion of their own. He suggested they do their deeds to be noticed by men, they widen their credentials (we have long since done away with “phylacteries”) and lengthen the claims they offer on their resumes. And they love the places of honor – what better reason to be seen at meetings and heard at seminars. And reminds us of titles, in His day, it was Rabbi, now it is Doctor.
The prophet Micah reminded all of us of what the Lord requires of us, to do justice – stand up and speak out wherever we find injustice, to extend mercy – after all, isn’t that why we can claim to be Christian, and walk humbly with God. It isn’t easy. We can’t say we were not warned, but once you have tasted of His glory, there is no returning to the ease of which we too readily seem to accept.

“…but that one word….”illegal”,stands in my way…”
Let’s not get too hung up on “illegal” since we’ve probably all done illegal things at one time or another, if only speeding (which by the way risks causing injury or death; illegal immigration only risks getting caught).

I suspect that one of the reasons the article is not clear on legal or illegal immigrants is that it is impossible for one to know if that person who lives down the street is actually legal or has forged papers or no papers – be compassionate to all.
nnmns – loved the comment about not getting hung up on “illegal”.
The most recent thing that I heard is the illegal immigration is a misdemeaner – most misdemeaners are usually taken care of with a fine. If someone knows if this is incorrect, please help me with the more recent classification – thanks.

JohnQ:
You’re correct when you said that I’m not prejudice against people from other countries. I by no means wish any of them harm.
No easy answer to this situation. It has taken a long time to get this way, and it will probably take a long time to solve it, if ever. The only people in this country who aren’t immigrants, are the Native Americans. One of my ancestors came over before the Revolution by stowing away on a boat, from Ireland. Guess he was an illegal as far as the British were concerned.

An good point has been made that the treatment of illegal immigrants has a HUGE impact on the ever increasing population of those citizens who share their ethnicity. I concur that whatever is done should contain elements of grace and not ugliness. People deserve to be treated humanely, not as some form of infestation.
However, whether laws have been effecctively enforced or not, the status of these immigrants as illegally residing within the U.S. has not changed. Though I may speed on the interstate, and thus break the law in that instance, I am not perpetually in a state of breaking the law. These people continue to be considered illegal immigrants by their continued [illegal] presence within the U.S.
How these issues are to be resolved is going to be an extremely complicated process. “Documenting” illegal immigrants has practical benefits, but it would be much akin to “documenting” other serialized criminals without doing anything about their crime. Perhaps this comparison appears to be extreme because of the inequality of crimes being compared, but however inconvenient the Law might be, there it is nonetheless. I’m waiting for illegals who have been deported to attempt to utilize our sometimes fickle judicial system to sue the U.S. for violated rights or something comparable. That will indeed be a tremendous can of worms.
And for what it is worth, as a perpetual student of Middle Eastern history and civilization, I am unaware of the strictly middle eastern notion of hospitality being applied by a sovereign nation toward an entire population, especially in the modern era. Correct me if I’m wrong jestryfl(with proof please), but to address your analogy involving Abram and Sarai, traditional middle eastern hospitality is indeed of utmost importance, as it applies to visitors to one’s home (not country), and only for a temporary period, not indefinitely.

How would all of you who seem to think the United States of America shouldn’t have laws to keep our land from being run over by people who want to live here when and where they want to, like to have to give up your jobs, share housing with them, to keep them happy? Your religious reasonings are off the wall. This country had rules and regulations on legal immigrants from the start, the fact that the governmnent let it get to this point is unbelievable, but it is going to be fixed.

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph were illegal immigrants in Egypt after the Nativity. “What’s good enough for The Savior….”

1. Joseph, Mary, and Jesus were not “illegal” immigrants. They never strayed outside of the Roman Empire. What they did would be roughly equivalent to someone fleeing Texas and going to Florida in order to avoid being killed.
2. Since most of us do not have the power to change national immigration policy, at least we can all show hospitality to those in need without asking questions. “I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.” (Matt 25:35-36)
3. As others have observed, the issue is much more complex than just illegal immigrants. For instance: If all illegal immigrants were suddenly removed (assuming you could accurately identify them) then a whole host of farmers would be hard pressed to find anyone willing to work for the kinds of wages they currently pay. So the question is, are you willing to pay considerably more for your pears and raisins in exchange for closing the borders? Raising prices would also make USA produce less competitive in the world market. I’m willing to bet that the average Japanese would gladly pay less for Chilean grapes, without worrying about why they are less expensive.

Jestrfyl is right to bring up the principle of hospitality. Christians, especially Christian spiritual leaders, are called to meet the needs of wayfarers without conditions. It’s a pretty big deal in the Bible.
Does this have to translate directly into some kind of open-borders national policy, into demanding that the government do nothing to regulate immigration? No, it doesn’t, and I’d never want anything like that. But if any illegal immigrant came wandering into my church or knocking on my door needing help, would I help him? Yes. Would I try to get him into trouble with the law? No. My commitment to meeting the immediate needs of those standing before me far outweighs any abstract commitment I have to my country.

That bizarre sound you hear is my head shaking ans the rattle of me wee little brain inside it. It seems that Nate and I are closer on this point that I am with my usual allies. There is hope in God’s New Creation and wide realm!
My basic assumption in life is this compassion first and foremeost, legality later. I am not proposing a completly open border. However, as proposed in the article we need to be caring and considerate. I am certain there are ways to deal with this whole dilemna without resorting to monochromatic defenses. One of the things I have learned from many of the undocumented workers (and “workers” is the truly significant word – they are critical to the economy as it is structured now. Sad but true) – they would rather be home than here. Many of them send significant portions of the earnings to the family they left behind. I think if we take the time to learn from them rather than instituting policies that have no humanity (or hope) in them, we might find a way to make the entire system work. As I have said before, creativity will carry us farther than mere declarations.

I read about an illegal immigrant coming on foot into Arizona, this a.m., he arrived in a desolate area, and came upon a car wreck. A mother didn’t make a curve and she was trapped inside of the car dying. A little confused 9 yr. old boy was wandering around in distress. The young ,twenty some, man tried to get his mother out of the car, but couldn’t and she died a short time after. He comforted the boy, gave him is jacket, and stayed with him through the night, until the next day when they were discovered. The boy seems to be o.k., the illegal immigrant was turned over to the authorities. Seems to me that this man, by the name of Cordova, should be given a special consideration and allowed to be a citizen, by his deed. He could have just left the boy there, and taken off, he didn’t.

Henrietta,
Perhaps the paper will report what happens to Cordova. Hopefully the authorities will give him special consideration as you suggested. He certainly could have left the child. There are exceptions to the rules.