Posted on 04/28/2006 5:35:40 AM PDT by Dane
Southern Baptist leader calls for immigration reform
WASHINGTON A Southern Baptist leader says Christians approach the immigration issue as citizens of both the United States and the kingdom of heaven. The Reverend Richard Land, who heads the denomination's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission, says Christians expect the U-S border to be secured and immigration laws to be enforced.
But he says they also believe that Christian charity must be extended to anyone in need.
Land supports giving illegal immigrants six months to apply for "guest worker" status, undergo a criminal background check, agree to learn English and pay a fine plus back taxes.
He says those who don't should be deported, but those who do should be welcomed into American churches and helped on their road to citizenship.
Well.. you 'we' know.. him 'we' don't...
Finally some sanity here. I think Dr, Land is coming in around where I stand.
Getting angry and hating won't solve anything but there are laws that really need to be enforced if there is to be any respect for the rule of law in general and that includes immigration laws.
The border needs to be secured but we also need to be open because we need some of the people to keep our economy going.
We've allowed millions to be aborted out of our workforce in the last 30 years, but anyone swept up in emotional hatred will ignore the beginning of this sentence.
Jesus would want to render to Caesar respect for the law
and to God love to poor people looking for a better life in this country.
I could live with this! Register, pay what they owe to this country, learn English, and of course anyone with a criminal record (other than breaking immigration laws) would be sent back immediately.
helped on their road to citizenship
They would have to make this much more specific. They should not get preferential treatment, but if they are living like law-abiding folks, and they are willing to go through all the hoops the rest of us went through, I reckon it will be ok. I didn't say it was perfect, but ok. Dr. Land has made one of the most reasonable proposals I have read.
Since the immigration people say there is NO WAY they can process the 12-20 million illegals who will show up claiming they have all been here for five years or more, this is a stupid statement. There is absolutely no chance this could be done and simply paves the way for the government to throw up its hands and grant amnesty to all illegals. This "guest worker" sham needs to be exposed for what it is...a fig leaf for the politicians who have failed miserably at their number one duty...to secure the borders of this country.
It was the barbarians crossing the "river" that was finally led to the downfall of the Roman Empire. It looks like we are on the verge of following in the same path.
As a Baptist people like Dr. Land are the reason that I no longer consider myself a Southern Baptist. They want centralized control and same think which is anti-Baptist tradition. The SBC leadership is made up of too many that are of the same cut as J.McCain, "GIVE ME POWER".
POLL TO FREEP
Do you agree with people singing a Spanish-language version of the U.S. national anthem?
Yes, there should be a Spanish version.
No, it should only be sung in English.
http://www.nbc5.com/politics/9065470/detail.html
It is his opinion, but mine and the majority is not with him. And keep in mind no matter his position he is one man.
You have no clue as to what real So. Baptist are. One thing that I know for sure is that We do not like John McCain.
He has more influcene that you think. This stuff will be preached on Sundays and the people don't want to fall foul of Jesus.
God wills illegal immigration then it must be right.
Thank you Reverend.
Agreed. The guest worker program would only work if the employer had to sponsor the worker and be responsible for any debts or social services. Also on workers come come over - no children or non-working spouses.
Since guest workers would be more expensive than true illegals, employers would still hire illegals instead.
Of course those restrictions would never happen which brings us back to your original point - the guest worker talk is a sham.
He is thoughtful, balanced and most of all Biblical in his statements concerning the roll of the Christian citizen in America.
Didn't Jesus say something about do unto Caesar? IE OBEY THE LAW?
This is more radical than McCain-Kennedy legislation requiring a dozen years of good behavior to become US citizens.
The Yankee New Englanders thought the Irish were "barbarians" crossing the ocean in the 1840's when they landed in Boston.
The same high and mighty people who beat the drums against slavery were prejudiced when it came to Irish people.
Come to think of, New England is still high and mighty, liberal and condescending today and they've brought in a lot of the Irish descendents to fill their ranks.
But to get to my point, every new group of immigrants was looked at the same way. The came by the millions in the 1840's and even more millions around 1900. (From Italy, Poland, Russia, Greece, etc.)
Shortly after 1900 the push began to make these kinds of mass migrations illegal and that's how we got the laws we have today.
The laws should be enforced, but the Mexicans don't need to be put down as a group of people and our tradition was (until the eugenics, racist crowd of the 1920's had power to change immigration laws) to let the millions come in from Europe and even some from Asia, although they got restricted earlier in the 20th Century.
Far far from perfect, and very very preferential to those that broke our laws and sneaked into our country against our will.
Such and out come will only encougage more and more and more to sneak in resulting in the break up of the usa.
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