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To: Raycpa

Thanks for those quotes. They point out a gap between what many religious people believe and the laws of the land. That's always a problem.

Here in the USA, our secular laws most often outweigh religious beliefs, especially when crime is involved. However, there are exceptions. For example, priests (and other ministers, by extension) may keep confidential confessions given to them in their official duties. So, a law that requires reporting, say, child molestors, may be ignored by priests who find out that a confessee has broken those laws.

The law isn't clear, however, on things like reporting illegal aliens. Many priests, ministers, and other religious folks do not see it as their responsibility to report illegal aliens they serve. They can cite, for example, some of the verses you quote, along with many others.

This raises a real dilemma for many Christians, who believe that their deity's laws are above all others. It has caused problems in right-to-life issues, immigration issues, sovereignty of family issues, etc.

It's not a simple question. Many believe that their deity requires them to aid the poor, whether illegal or not. What are they to do?


10 posted on 03/18/2006 9:44:25 AM PST by MineralMan (godless atheist)
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To: MineralMan
Many believe that their deity requires them to aid the poor, whether illegal or not. What are they to do?

You give money or food to a poor person, or take them to the nearest shelter, but you don't bring them into your house and give them your master bedroom and the keys to your car. I believe Christians should take care of illegals' immediate needs, (food, water, whatever) and then counsel them to go back to their home countries and apply to enter the United States legally.

21 posted on 03/18/2006 10:04:10 AM PST by Nea Wood (Is cheap, illegal labor worth one life?)
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To: MineralMan
"Many believe that their deity requires them to aid the poor, whether illegal or not. What are they to do?"

Call INS or whatever it is being called this week.
Buy them a ticket 'home'.
Surrender all their other commonly accepted 'rights' as a citizen.
Continue dreaming of a religious state in lieu of the one our constitution envisioned. (might clash with islamic dreams)
Improve their Spanish.

Or, concentrate on our own needy and let mexico take care of it's own social issues.
And,
recognize that there are border issues other than easy access to a maternity ward.

111 posted on 03/19/2006 1:51:45 AM PST by norton
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To: MineralMan

I can see and understand the dilemma, many churches have always helped illegals as far as food and water and clothes. I really don't have a problem with that, they are following their belief. I do think some churches are crossing the line into the politics of the illegal problem. Some churches are actually involved in smuggling, and assisting the illegals through the whole process from getting here to staying here permanently. I strongly disagree with that, in fact I think the ones that are involved in the smuggling operations should be treated as smugglers period.


117 posted on 03/19/2006 7:01:37 AM PST by Tammy8 (Build a Real Border Fence, and enforce Immigration Laws!!!)
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