Posted on 06/14/2006 4:52:10 PM PDT by garbageseeker
I am posting this article because very few people know that the Catholic Church is going out of their way to make sure CIRA is the law of the land. The church has supported illegal immigration for many years and they have been active in getting CIRA passed. I also publishing this article in the hopes that the many Catholics who support the House of Representatives would know what their church is doing on the illegal immigration issue in the United States. I really do not think that Roman Catholics know the churches position on this matter.I know that there are many Catholics out there who support the "borders enforcement only" approach, not the approach the pro-illegal immigrant. approach our leaders has taken.
I am a Catholic and I am opposed to illegal immigration.
Here's a thought I had when reading the latest screed from some pro-illegal immigration 'social justice' liberal priest pushing this very bad idea:
My wife is a legal immigrant. It took her many years to become a citizen. My wife also became a Catholic, through the process of RCIA. It was a year-long process, even for people who grew up in other non-Catholic Christian denominations.
At no time did the Catholic church say, "You know what. We have some rules here, but forget about them. You don't need to follow them. In fact, we *encourage* you to violate the rules, because we just want our pews filled."
Would Catholic Priests and bishops agree to give communion to Muslims who just show up one Sunday for Mass?
Would they start abandoning their catholic principles in order to placate non-catholics who show up at a mass and demands changes? We know the answer. Communion is not to be given to non-Catholics.
Yet the Catholic bishops think that American citizenship needs to be given to those here who have broken the law to get here. They think rules are okay for the Catholic church, but not for our borders and our immigration. They want to require amnesty for illegal behavior as a precondition for enforcing the law.
Jesus said "give to Ceaser what is Ceasar's", deflecting the trap laid by Pharisees. By that he meant we are in this world and we are subject to civil authorities, although the highest authority is not on earth, but God. We do no service to God when we unnecessarily advocate the breakdown of the civil order. And that is what advocacy of amnesty does.
Why are Catholic bishops walking away from the wisdom of Jesus and falling into the trap of bad public policy of encouraging illegal behavior? If it is about compassion, it is misplaced, for the negative consequences of illegal immigration is rampant: Legal immigrants are pushed to the back of lines; workers here get impacted by wage compression; and illegal immigration itself encourages illegal gangs of "coyotes", is dangerous (with many border crossers dying in the desert or suffocating in cramped hidden railroad cars and trucks).
If amnesty were indeed a solution, it might be reasonable for the church to consider advocating it, but we know from experience that the main impact of amnesty is to make the problem worse. More illegal immigration, less control of the immigration process, and a system further broken down.
There is a responsible way out: One that combines a secure border, immigration law enforcement, and adequate levels of legal immigration, both termporary and permanent, to make sure economic demands for labor and the desire formany to come to America is met.
America, like the church, is welcoming new members, but we must have some order in how these new members come in, or chaos reigns. We see that chaos today, with 12 million illegal aliens here, a large extent caused by previous amnesties. Let's avoid the trap of the zealots, and
We disagree. That is why there is separation of church and state in this country. The state should do their affairs and the church should do their affairs.
Nast was a bigot.
BUMP
Should Churches say nothing about abortion?
As a Mason, what does your Church say about immigration?
Just what, in your Masonic world, would the Church be allowed to comment on?
"I'm a Catholic legal hispanic woman agains illegal immigration."
I am a Catholic against illegal immigration. Three of us on the same page. Let's get a list here of all the
"Catholics against Illegal Immigration".
We could make a response statement.
btw the 'render unto Ceasar' I take to mean *not* that the church ought not get involved at all in politics, but that there is a wisdom for Christians in obeying lawful civil authority. being a Christian doesnt give you an excuse to be a tax-evader. So it is in this case. Our immigration law is very generous and not unjust; we permit over 1 million legal immigrants a year. There is absolutely no reason for the Catholic church to support defiance and undermining of our immigration law, through their support of amnesty.
The Church is not saying that there should be consequences. Also the Church is not saying this in order to fill the pews up. You speak of RCIA. Well the proposals that people are calling Amnesty amount to whats basically a 12 year RCIA class but one to become an American citizen.
Furthermore, the above is consisent with Teachings of our most conservative and orthodox of Popes and Catholic Teachers. It can not just be dismissed as in the same category as liberation Theology.
The Church here is concerned about primarly the Dignity of the human person and the unity of the family. For it to remain silent aon those issues would be contrary to the call of the Church. One wonders what POland would have looked liked if the Church had not got involved in politics there. THe Church has a duty and obligation too be involved in issues like this.
He was a religious bigot, no matter what affect his cartoons had.
The Freemasons do not have a position on abortions.
Do you? Do you have a position on whether or not Churches should say anything about abortion?
I'm getting the impression that you're in over your head here.
If the Churches and synagogues can say nothing about moral issues, what can they speak about in the public arena?
"The predominantly Catholic immigrant wave could mean the overturn of Roe v Wade."
Yeah right. the Hispanics in Cali vote overwhelminingly for that pro-abort extremist Barbara Boxer. The illegal immigrant wave is 70%+ Democrat, and more Democrats mean a left-wing judiciary.
I think the key word here is immigrant- it seems like they lumped illegal aliens and legal immigrants together to arrive at this number. Many citizens of other countries who are working and living here legally hold high paying jobs. Not sure, but that is the only way I can see that their numbers could possibly be true.
They are on the "right side" of the issue. They believe in reinforcement of the borders, but in fair treatment for those who are in this country, and legalization if possible.
You may not agree with it, but it is not wrong because you say so.
Yeah, that is what we learned in history. We have also learned from the FROBL that anyone who opposes an open border with Mexico is a bigot, and we know that isn't correct.
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