Posted on 04/25/2010 12:46:18 PM PDT by SeekAndFind
Church leaders quickly voiced opposition to Arizona’s new immigration laws on Friday. They complain that not only will the rules be ineffective in solving the problem, but will promote discrimination.
“All the religious leaders of Arizona know and understand that this law will not solve the issue of crime along the border or in our state, but it will demonize anyone who looks suspiciously like an undocumented person leading to inevitable racial profiling,” said the Rev. Jan Flaaten, executive director of Arizona Ecumenical Council, in a statement.
“Our religious traditions ask us to treat people with dignity and respect, and we look for a more enlightened and hopeful way of working with the undocumented people who live along side us," Flaaten added.
Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer signed into law on Friday a controversial immigration bill that is described as the toughest in the nation.
The laws require immigrants to carry their alien registration documents at all times, give police officers the power to question someone’s legal residency if they suspect the person to be an illegal immigrant, and allow officers to arrest someone if they cannot prove their legal residency.
State lawmakers also cracked down on people who hire day laborers and those who knowingly transport illegal immigrants.
President Obama, ahead of the bill’s signing, called it “misguided” and said he directed his staff to study what effects it might have on civil rights.
The Arizona bill has put pressure on Washington to take up immigration reform this year.
Gov. Brewer blamed federal lawmakers for her state’s drastic measures against illegal immigrants.
“We in Arizona have been more than patient waiting for Washington to act," Brewer said after signing the law. "But decades of inaction and misguided policy have created a dangerous and unacceptable situation."
She also dismissed accusations that the new laws would in effect sanction racial profiling. Brewer issued an executive order Friday requiring more training to police officers on how to carry out the new laws without engaging in racial profiling. She called on the state’s law enforcement licensing agency to create the training course.
“We must enforce the law evenly, and without regard to skin color, accent, or social status,” she said. “We must prove the alarmists and the cynics wrong.”
Besides the potential problem of racial profiling, critics point out the new bill does nothing to address border security concerns.
One of the key arguments made by supporters of the bill is that illegal immigrants are partly responsible for the state’s high crime rate. State Sen. Russell Pearce, who sponsored the bill, frequently points to a local rancher who was recently killed by a suspected illegal immigrant involved in drug trafficking.
“When do we stand up for Americans and America? Enough is enough,” Pearce told Fox News earlier this week. “Arizona has become ground zero. We’re number two in the world in kidnapping … We’re not taking it anymore. We’re going to enforce our laws, with compassion.”
Religious leaders are urging federal lawmakers to pass comprehensive immigration reform, denouncing the current federal system as broken and the new Arizona law as “mean-spirited” and “ineffective.”
“It is not only mean-spirited – it will be ineffective and will only serve to further divide communities in Arizona, making everyone more fearful and less safe,” said the Rev. Jim Wallis, president/CEO of Sojourners. “Enforcement without reform of the system is merely cruel. Enforcement without compassion is immoral. Enforcement that breaks up families is unacceptable.”
“This law will make it illegal to love your neighbor in Arizona, and will force us to disobey Jesus and his gospel,” the progressive evangelical leader contended. “We will not comply.”
Several advocacy groups have expressed their intention to legally challenge the new Arizona immigration laws.
There are an estimated 460,000 illegal immigrants in Arizona, and an estimated 12 million undocumented immigrants in the nation.
Progressive evangelical? Now THERE'S a contradiction in terms!
Rev. Flaatus needs to understand that it was the enlightenment that got them in that problem in the first place.
Look, these ministers have no experience with border control. In fact, their business is bring people INTO their churches. Somehow, they can’t even get that right, because people are staying OUT.
Maybe a string of liberal preachers all along the border would solve the problem, by terrifying the would-be illegal aliens, like so many dark scarecrows.
Follow the money, virtually all illegals are christian most are catholic. Churches are counting on them to replace the money lost from dwindling numbers of American Citizens attending services. Sorry to sound so cynical but I doubt if these illegals were Hindu, the church would be busting it’s butt for them.
“Our religious traditions ask us to treat people with dignity and respect...”
Our religious traditions expect people to obey the law.
Methinks he protests too much. Wanna bet he has drug and coyote connections? The cops might want to start with the back room in the church.
“Rev. Jan Flaaten, executive director of Arizona Ecumenical Council”
My kind of Eccccc person...
“We will not comply”? Your butt needs to be deported too!
But,but,but he said he was a christian...The way to check is to see what fruit comes from someone.
Part of the Catholic catechism is to respect the laws of the lands they plan to live in. Somehow that got lost in their support for illegal immigrants.
That’s funny these very same people say nothing will work. No fence, no laws, no resistance. We just have to accept the invasion and destruction of our nation and way of life.
Battle lines are definitely being drawn.
If Christ knew what was coming he should have warned us!!!
Ping!
Any church that harbors or helps illegals should be stripped of their tax exempt statis and their leaders put in prison!
“Our religious traditions ask us to treat people with dignity and respect’’. Respect is a two-way street Pal. Where’s the ‘’dignity and respect’’ from the border-jumping a-holes who seem to think our country is some kind of a boarding house for them to just stroll on into?
Time to start parking white ICE vans outside Catholic churches on Sunday mornings.
“Somehow that got lost in their support for illegal immigrants.”
It didn’t get lost it’s the pursuit of the almighty dollar and political power that is making some forgetful.
The PROBLEM is they are not asking the CORRECT CHURCH LEADER!!
I asked HIM...
Father Bascio
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMaNa1K8lJo
God Bless him!! This is what I really call a MAVERICK!
He admitted he fell away from Father Mahoney Teachings!!
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