Friday, June 08, 2007

Hispanic National Assocation of Evangelicals Assaults Congress' Failure to Pass Immigration Bill

Rather than blog my own frustrations over the apparently bi-partisan trashing of a real solution to the Immigration issue, I offer the floor to The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference:

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(Washington DC) June 8, 2007
Nation’s Largest Hispanic Christian Organization Calls Failed Cloture Vote a Victory for Xenophobia, Extremism and Polarization

The National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference, which is the National Hispanic Association of Evangelicals, serving 15 Million Hispanic Born Again Christians and 18,000 Evangelical congregations, calls the Senates vote yesterday which resulted in a failed cloture motion, an egregious assault on the immigrant community, national unity, and family values. “Yesterday, political expediency, xenophobia and extremism defeated reason, compromise and reconciliation,” stated Rev. Samuel Rodriguez, Conference President. In addition, he added that unless there is immediate intervention on behalf of the White House in respect to Republican Senators and the House Leadership, 12 million people will hide deeper in the shadows, Anti Latino and immigrant animosity will increase, our nation will continue to be polarized, and our borders will continue to be vulnerable.

As a sister organization of the National Association of Evangelicals, the Hispanic NAE is mobilizing approximately 18,000 churches to contact members of Congress and pass Comprehensive Immigration Reform legislation that will protect the borders, protect all families and protect American values. “Immigration Reform is not a Political, Democratic, or Republican issue; it is above all a Moral issue. Congress just said no to Leviticus 19 and to Romans 13. Congress said no to treating the immigrant in a humane and biblical manner and to applying the rule of law,” declared Rodriguez. The Hispanic NAE led the moral and religious campaign calling for comprehensive immigration reform. Sidney Blumenthal credited the organization for derailing the Republican plan to deport 12 million undocumented immigrants.

3 comments:

Julio Rey said...

Using the laws of this country to promote Christian ethics always sounds like fun. I'd rather not run to the Bible to justify lawmaking. Let's call this a Constitutional issue instead. Open the borders to anyone willing to work to make an honest buck. Whatever happened to "give us your tired..." etc?

Jon Trott said...

Julio,

In light of the Christian Right's usage of Scripture to justify (among other things) the War in Iraq, I understand your unease. But for me, any attempt to create a morality without God causes me to remember Nietzsche's words, which in a nutshell basically said: "Murder God and you've murdered morals." From there, all that seems left to this mortal is a naked appeal to power. Constitution? It's only a human construction, and easily deconstructed by whatever megalomaniac with enough rabble-rousing abilities happens along. That's pretty grim, I know...

Julio Rey said...

Jon,

I agree that we cannot create a morality without God. And that without God, might makes right. But how much "morality-creating" (whatever that might mean to each individual) must the government take on?

The constitution has already been deconstructed enough, but I don't see the Bible's status as the inerrant and inspired Word of God making it immune from the very same treatment from megalomaniacs in this fallen world.

Let the laws protect life, liberty, and property (yes, I am a capitalist), and let us Christians create the morality in our daily walks.